Tag: Disney

Disney hires Netflix executive to turbocharge Asia streaming push

MUMBAI: His is a familiar face to Indian music and streaming industry professionals. We are talking about Tony Zameczkowski who used to jet his way to India often first as the executive in charge of YouTube’s music vertical and then as Netflix vice-president and co-head Asia Pacific.

Now Zameczkowski has hopped aboard Disney to spearhead its streaming ambitions across Asia-Pacific, as the entertainment giant seeks to capitalise on the region’s enormous growth potential. His designation: senior vice-president and general manager for direct-to-consumer operations across the region. The appointment signals Disney’s determination to accelerate Disney+ growth in markets where streaming adoption continues to surge.

Reporting to APAC president Luke Kang and Disney Entertainment’s direct-to-consumer president Joe Earley, Zameczkowski will oversee the expansion of Disney+ across a region that company executives describe as brimming with “immense growth opportunities.”

His arrival comes as Disney+ builds momentum following ESPN’s successful launch in Australia and New Zealand, alongside a growing slate of local originals from Korea, Japan and Australia. The second series of Japanese live-action thriller Gannibal became the platform’s most-viewed premiere in the second quarter and its fastest title to reach one million streaming hours.

The streaming wars in Asia-Pacific show no signs of cooling, with local players and global giants alike vying for market share in countries where mobile-first consumption and rising disposable incomes are reshaping entertainment habits.

Zameczkowski, who previously held roles at Victorious and Warner Bros International Television before his Netflix and YouTube stint, says he has “always admired Disney’s unmatched leadership in the entertainment space and its ability to remain modern and relevant to consumers.”

New APAC originals including Tempest, Disney Twisted Wonderland: The Animation” and Cat’s Eye are set to debut on Disney+ in coming months as the company doubles down on local content production—a strategy that has proven crucial for streaming success across diverse Asian markets.

August 18, 2025
Sportz Interactive plays a power shot with GenAI-first leadership revamp

MUMBAI: Sportz Interactive (SI) is changing its game plan and it’s going big on both people and pixels. In a strategic shake-up aimed at fuelling its global expansion and pivoting to a GenAI-first future, the sports tech specialist has unveiled a bolstered leadership line-up spanning product, technology, delivery, HR, and business functions.

At the core of this formation is a three-pronged attack:

. Sanket Sawkar, SI’s chief product & innovation officer and a 23-year company veteran, will steer the product vision and innovation strategy, designing fan engagement tools to meet the ever-shifting demands of sports organisations.

. Monojit Banerjee, the new chief technology officer, arrives with stints at JP Morgan, Amazon, and Razorpay, tasked with building secure, scalable engineering platforms to underpin SI’s ambitious product roadmap.

. Ravi Ranjan, chief delivery officer and Agile delivery specialist from Capgemini and Thoughtworks, will ensure SI’s projects cross the finish line on time and at peak performance.

Adding people power to the playbook, Himanshu Kapadia joins as SI’s first chief human resources officer, bringing experience from Disney, HDFC, and DBS to foster a high-performance, people-first culture.

CEO Siddharth Raman called the move a “pivotal moment”, highlighting SI’s strengthening foothold in the UK and Europe, backed by its track record with marquee sports organisations in India. The reshaped leadership, he said, “will help us lead with digital foresight, build for a GenAI-first world, and deliver transformative impact for our partners.”

With its enhanced bench strength, SI looks set to turn its strategic vision into a winning season, one where innovation, agility, and AI are all playing for the same team.

August 11, 2025
Disney tops licensing table with $62 billion haul in 2024

MUMBAI: The world’s biggest brand owners have turned emotional connections into cold, hard cash. Disney sits atop a licensing empire worth $62 billion in retail sales, nearly doubling the revenue of its closest competitor as the global licensing market surged to over $307 billion in 2024—a tidy $26.7 billion increase from the previous year.

License Global’s annual rankings reveal an industry that thrives on nostalgia, fandom and the human need to belong. While economic uncertainty grips consumers elsewhere, licensed products—from Pokemon pyjamas to Marvel mugs—continue their relentless march through shopping baskets worldwide.

The top ten licensors generated $208bn in retail sales during 2024, up from $192 billion in 2023. Over the past five years, these corporate titans have collectively raked in more than $1 trillion, proving that emotional attachment trumps rational spending when wallets tighten.

Disney’s dominance reflects the mouse house’s unrivalled stable of beloved characters spanning generations. But the chasing pack tells a different story. Authentic Brands Group, which corrals sports and lifestyle brands including David Beckham and Champion, claimed second place with $32bn. People Inc (formerly Dotdash Meredith) rounded out the podium with $26.7 billion, followed by NBCUniversal at $17 billion.

The full top ten includes Hasbro ($16.1 billion), Warner Bros Discovery ($15 billion), The Pokemon Co International ($12 billion), Bluestar Alliance ($10 billion), Mattel ($8.8 billion) and Japan’s kawaii kingpin Sanrio ($8.4 billion).

“What is remarkable about this year’s report is how it demonstrates the resilience of emotional connections in consumer decision-making,” says License Global content director Ben Roberts. Even as economic pressures mount, consumers prioritise brands that matter to them personally, creating loyalty that transcends market forces.

The data suggests a generational handover is brewing. Millennials currently lead licensed product purchasing at 28 per cent, but Generation Z is expected to seize the crown in 2025-26, while Generation Alpha grows to 22 per cent relevance. Fashion dominates growth categories, with 70 per cent of brand owners highlighting apparel as a key opportunity, followed by toys and games (54 per cent) and food and beverage (52 per cent).

The industry’s expanding reach is evident in its newcomers. First-time entrants include Lego, Legendary Entertainment and Gordon Brothers, reflecting licensing’s broadening appeal as brands seek deeper consumer relationships.

As digital platforms reshape commerce, successful licensors are building integrated experiences across physical, digital and hybrid channels. Brands with agile strategies on Roblox, TikTok and social commerce platforms are positioning themselves to lead the next wave of consumer engagement.

The licensing juggernaut shows no signs of slowing. In an era where consumers crave authentic connections, brands that can tap into personal identity and shared experiences have found the ultimate recession-proof formula.

August 6, 2025
Aditi Guha joins Prime Video as head of programming & content insights

MUMBAI: Amazon Prime Video has roped in media veteran Aditi Guha as head of programming & content insights for Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios India. She joined the content giant in May 2025 and made the announcement today on Linkedin.

With over two decades of experience across media planning, consumer insight, content strategy and product monetisation, Guha is set to shape the streamer’s data-led storytelling and business decisions.

Prior to this, Guha served as senior product researcher at Netflix APAC, where she led consumer insight across South Korea, Japan, India, Australia, and Southeast Asia, focusing on partnerships, churn, retention and commerce growth. Before that, she held multiple leadership roles at The Walt Disney Co in Singapore, launching Disney+ in Southeast Asia and building audience strategies across studios, media networks and licensing verticals.

Her career began in media planning at Universal McCann and WPP, before she made her mark at Viacom18’s MTV Insight Studio and ABP News. Guha is an alumna of Symbiosis Institute of Media and Communication and has earned certifications from NUS Business School, IdeoU, and General Assembly in analytics and design thinking.

With content wars heating up in the Indian OTT space, her appointment signals Amazon’s continued push to double down on data-fuelled programming decisions, local insights and international storytelling chops.

July 16, 2025
A+E Global Media joins cable fire sale as Disney and Hearst weigh exit

MUMBAI: A+E Global Media, home to A&E, History and Lifetime, is up for grabs as Disney and Hearst are exploring a potential sale of their 50-50 joint venture, adding to the growing list of cable assets being spun off or dumped in a rapidly fragmenting media landscape.

The duo have roped in Wells Fargo to explore strategic options for the privately held firm, which rebranded earlier this year from A+E Networks. International media reports quote sources saying that a full or partial sale is on the cards, though no deal is guaranteed. The move comes amid a broader industry pivot, with NBCUniversal and Warner Bros. Discovery already planning to cleave off large chunks of their legacy cable businesses.

NBCU’s new entity Versant will house MSNBC, CNBC, USA Network and others, while WBD is prepping a 2026 split of its linear networks, including CNN, TNT, TBS, Discovery and HGTV. A+E’s roster—spanning Lifetime Movie Network, FYI, Vice TV, and a fleet of Fast and AVOD services—could make for a tasty bolt-on to either portfolio.

While A+E continues to throw off cash, it’s not immune to cable’s cord-cutting crisis. Subscriber counts are down to around 58 million per brand, well off their peak, and Disney’s reported equity income from the venture plunged to $207 million in FY24 from $575 million the year prior. That said, the company’s content firepower remains formidable—with deep libraries, active Fast rollouts, and global syndication in nearly 200 markets.
Under president Paul Buccieri, A+E has bucked some trends by doubling down on original movies for Lifetime and blockbuster docs for History. But the shift is unmistakable: legacy players are slimming down, linear is losing lustre, and media conglomerates are reshuffling the deck for a streaming-first world.

Disney boss Bob Iger has flirted with calling linear TV “non-core” in the past but ultimately decided to hold on to ESPN, ABC and FX as content engines for Disney+ and Hulu. A+E, however, has long remained outside the mouse house’s main orbit—making it a prime candidate for offloading.

No price tag has been floated, and reps for Disney, Hearst, A+E and Wells Fargo have declined to comment. But the timing is telling. With Versant aiming to close by end-2025, and WBD’s split targeted for mid-2026, A+E could be the next tile to shift in a fast-moving game of cable consolidation.

Indian media observers may recollect that the Reliance group has a 51 per cent majority-owned joint venture AETN18 , now called A+E Networks India. The company operates the infotainment channel History TV18 and had, until 2020 , run the lifestyle channels of FYI TV18. How the potential sale of the global media company will affect the Indian joint venture is not known at the time of writing. So keep watching this space.

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July 8, 2025
Disney+ and Nippon TV hit the road with ‘Traveling with Snow Man’

MUMBAI: Disney+ and Nippon TV are teaming up for a genre-first from Japan—an unscripted travel reality series titled “Traveling with Snow Man,” set to premiere on 27 July on Nippon TV, with an exclusive uncut global version dropping on Disney+ right after.

The 10-episode series (each running 22 minutes) stars Snow Man, the chart-topping nine-member J-pop boy band, as they embark on a joyride from Okinawa to Hokkaido, blending heart, humour, and hometown charm. But this isn’t your typical idol show. Joining them is Tabi, an AI-style robot and the unofficial 10th member, capturing all the candid chaos as it unfolds.

This marks a major milestone for Disney+, as Traveling with Snow Man becomes the first-ever Japanese unscripted travel series to launch on the platform.

Kicking off with a laid-back beach barbecue in Okinawa, episode one sets the tone—shop-hopping, joyrides, grilled surprises and plenty of banter. Along the route north, the group gets up close with Japan’s rich cultural diversity, sampling local delicacies, bonding with residents, and exploring iconic locations.

Under the banner theme “One for Snow Man, Snow Man for One,” each member reflects on their individual growth and how it fuels the collective journey, resulting in a travelogue full of introspection, brotherhood, and playful misadventures.

A newly released key visual shows Snow Man lounging by the Okinawan seaside breezy, beachy, and brimming with off-stage charm. Fans can expect a rare peek behind the idol curtain, where spontaneity trumps script, and raw moments steal the show.

With global audiences now in tow thanks to the Disney+ release, “Traveling with Snow Man” is poised to become Japan’s next bingeable cultural export—one barbecue, one tear, and one Tabi-captured moment at a time.

“We are deeply honored to announce that the uncut version ‘Traveling with Snow Man’, with additional scenes, will be streamed globally on Disney+, allowing audiences around the world to enjoy it immediately after broadcasting in Japan,” said Travelling with Snow Man producer and chairman Takashi Kato. “What stood out to me in our conversations with the group is their deep passion for their work and the strong bond they share. This series captures all of that and more. As we travel across Japan, we capture the members’ genuine personalities and heartfelt dedication, all while savoring local delicacies along the way. And please look forward to the cheeky navigation by the AI-style robot, ‘Tabi’.”

July 7, 2025
Digital i report: Streamers ditch originality for the comfort of repeats

MUMBAI: The golden age of eak TV is officially over, and streamers are reaching for the remote to change channels back to safety. According to Digital i’s latest report, Are You Still Watching?, the number of original series launched across Netflix, Disney+, Max and Prime Video has plummeted from 395 in 2022 to just 279 in 2024—a brutal 29 per cent drop that signals the end of the industry’s spend-happy commissioning spree. Producers have been talking about this in whispers in streamers office corridors, but now data has backed what was being speculated about as a fact.

The shift is as dramatic as it is telling. For the first time since streaming became king, licensed content has overtaken original programming in viewing share, with audiences voting with their eyeballs for the familiar over the fresh. The data shows this crossover happened in Q3 2023, marking a watershed moment for an industry built on the promise of endless new content.

What’s driving this nostalgia kick?

Viewers are apparently more interested in rewatching Grey’s Anatomy for the umpteenth time than diving into yet another dystopian thriller. The medical drama alone racked up more than two billion global viewing hours in 2024, whilst House M.D. continues to diagnose audience boredom with reliable regularity.

This retreat to the familiar isn’t just about comfort viewing—it’s cold, hard economics. Original content costs a fortune and carries enormous risk, whilst proven library titles offer predictable returns. Streamers, facing mounting pressure from investors and increasingly choosy subscribers, are discovering that sometimes the best new content is actually very old content.

Netflix, however, remains the rebel in this conformist crowd. Of its top 25 most-viewed titles in 2024, 14 were based on original concepts—more than any other service. Whilst competitors are playing it safe, Netflix is still betting big on fresh ideas, suggesting the streaming giant believes originality remains its secret weapon for global domination.

The industry’s new obsession with data is reshaping what gets made and what gets axed. Completion rates have emerged as the ultimate judge and jury, with Amazon’s video game adaptation Fallout boasting a stellar 67 per cent completion rate that helped secure its success. Netflix’s The Gentlemen earned renewal with a respectable 61 per cent, whilst the mythology-themed Kaos was cancelled after managing only 47 per cent—a harsh reminder that in streaming, finishing is everything.

The data reveals another trend: shorter is sweeter. Season ones with three to six episodes achieved average completion rates of 48 per cent, whilst bloated 11-15 episode seasons managed a measly 26 per cent. In an attention economy, brevity isn’t just the soul of wit—it’s the key to renewal.

This recalibration reflects a maturing industry learning to balance creative ambition with commercial reality. The battle for viewer attention has evolved into a war for consistent, measurable engagement. Streamers are discovering that keeping audiences watching is harder than getting them to start, and that sometimes the most innovative strategy is knowing when not to innovate at all.

As the dust settles on peak TV’s decline, one thing is clear: in the streaming wars, nostalgia isn’t just a marketing tool—it’s becoming the ultimate weapon.

May 24, 2025
Disney’s magic numbers: Q2 2025 earnings cast a spell

MUMBAI: The Walt Disney Company’s Q2 2025 earnings have delivered a star-studded performance, with revenues climbing seven per cent to $23.6 billion, driven by robust gains in entertainment and experiences. But it wasn’t all smooth sailing — sports struggled with soaring production costs, keeping the magic somewhat grounded.

In the spotlight, Disney’s entertainment segment sparkled with a 61 per cent surge in operating income, hitting $1.3 billion. Direct-to-consumer revenues also soared, thanks to a 2.5 million bump in Disney+ and Hulu subscriptions, pushing the combined total to 180.7 million. The much-talked-about Disney+ subscriber base alone rose to 126 million, an addition of 1.4 million from the previous quarter.

However, the sports division played a tougher game. Operating income tumbled by $91 million to $687 million, primarily due to bloated programming costs, which included airing three extra college football playoff games and an additional NFL clash. ESPN’s domestic advertising revenue shot up by 29 per cent, but it wasn’t enough to offset the spending blitz.

Disney’s crown jewel — its experiences division — continued to enchant. Segment operating income hit $2.5 billion, a nine per cent rise, as domestic parks saw a 13 per cent boost in income, driven by higher spending and increased attendance.

Net income soared to $3.4 billion from just $216 million a year ago, with adjusted earnings per share (EPS) hitting $1.45, a 20 per cent year-on-year jump. Free cash flow surged over 100 per cent to $4.9 billion, thanks to lower tax payments and tighter cost control.

But not everything was a fairy tale. Disney’s Star India JV posted a $103 million loss, reflecting ongoing challenges in the competitive Indian market. There was also a equity loss from India JV of ~$300 million driven by purchase accounting amortisation. Amounts for the current period include impairment charges related to the Star India transaction ($143 million) and content ($109 million). Tax expense in the current period includes the estimated tax impact of these charges and a non-cash tax charge of $244 million related to the Star India transaction. Amounts for the prior-year period include impairments of goodwill ($2,038 million).

Looking ahead, Disney is waving its wand at a 16 per cent rise in adjusted EPS for the full year, expecting $5.75 per share, as it bets on double-digit growth in entertainment and a fresh direct-to-consumer push with ESPN’s new offering.

Disney’s CEO Bob Iger summed it up: “Our outstanding performance this quarter underscores our continued success building for growth and executing across our strategic priorities. Overall, we remain optimistic about the direction of the company and our outlook for the remainder of the fiscal year.”

May 7, 2025
Streaming ahead of the curve with springserve’s ad tech revamp

MUMBAI: Magnite is turning up the volume in the streaming ad world with the next-gen launch of its Springserve video platform, an upgraded OTT/CTV solution that fuses the precision of its award-winning ad server with the programmatic prowess of Magnite’s Streaming SSP. It’s a bold move aimed at simplifying ad delivery and maximising monetisation for major players like Disney, Roku, LG, Paramount, Samsung and Warner Bros. Discovery.

Tailored for the evolving needs of global streaming giants, the platform now connecting buyers to 99 per cent of US streaming supply and has been validated by Jounce Media’s March 2025 Supply Path Benchmarking Report. For media owners, the new tech means smarter yield, streamlined workflows and real-time visibility across ad operations.

“As the CTV space matures, there’s a significant opportunity to enhance the advertising process for media owners and buyers,” said Magnite president for revenue Sean Buckley. “We’re building this next generation of Spring Serve specifically to help our clients and partners stay ahead of these emerging opportunities. By unifying the programmatic layer as a complementary step in the buying process, not only does it give buyers greater transparency, predictability, and control over their ad placements, but it lays the foundation for more effective monetisation and yield management for media owners.”

“Disney continues to expand our global streaming footprint in collaboration with Magnite—unlocking more premium inventory and making it even easier for advertisers to access our portfolio at scale,” said Disney SVP for addressable sales Jamie Power. “Together, we’re advancing a shared vision for innovation—one that prioritizes automation, flexibility, and smarter tools to help our partners drive meaningful impact in the live streaming space.”

“Controlling demand sources and optimizing ad placements in real time is essential to our strategy,” said LG Ad Solutions SVP of operations Kelly McMahon. “SpringServe gives us the power to orchestrate everything in one platform balancing programmatic demand and direct deals more effectively, without compromising the viewer experience.”

“Working with valuable partners like Magnite has enabled Paramount to further optimize our programmatic demand sources, driving greater efficiency and performance while preserving a seamless viewing experience for our audiences,” said Paramount SVP of partnerships Christopher Owen. “Continued advancements in programmatic play a meaningful role in our ongoing success both as a company and as part of the broader industry.”

“Together with Magnite, we can create more opportunities for advertisers that offer platform transparency and flexibility across monetization, demand access, and user experience optimization,” said Roku SVP of global media revenue and growth Jay Askinasi. “SpringServe connects us more directly with DSPs, streamlining operations and augmenting revenue potential. This is an approach we believe will help attract greater advertising investment into the CTV ecosystem.”

“Our long-standing partnership with Magnite has been instrumental in shaping our video monetization strategy, and we’re excited to partner with Magnite as they advance the SpringServe video platform,” said Warner Bros. Discovery SVP for revenue strategy and operations Jill Steinhauser. “We’re particularly looking forward to benefiting from the performance enhancements that enable faster ad loads and real-time pacing.”

“Magnite helps fuel the premium, open internet,” said The Trade Desk SVP of inventory development Will Doherty. “Combined with tools like OpenPath, the next generation of SpringServe is accretive to advertisers and publishers and most importantly so consumers can continue to enjoy the content we all love like CTV, journalism and more.”

“Magnite’s unified SpringServe platform offers significant clarity and cohesion in the streaming TV marketplace,” said Groupm US chief media officer, Susan Schiekofer. “By providing deeper insight into the supply path and stronger alignment with premium inventory at scale, it empowers us to make smarter, faster buying decisions and ultimately deliver better outcomes for our clients.”

“At OMG, we believe it’s a core right for advertisers to control and know where their ads deliver,” said Omnicom Media Group SVP of video and programmatic Ryan Eusanio. “Magnite’s SpringServe video platform helps us give our clients more control of their premium video strategy and enables better curation and targeting for campaigns.”

The new SpringServe boasts a centralised deal dashboard, intelligent ad decisioning, automated routing for optimal ad delivery, and seamless integration with Magnite Access for data-driven targeting. It also simplifies operations with a revamped user interface and real-time reporting tools.

As competition in CTV heats up, Magnite’s play positions it as the adtech partner of choice for streaming’s biggest names where precision meets premium, and innovation gets centre screen.

April 24, 2025
US Streaming platforms achieve record share of television viewing in Nielsen Report

MUMBAI: Nielsen’s March 2025 report on The Gauge indicates a shift towards more seasonal television viewing patterns in the US. Overall television viewing declined by six per cent compared to February, influenced by seasonal changes. However, the streaming category continued its growth, capturing 43.8 per cent of total TV usage in March, a 0.3 percentage point increase from February.

A notable finding is that for the first time in a monthly Gauge report, the top ten most-watched streaming programmes originated from seven different platforms: Prime Video, Hulu, Disney+, Max, Paramount+, Netflix, and Apple TV+. Max experienced the largest month-over-month growth among streaming services, increasing by six per cent, primarily driven by viewership of The White Lotus. YouTube also achieved a new platform record for the second consecutive month, accounting for 12 per cent of total TV watch time, despite a slight decrease in viewing hours compared to the previous month.

Cable television benefited from the NCAA men’s basketball tournament in March. Cable’s share of viewing rose to 24 per cent, a 0.8 percentage point increase, supported by a 29 per cent rise in cable sports viewing and consistent viewership for cable news. The most-watched cable sports broadcasts included NCAA Elite Eight games on TBS. Cable news programmes represented seven of the top ten cable telecasts, with Fox News Channel’s coverage of the presidential address on 4 March attracting 11 million viewers on the network and over 36 million viewers in total.

The broadcast category saw strong performance with ABC’s broadcast of The Oscars on 2 March, which was the most-watched programme in March with 20.3 million viewers across ABC and Hulu. Data indicated that viewers streaming the Oscars on Hulu were significantly younger compared to those watching via traditional broadcast. Scripted dramas accounted for 28 per cent of total broadcast viewing in March, with Tracker on CBS having five of the top ten broadcasts, each averaging over 10 million viewers. However, the absence of football contributed to an overall nine per cent decrease in broadcast viewership from February, resulting in a 20.5 per cent share of total TV viewing for the month.

April 20, 2025