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Tag: The Walt Disney Company

  • The Walt Disney Co announces Disney+ Day global event on 12 Nov

    The Walt Disney Co announces Disney+ Day global event on 12 Nov

    Mumbai: The Walt Disney Company is set to host Disney+ Day global event on 12 November to celebrate the second anniversary of its streaming service Disney+. The streaming platform will also expand to new Asia-Pacific markets on the day of the event.

    Subscribers to Disney+ Hotstar will access exciting content releases including Hotstar Specials’ series “Special Ops 1.5” helmed by Neeraj Pandey, starring Kay Kay Menon. Marvel Studios’ “Shang-Chi and  The Legend of The Ten Rings,” “Jungle Cruise,” and “Home Sweet Home Alone” will premiere digitally along with fresh content from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic, and Star in international markets. 

    Disney+ will give non-subscribers access to preview 100 hours of content across genres to promote its service, said the statement.

    “The inaugural Disney+ Day will be a grand-scale celebration of our subscribers across the entire company,” The Walt Disney company chief executive officer Bob Chapek. “This day of appreciation brings to life our mission to entertain, inform, and inspire fans and families around the globe through the power of unparalleled storytelling, and will become an annual tentpole event to be amplified across our global businesses.”

    On the day of the event, viewers can watch the content premieres of titles like Walt Disney Animation Studios’ “Olaf Presents,” and “Frozen Fever.” Oscar-winning shorts “Feast” and ”Paperman,” and Oscar-nominated Mickey Mouse short “Get A Horse!”.

    The content slate also includes an animated short film “Ciao Alberto” from Pixar, featuring characters from this summer’s animated hit breakout film “Luca.” A new short from “The Simpsons.” The first five episodes from season two of “The World According to Jeff Goldblum” from National Geographic.

    Furthermore, a special celebrating the origins and legacy of Star Wars’ legendary bounty hunter, Boba Fett. A special celebrating of the Marvel Cinematic Universe on Disney+ with an exciting look towards the future. “Dopesick” an original series starring Michael Keaton, will be released in international markets as part of the Star general entertainment content offering.

  • Star & Disney India expands roles of Kevin Vaz, Gaurav Banerjee

    Star & Disney India expands roles of Kevin Vaz, Gaurav Banerjee

    Mumbai: Star & Disney India has expanded the roles of senior executives Kevin Vaz and Gaurav Banerjee. 

    Previously, head of kids, infotainment and regional entertainment channels, Vaz has been appointed as head of entertainment, a newly created role and will be responsible for the entire entertainment channel business. Banerjee, previously head of English and Hindi entertainment channels, has been appointed as head of content and will spearhead content for HSM entertainment channels and Disney+ Hotstar including regional content on the OTT platform.

    The new roles were announced by The Walt Disney Company India and Star India, country manager, K Madhavan in an internal memo to staff.

    Vaz’s remit will expand to include Star Plus, Star Bharat, Star Utsav, Hindi movies, and English cluster. Star Plus, GM, Sumanta Bose, Star Bharat, GM, Arpit Mankar and Star India, GM – Hindi films, Hemal Jhaveri will report to Vaz. Additionally, Star India’s executive vice president – ad sales, entertainment business, Arghya Chakravarty will have a dotted line reporting to Kevin for HSM ad sales.

    The content heads of all Hindi channels will report to Banerjee. Hemal Jhaveri will also have a dotted line reporting to Banerjee for digital movie rights. Apart from Jhaveri and Dhawal Gusain, all regional channel GMs will also have a dotted line reporting to Banerjee for Disney+ Hotstar content.

  • Disney’s APAC head Luke Kang bats for regional content to push growth

    Disney’s APAC head Luke Kang bats for regional content to push growth

    Mumbai: The focus areas of the company in the APAC market have not changed much in the last one year, said Luke Kang, who was appointed as The Walt Disney Company, president – APAC, excluding India in 2020. Under his leadership, the APAC business has undergone restructuring with the appointment of a D2C head, spun off a division in Indonesia to grow the market and maximise the regional scale and in-market expertise in markets like Japan and China.

    Kang virtually addressed the APOS summit on media, telecoms, and entertainment industry in APAC organised by Media Partners Asia on Tuesday.

    The APAC market is critical to grow Disney+ 116 million SVOD subscribers globally, said Kang. The streaming platform has had a soft launch in Japan and will soon launch in South Korea, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. “The APAC market will contribute a sizeable share to the global subscriber base” he added.

    Even though most of their content is produced in the US, the audiences in the APAC market including Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore have embraced Disney+, noted Kang. “These markets have a strong affinity for global and regional content”, he said.

    “We’re not going to dabble in local content, but be a major player”, he emphasised when talking about the importance of producing content in local markets and supporting the creative economy in these markets. Kang said that first it would be important to understand the nuances about the customers in these markets. For example, he observed that consumers in Indonesia prefer to consume Korean or Japanese content. Those kinds of insights would enable Disney+ to make relevant investments to grow their subscriber share in local markets.

    “We are thinking differently, than we used to pre-D2C. We get a lot more data in real-time. We are learning that we need to be very broad,” said Kang, “We will be doing a lot of local and regional content across multiple markets, to make our service better, more exciting, more localised.”

    Speaking about the importance of SVOD business, he said, “SVOD is what you would call the ultimate scalable business. It is the one business in our portfolio where scale really matters. This technology allows us to bring the benefits of our global scale to consumers, especially, to consumers in APAC. Earlier, in the media industry, the content scale was global but it was difficult to scale distribution globally because you had a lot of walled garden ecosystems.”

    Earlier this year, Disney has decided to shut 18 TV channels in Southeast Asia and Hong Kong effective from 1 October. The reports indicated that the channels were closed as part of the media company’s focus on increasing its focus on the D2C business.

    Speaking about the move, Kang stated, “There’s a role for all media in the lives of consumers, although it changes over time. We’ve had to make tough decisions across the region when it comes to television. We’re making these decisions based on consumer demand, based on where the consumers are going. Consumers are telling us they want to engage with us on digital.”

  • Disney to phase out Hotstar US operations by 2022: Report

    Disney to phase out Hotstar US operations by 2022: Report

    Mumbai: The Walt Disney Company plans to phase out Hotstar operations in the US by late 2022, according to a report by Deadline.

    All sports-related programming on Hotstar including the Indian Premier League will be streamed on ESPN+ going forward. ESPN+ will acquire all the cricket rights owned by Hotstar to stream in the US. IPL 2021 that resumes on 19 September will be available to US audiences via ESPN+. Other live cricket events including ICC Men’s T20 World Cup will also stream on the service.

    All entertainment-related programming including Hotstar specials and Bollywood films will move to Hulu on a rolling basis. Currently, Hotstar specials like the Indian adaptation of “The Office”, “Hostages”, “Out of Love”. “City of Dreams”, “Live Telecast” and “Ok Computer” and films such as “Dil Bechara” and “The Fault in Our Stars” are available on Hulu.

    Subscribers of Hotstar US who are not subscribers of any other Disney streaming service are eligible to get the Disney bundle including Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ till the end of their Hotstar annual subscription, at no additional charge.  

    The programming migration began on 1 September.

  • Sarika Shankarnarayan elevated as business head – Star UK, Europe & South Africa

    Sarika Shankarnarayan elevated as business head – Star UK, Europe & South Africa

    Mumbai: Sarika Shankarnarayan has been elevated as business head for Star TV Network UK, Europe, and South Africa. She is the first woman business head for Star TV Network UK.

    Shankarnarayan has been associated with Star TV Network for almost 14 years and was previously the vice president – marketing and sponsorship sales. She began her career at J Walter Thompson (Wunderman Thompson) and has been associated with Sony Pictures Networks India, Zee Entertainment Enterprises before joining Star TV India in October 2007.

    With two decades of experience under her belt, Shankarnarayan is a media professional with strong cross-cultural and multi-market experience in brand building and marketing. She is an alumnus of Lady Shri Ram College, New Delhi and completed her post-graduation in management from Mudra Institute of Communications, Ahmedabad.

    The Walt Disney Company completed its acquisition of Star TV Network in 2019. The network broadcasts over 65 channels across 110 countries worldwide. In the UK, Star Plus the flagship channel was sampled by an average of 596,500 viewers every week across 2019, with a viewership of 10,797 individuals every minute of the year, garnering a staggering 0.8+ billion eyeballs (Source: Broadcasters Audience Research Board (BARB), Wk 1-32’2019). Star Network is a leading TV destination in the UK reaching 4+ million Asians and partnering with 2600 brands to leverage the purchasing power of UK’s Asian audiences.

  • Indian M&E industry can reach $100 billion by 2030: K Madhavan

    Indian M&E industry can reach $100 billion by 2030: K Madhavan

    Mumbai: The Indian media and entertainment industry touched $19 billion in 2020 down from an expected $22 billion, but it’s poised to grow up to $100 billion by 2030, said The Walt Disney Company India and Star India, president, K Madhavan. This goal is ambitious and challenging but not impossible, he added.

    Madhavan was speaking at the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) SummitFX – Global AVGC and Immersive Media Summit, which began virtually on Tuesday. “The pandemic forced the M&E industry to adapt, but it is still growing and that is an encouraging sign. There have been changes in the habits of audiences, in the way content is produced and new and evolved methods of distribution”, said Madhavan, who is also the chairman of the CII National Committee on media and entertainment.

    Over 55-60 million Indians subscribed to video-on-demand services, more than doubling from the 23 million in 2019.The paid subscribers are likely to grow to 89 million by the end of 2021, and reach 150 to 160 million by the end of the decade, contended Madhavan.

    “The rise of digital subscription did not lead to a fall in TV viewing audience” he noted, adding that there are 300 million households out of which only 200 million are connected to TV. There are 120 million pay TV households.

    In a developed country, the media and entertainment industry generally contributes three per cent to the country’s GDP. In India, however, the contribution is one per cent. Also, customers in developed countries spend $7-10 for entertainment whereas in India it is less than $1. The pricing in India is very customer friendly, he noted.

    Speaking about the animation, visual effects, gaming and comics (AVGC) industry, he said, “The global market for AVGC industry is close to $260 billion and India’s share of that is less than one per cent i.e., $2.1 billion. The AVGC industry in India has the highest potential to grow and we should aim for a five per cent share of the global market with annualised growth at 25-30 per cent.”

    Similarly, the global gaming market is pegged at $160 billion worth more than music and movies combined. Online gaming in India has grown by leaps and bounds and last year there were 360 million gaming audiences and 17 million viewership of esports in India. “The gaming and esports industry are still in infancy and need freedom to grow without conflicting regulation. The Indian AVGC industry can be a global success story for India, the same as the IT revolution,” said Madhavan. “The emerging esports landscape is projected to grow at 36 per cent CAGR over the next few years.”

    The Star India president also charted a roadmap for India to capture five per cent of the global AVGC market. Currently, 65 per cent of India’s AVGC revenues come from exports. Madhavan emphasised that we need to create B2B opportunities in the country. Policymakers, regulators and industry must work together for ease of doing business. There should be convergence initiatives between technology and the creative sector.

    “There’s a huge demand for VFX and animation, globally and in India but we are not in a position to deliver” he said. To make this happen, job creation in this sector must increase by three to four times in the next four to five years. “We have 400,000 engineers graduating every year, but they need to be trained properly and brought into the content pipeline. There must be regional content creation and distribution hubs in Tier II and III cities.”

    “I’m sure this industry will thrive with innovation,” he summed up.

  • Disney reports 174 million paid subscribers at the end of third quarter 2021

    Disney reports 174 million paid subscribers at the end of third quarter 2021

    Mumbai: The Walt Disney Company reported 174 million paid subscribers across Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ at the end of the third quarter 2021. Direct-to-consumer revenues for the quarter increased 57 per cent to $4.3 billion, the entertainment conglomerate said.

    The company noted that the average monthly revenue per paid subscriber for Disney+ decreased from $4.62 to $4.16 due to a higher mix of Disney+ Hotstar subscribers in the current quarter compared to the same quarter last year.

    Disney+ reported a higher operating loss due to programming, production, marketing and technology costs which was offset by the increase in subscription revenue. The higher subscription revenue reflected subscriber growth and increases in retail pricing. The increases in costs and subscribers reflected the ongoing expansion of Disney+ including launches in additional markets.

    The international channel revenues for the quarter increased by 29 per cent to $1.4 billion and operating income decreased 23 per cent to $169 million. The decrease in operating income was due to higher programming and production costs which were offset by advertising revenue growth due to increases in average viewership and rates. The return of live sports events, primarily Indian Premier League cricket matches, drove increases in average viewership, programming, and production costs.

    “We ended the third quarter in a strong position, and are pleased with the company’s trajectory as we grow our businesses amidst the ongoing challenges of the pandemic,” said The Walt Disney Company, chief executive officer, Bob Chapek. “Our direct-to-consumer business is performing very well, with a total of nearly 174 million subscriptions across Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu at the end of the quarter, and a host of new content coming to the platforms.”

    “Although most film and television production resumed beginning in the fourth quarter of 2020, we continue to see disruption of film and television production,” Chapek added.

  • Disney India’s associate director, e-commerce, Akshat Srivastava moves on

    Disney India’s associate director, e-commerce, Akshat Srivastava moves on

    Mumbai: The Walt Disney Company’s associate director, e-commerce for India, Akshat Srivastava has announced his departure from the organisation. He was based out of Disney’s Bengaluru office. Srivastava updated his LinkedIn profile to reflect the development.

    With more than 6.5 years long tenure at the company, Srivastava was responsible for the D2C and third-party e-commerce channel for Disney consumer products business in SEA, India, and MENA. 

    He had joined Disney in November 2014 as a category manager, following which he was elevated as head, e-commerce Disney consumer products India in 2017. He became head of e-commerce, South East Asia, India, and the Middle East in December 2018.

    “It’s still surreal !! Last friday after 6 and a half amazing years at Disney, I was no longer a cast member. I have just been so grateful for the people and the experiences at Disney, it has really been the ride of a lifetime. I had the best people and the best teams to share this journey and all the success, which made it even more enjoyable and it is the people I shall miss the most,” his LinkedIn post read.

    Prior to Disney, Srivastava has had stints with companies like EY, ITC, and L’Oréal.

    Srivastava has yet to share his next joining update.

  • Disney to pull the plug on southeast Asia/HK networks

    Disney to pull the plug on southeast Asia/HK networks

    New Delhi: In what may come as a huge surprise for viewers in southeast Asia and Hong Kong, Disney is mulling over closing as many as 18 channels in the region from October this year. The end-of-an-era move could have a major impact on the entire video entertainment supply chain in the region.

    Disney staffers were told about the decision at a town hall out of Singapore on Tuesday, according to sources close to the development. The efforts are aimed at enabling the organisation “to align its resources more efficiently and effectively to current and future business needs.” However, an official statement is yet to be released.

    The move is believed to be part of The Walt Disney Company’s global efforts towards a direct-to-consumer-first model and further stimulating the growth of its streaming services.

    A senior mediaperson said India is unlikely to be affected by the move, which, while unfortunate, is not entirely unexpected. Last year, the M&E colossus restructured its global operations; this involved separating its India and Asia Pacific businesses after APAC president and Star & Disney India chairman Uday Shankar’s departure, and hiring new talent to spearhead its SVoD push in the southeast region.

    With Disney pulling the plug, as many as 18 channels could disappear from the airwaves, which includes Fox, Fox Crime, Fox Life, and FX, movie channels including Fox Action Movies, Fox Family Movies, Fox Movies, and Star Movies China and some sports channels — Fox Sports, Fox Sports 2, Fox Sports 3, Star Sports 1, Star Sports 2. Popular kids channels including Disney Channel and Disney Junior, music channel Channel V and actual services Nat Geo People; and SCM Legend could also go off air in the region. This leaves a question mark over how the other pay-TV platforms will fill the void.

    The multimedia giant is quickly gaining in the streaming space. Since its launch over a year ago, Disney+ has transformed itself into a streaming leader, with membership numbers flying past long-term forecasts.

    So far, Disney has rolled out Disney+ in Singapore along with a separate Hotstar app, and hybrid service Disney+ Hotstar in Indonesia. Launches in other parts of southeast Asia and Hong Kong are likely this year. Disney+ has 2.6 lakh paying subscribers in Singapore as of April 2021 and 4.5 million in Indonesia, according to estimates presented by regional industry analysts Media Partners Asia.

  • The Walt Disney Company to have separate heads for APAC & India

    The Walt Disney Company to have separate heads for APAC & India

    NEW DELHI: The Walt Disney Company has announced that it will have two separate leaders for APAC and India. The development comes weeks after Star & Disney India chairman and president – APAC Uday Shankar’s decision to step down.

    In an internal memo to the organisation, The Walt Disney Company chairman international operations and direct-to-consumer Rebecca Campbell mentioned that a leader for India business will be announced in early 2021. In the interim period Star & Disney India head K Madhavan and Disney+ Hotstar head Sunil Ryan will report to her directly.

    She further announced that Luke Kang will be the new president of The Walt Disney Company Asia Pacific. He will oversee the company’s business in Australia/New Zealand, Greater China, Japan, Korea and Southeast Asia.

    Kang will report into Campbell.

    For the record, Uday Shankar resigned in October and will exit the organisation at the end of December. He is moving on to pursue an entrepreneurial career wherein he would support and mentor India’s young minds to create transformational solutions with funding from global investors.