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Tag: Walt Disney Co.

  • Hulu goes global as Disney drops Star and overhauls its streaming app

    Hulu goes global as Disney drops Star and overhauls its streaming app

    BURBANK: Disney is ditching Star. From 8 October, Hulu—until now available only in America and Japan—will become the entertainment brand for adult content on Disney+ in international markets. The move sets the stage for a full merger of Disney’s streaming apps next year, as the media giant tries to simplify its cluttered digital offering.

    The rebrand comes with a sweeping redesign of Disney+. Subscribers will encounter a new “For You” landing page, powered by algorithms that promise to learn viewing habits over time. A navigation bar across the top splits content by service—Disney+, Hulu and ESPN—whilst a “Live” hub corrals news, sports and round-the-clock streams into one place. New badges will flag season finales, fresh series and recently added films.

    Behind the scenes, Disney has rebuilt its recommendation engine from scratch. The new system will surface personalised suggestions across the platform, with user profiles made more prominent to keep viewing habits separate. The homepage gets a visual refresh too: a video carousel replaces static images, brand rows showcase the latest releases with cinematic artwork, and the overall design aims for something sleeker and more modern.

    Mobile users will see widgets arrive on iOS devices, offering one-tap access to shows and films. Disney promises “mobile-first” features in the coming months, though it has kept details vague. The company describes these changes as merely the opening salvo, with more updates planned before the unified app launches next year.

    The timing is no accident. Disney has been haemorrhaging money on streaming—its direct-to-consumer division lost $512m in the most recent quarter—and needs to cut costs whilst growing subscribers. Consolidating brands and improving discovery could help keep viewers hooked, reducing the churn that has plagued the industry. Whether audiences embrace the changes or simply long for the days when finding something to watch wasn’t quite so algorithmic remains to be seen.

  • Nike promotes Anagha Alreja to lead global brand creative voice

    Nike promotes Anagha Alreja to lead global brand creative voice

    OREGON: Anagha Alreja has been promoted to director of global brand creative for brand voice at Nike, expanding her remit from regional oversight of Asia-Pacific and Latin America to worldwide responsibilities.

    The appointment, effective September 2025, elevates Alreja after 16 months as creative director for brand voice across Nike’s APLA markets. She has spent nearly 13 years at the American sportswear giant, climbing from head of brand communications in India to increasingly senior creative roles at the company’s Beaverton headquarters.

    Alreja brings two decades of marketing experience with marquee brands including an eight-year stint at Walt Disney Co, where she served as senior manager for franchise marketing in Mumbai. The Cannes award winner describes herself as driven by consumer insights and strategy, with a particular interest in media and technology innovations.

    Her promotion comes as Nike continues to invest heavily in direct-to-consumer marketing and brand storytelling across emerging markets, where the company sees significant growth potential. Alreja’s track record spans traditional advertising, digital marketing and collaborative leadership roles.

    Before joining Nike in 2013, she also worked in marketing and sales at Real Image Media Technologies in Mumbai’s metropolitan region.

  • Disney’s magic numbers: Q2 2025 earnings cast a spell

    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.” 

  • Reliance set to finalise a multibillion dollar deal with Walt Disney Co.

    Reliance set to finalise a multibillion dollar deal with Walt Disney Co.

    Mumbai: Reliance Industries Ltd., is all set to finalise a multibillion dollar deal with Walt Disney Co. to buy its India operations, according to media reports.

    The RIL is expected to enjoy a controlling stake in the Disney Star business, which has an estimated valuation of $10 billion. The US entertainment giant will end up holding a minority stake in the business. Reliance views the assets at between $7 billion to $8 billion, as per close sources.

    The giant acquisition is expected to be declared by the companies next month. Under the proposal, Disney is likely to continue holding on to a minority stake in the Indian company after the completion of cash and stock swap transaction. According to the news report, Disney could choose to hold onto assets for a bit longer.

     

  • Media Quick View (TV/OTT) – Disney in talks to sell Hotstar and Star to Viacom – POSITIVE FOR ZEE/INDIA OTT

    Media Quick View (TV/OTT) – Disney in talks to sell Hotstar and Star to Viacom – POSITIVE FOR ZEE/INDIA OTT

    Mumbai: As per recent media reports (Link – https://tinyurl.com/2f4d65zm), Walt Disney Co. held preliminary talks with potential buyers for its India streaming and television business including Reliance Industries Ltd. Disney has been weighing strategic options for the business including an outright sale or setting up a joint venture; this is very different from their earlier statements wherein, as per CNBC (Link – https://tinyurl.com/bad4uyuc), Bob Iger had spoken about exiting only the linear TV business in India.

    We had predicted the above (Viacom18 may want to acquire Star’s TV assets) in our report dated 15 July 2023 (Link – https://tinyurl.com/4mftmwm8) – that due to Viacom 18’s high interest in the media business, they could potentially bid for Star India, and also the potential impact of the same on the Indian ecosystem.

    Recent media reports indicate that they may even sell Hotstar (digital business) to Viacom/Reliance, which means even the OTT market may see signs of consolidation, which in turn is a big positive for Z/Sony merged Co. (TV and OTT) once the merger goes through. In the case of Viacom18 and Star, there could be a potential shutdown of multiple channels by CCI (Competition Commission of India), as they have a big overlap on the regional/urban GEC side, as compared to Zee/Sony which had a relatively lower overlap.

    If the above were true, on the TV side – Zee/Sony and Viacom18/Star would have an ad revenue market share of 25 per cent and 45per per cent respectively (as of FY22) as the TV industry may turn into a duopoly; on the OTT side, this could be a trigger, as only large global giants like Netflix, Amazon could sustain in this highly fragmented market with players like Jio Cinema/Hotstar and Zee5/Sony Liv on the other side. Consolidation in the OTT industry will lead to a better path to profitability and break even for the OTT platforms, which are currently making hefty losses due to high content costs.

    PFA, our report sharing views on Disney’s potential India exit plans.

    The credit for this article goes to Elara Capital SVP Karan Taurani.

  • Disney, ESPN & Formula 1 extend relationship with new, multi-year contract

    Disney, ESPN & Formula 1 extend relationship with new, multi-year contract

    Mumbai: In the midst of what is on track to be a record-breaking season of viewership, Walt Disney Co, ESPN and Formula 1 have extended their relationship with a new, multi-year contract. This will keep F1 races on ESPN Networks in the US through the 2025 season.

    The renewal was announced at the Formula 1 Aaramco United States Grand Prix 2022 at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas. This is the second of the two US stops for F1 during the 2022 season.

    Under the renewal, at least 16 races will air on ABC and ESPN each season, more than in the previous five years since F1 returned to ESPN networks in 2018. Also, all race telecasts on ABC, ESPN and ESPN2 will continue the commercial-free presentation used over the past five seasons, a format that has set ESPN’s coverage apart and proved very popular with viewers.

    The new agreement also includes expanded direct-to-consumer rights, giving ESPN flexibility to roll out additional ways for fans in the US to consume F1 content over the next three years, including on ESPN+, with details to be announced later.

    Formula 1 returned to its original US television home in 2018 – the first race ever aired in the country was on ABC in 1962. F1 races also aired on ESPN from 1984-1997.

    “Formula 1 and ESPN have been a strong and successful team and we’re delighted to extend our relationship. We look forward to serving fans in some new and innovative ways in the next three years as we continue to bring the reach and relevance of the Walt Disney Company networks and platforms to Formula 1,” said ESPN president of programming and original content Burke Magnus.

    After setting a record in 2021 for the most-viewed F1 season ever on US television with an average of 9,49,000 viewers per race, the average has moved into seven figures in 2022. Through 18 races, live F1 telecasts are averaging 1.2 million viewers on ESPN networks – with multiple events attracting race-record television audiences.

    Earlier this year, the telecast of the inaugural Miami Grand Prix on ABC generated an average viewership of 2.6 million, the largest US audience on record for a live F1 race.

    “We are delighted to announce that our partnership with ESPN will continue. Formula 1 has seen incredible growth in the United States with sold out events and record television audiences, and the addition of Las Vegas to the calendar next season, alongside Austin and Miami, will see us host three spectacular races there. The ESPN networks have played a huge part in that growth with their dedicated quality coverage. We are excited to expand our relationship and continue to bring the passion and excitement of Formula 1 to our viewers in the US together” said Formula 1 president & CEO Stefano Domenicali.

    “After Formula 1 returned to the ESPN networks five years ago, the popularity of the sport has grown impressively. The extension and expansion of our partnership is a reflection of exciting times ahead and a result of our shared desire to bring Formula 1 to as broad and diverse an audience as possible in the U.S. The popular commercial-free broadcasts ensure that viewers continue to engage with F1 before, during and after the race. From next year we will have six races in the Americas, which means more favourable time zones to fans in the region, making the Formula 1 offering more compelling than ever,” said Formula 1 director of media rights and content creation Ian Holmes.

    All race weekends will continue to include live telecasts of all three practice sessions and qualifying (including the F1 Sprint) as well as pre-race and post-race coverage. The new agreement includes an increased focus on qualifying, with more sessions airing on ESPN or ESPN2.

    ESPN Deportes will continue as the Spanish-language home of F1 in the US and ESPN’s coverage of F1 also includes a dedicated site that reports on the championship year-round.

    In addition, ESPN studio shows including SportsCenter will continue on-site coverage from races in the US, including the new event in Las Vegas for 2023, with coverage at other races potentially added. ESPN also will be creating additional ancillary programming on its platforms to support its F1 coverage over the next three years.

    During each of the five seasons that F1 has been on ESPN networks since its return, the amount of F1 content on ESPN television and digital platforms has steadily increased. This year, the Sky Sports F1 programs Ted’s Qualifying Notebook and Ted’s Race Notebook were added, airing on ESPN3 during race weekends, and the video podcast programme Unlapped began appearing on the ESPN YouTube channel.

  • Rupert Murdoch to merge Fox Corp and News Corp?

    Rupert Murdoch to merge Fox Corp and News Corp?

    Mumbai : Media baron, Rupert Murdoch has begun the process of reuniting his media empire, according to News Corp and Fox Corp, which announced on Friday that they would consider combining at his request, nearly a decade after the companies split.

    Both have formed special committees to review potential merger proposals, they said.

    If the merger goes through, Murdoch will have more control over his media assets and the companies will be able to cut costs. Media companies are competing with deep-pocketed social media and content websites for users’ attention while experiencing decades-low growth in advertising sales.

    After years of global expansion, Murdoch split his empire in 2013, putting the print business under the newly formed public entity News Corp and the TV and entertainment business under 21st Century Fox.

    Murdoch stated at the time that his vast media holdings had become “increasingly complex,” and that a new structure would make operations easier. The separation also protected Fox’s entertainment assets from any potential financial consequences of a phone hacking scandal involving the media conglomerate’s now-defunct News of the World publication in the United Kingdom.

    According to a person familiar with the decision-making process at the time, the thinking was that separating the companies would ultimately generate value for shareholders. In 2019, Fox sold the majority of its film and television assets to Walt Disney Co for $71 billion.

    According to Wall Street analysts, the sale focused Fox on live events such as news and sports rather than “disruptive” scripted entertainment content on streaming platforms. The major streaming services, on the other hand, have begun to breach the protective moat. Apple Inc. and Amazon.com Inc, two tech behemoths with deep pockets, have begun bidding for sports rights, securing the rights to stream major league baseball, soccer, and football games.

    Fox recently renewed a long-term contract with the NFL to continue broadcasting Sunday afternoon games, but gave up Thursday Night Football to Amazon. According to a person familiar with the proposal, reuniting Fox and News Corp would give the combined companies greater scale to compete and complement their assets. The combined companies would generate approximately $24 billion in revenue.

    Murdoch, currently owns nearly all of the stock in both companies. Lachlan Murdoch is the chairman and CEO of Fox Corporation. Companies that use such arrangements typically require subsequent mergers to be approved by a majority of shareholders who are not related to the controlling shareholder, though it is unclear whether this will be the case in this case.

    According to Refinitiv, as of Friday’s market close, News Corp. had a market cap of $9.31 billion and Fox Corp. had a market cap of $16.84 billion. In after-hours trading, News Corp shares rose 5 per cent , while Fox rose about 1 per cent.

  • Sony-Zee to create $10 bn TV company; likely to hurt competition in the market: CCI

    Sony-Zee to create $10 bn TV company; likely to hurt competition in the market: CCI

    Mumbai: According to an official notice seen by Reuters, the country’s antitrust watchdog the Competition Commission of India (CCI) found in an initial review that a merger between the Indian unit of Japan’s Sony and Zee Entertainment to create a $10 billion TV company will potentially hurt competition because it will have “unparalleled bargaining power.”

    CCI notice to the two companies sent on 3 August stated the watchdog is of the view that a further investigation is merited. It gave the two companies 30 days from 3 August to respond.

    Sony and Zee in December decided to merge their television channels, film assets, and streaming platforms to create a powerhouse in a key media and entertainment growth market of 1.4 billion people, challenging rivals like Walt Disney Co.

    According to the three lawyers familiar with the process mentioned, the CCI’s conclusions will delay regulatory approval of the acquisition and might require the companies to propose changes to its structure.

    They also added that if that doesn’t satisfy the CCI, it can result in a drawn-out approval and inquiry procedure.

    Zee in a statement said it continues to take all the required legal steps to complete all the necessary approval processes for the proposed merger.

    According to the CCI’s 21-page notice, the proposed deal would place the combined entity in a “strong position” with around 92 channels in India, citing Sony’s global revenue of $86 billion and assets of $211 billion.

    “Such apparently humongous market position would enable the combined entity to enjoy an unparalleled bargaining power,” the CCI said in its notice, adding the combined entity could increase the price of channel packages.

    The initial review shows the deal is likely to cause an “appreciable adverse effect on competition,” the watchdog said. “Thus, it is considered appropriate to conduct further inquiry into the matter.”

    In a media interview held in December last year, Zee’s managing director Punit Goenka stated that the combined entity’s relative value is “potentially close to $10 billion” and that all necessary approvals are expected by October of this year.

    Classic Merger Case

    According to industry executives, the deal will allow the two companies to compete with Disney’s Star India network, which has dozens of popular entertainment and sports channels, by attracting more advertising revenue from streaming services and TV broadcasts.

    The combined company would have a share of almost 45 per cent of the Hindi language market, which attracts the greatest viewership in the nation, according to the preliminary CCI competition assessment, with Star coming in a “distant second.”

    This would further concentrate such segments at the cost of the competition, the CCI said in its notice.

    Sony and Zee had already responded in June and July to two so-called “defect” letters issued by the watchdog inquiring about the deal.

    After reviewing submissions about advertising revenue, the CCI concluded that the combined company would probably raise the price of some advertisements in order to take advantage of its dominant market position.

    “The combined strength of the parties is likely to be used to entrench their presence and earn higher profits,” the CCI said.

    “This merger is a classic case of the first or second largest player, integrating with the third largest competitors, to become the strong market leader.”

  • Kodak inks deals with six Hollywood studios

    Kodak inks deals with six Hollywood studios

    MUMBAI: Kodak has finalised new film supply agreements with all six major Hollywood studios. As part of these agreements, Kodak will continue to provide motion picture film to 20th Century Fox, Walt Disney Co., Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc., NBC Universal Inc., Paramount Pictures Corp. and Sony Pictures for their movie and television productions. 

     

    “Film has long been – and will remain – a vital part of our culture. With the support of the studios, we will continue to provide motion picture film, with its unparalleled richness and unique textures, to enable filmmakers to tell their stories and demonstrate their art,” said Kodak chief executive officer Jeff Clarke.

     

    Kodak has been engaged in broad discussions with prominent filmmakers, studios, independent artists, production companies, and film processors to enable film to remain a fundamental medium. Last July, the studios made known their intent to play a key role in leading this industry-wide effort.

     

    Prior to the agreements being finalized, several highly acclaimed films were produced on film, including Oscar nominees Boyhood, The Grand Budapest Hotel, The Imitation Game, Interstellar, Foxcatcher, Into the Woods, Leviathan, Inherent Vice and The Judge. Additionally, some of the most-anticipated films of 2015 are being shot on Kodak film, such as Star Wars: Episode VII –The Force Awakens, Mission: Impossible 5, Batman v. Superman – Dawn of Justice, Jurassic World, Ant-Man, Cinderella, Entourage and Trainwreck.

     

    These agreements make it possible for Kodak to continue to manufacture motion picture film while also pursuing new opportunities to leverage film production technologies in growth applications, such as touchscreens for smartphones and tablet computers. This also positions the company to remain the premier supplier of camera negative, intermediate stock for post production, and archival and print film.

     

    “With the support of the major studios, the creative community can continue to confidently choose film for their projects. We’ve been asking filmmakers, what makes a project ‘FilmWorthy.’ Their responses have varied from the need for its exceptional depth to its distinctive grain, but overwhelmingly, the answer is ‘the story.’ They need film to tell their stories the way they envision them, and hold a strong desire for it to remain a critical part of their visual language. Enabling artists to use film will help them to create the moments that make cinema history. The agreements announced today are a powerful testament to the power of film and the creative vision of the artists telling them,” said Kodak president of entertainment and commercial films Andrew Evenski.

  • 300’s Zach Snyder to direct ‘Justice League’

    300’s Zach Snyder to direct ‘Justice League’

    MUMBAI: Confirming the studio’s plans for a movie based on its iconic super-team for the first time to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), Warner Bros. president of worldwide production Greg Silverman said the studio has set plans to make a Justice League movie.

    Like Man of Steel and its follow-up, which starts production next month, Justice League will be directed by Zack Snyder (300, Watchmen). Henry Cavill is expected to return as Superman, along with Ben Affleck (Gone Girl) and Gal Gadot, who play Batman and Wonder Woman, respectively in 2016’s Man of Steel sequel tentatively titled Batman vs. Superman.

    “It will be a further expansion of this universe,” said Silverman to WSJ. “’Superman vs. Batman’ will lead into ‘Justice League.’”

    A script is still in development and Warner Bros. has not set a release date, though the movie is unlikely to come out before 2018. The studio has recently been casting the role of Cyborg, a half-robotic hero who is expected to have a cameo in Batman vs. Superman and then appear in Justice League. Other DC heroes who have been in Justice League comic books include Aquaman, Flash and Green Lantern.

    The plans for three superhero movies in relatively quick succession show how intent Warner is on catching up with rival Walt Disney Co.’s Marvel Studios in building a cinematic superhero universe after years of lagging behind.