Disney and NBA Reach Major 11-Year Deal

 by Ray Keating

News

July 24, 2024 

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The Walt Disney Company and ESPN announced today an agreement with the NBA that will extend their agreement for 11 years.

Read the full article at DisneyBizJournal.substack.com.

Disney’s Joint Sports Streaming Venture Being Examined by Antitrust Regulators

 by Ray Keating

News/Analysis

DisneyBizJournal.com

February 16, 2024

 

“Big is necessarily bad” has been the mantra among antitrust regulators in Washington, D.C., for two consecutive presidential administrations now. And there has been plenty of anti-big business rhetoric flying from Congress as well.

That’s why when Disney-ESPN, Warner Bros. Discovery and Fox announced a joint sports streaming venture, DisneyBizJournal noted, “But one has to wonder if this type of joint venture will attract attention from Washington’s antitrust activist regulators.”

 

As noted in the press release from Disney, “The platform would aggregate content to offer fans an extensive, dynamic lineup of sports content, aiming to provide a new and differentiated experience to serve sports fans, particularly those outside of the traditional pay TV bundle. By subscribing to this focused, all-in-one premier sports service, fans would have access to the linear sports networks including ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, SECN, ACCN, ESPNEWS, ABC, FOX, FS1, FS2, BTN, TNT, TBS, truTV, as well as ESPN+.”

 

Well, guess what? Antitrust regulators are looking at this proposed joint venture.  

 

Reuters reported, “The U.S. Department of Justice aims to scrutinize a sports streaming platform planned by Walt Disney, Fox, and Warner Bros Discovery, over concerns it could harm consumers, sports leagues and rivals, Bloomberg Law reported on Thursday.”

 

As is almost always the case, it’s not consumers who are raising issues with government regulators, but instead, it’s about competitors in the marketplace who don’t like the proposed deal. It was noted by Reuters: “Fubo, a sports-focused streaming service, called for scrutiny of the new joint venture shortly after it was announced. In a Feb. 7 statement, Fubo said the media partners command ‘significant market share,’ reportedly controlling 60% to 85% of all sports content.” 

 

Hmmm, that’s a pretty wide margin, and it’s not clear how Fubo came to those percentages. Plus, antitrust is supposed to be about monopolies. A monopoly means one supplier, no close substitutes for the product, and high barriers to entry. That definition doesn’t fit this situation. But, again, D.C. regulators have adopted very expansive, activist views to the point that their actions aren’t really guided by a monopoly, or the threat of one; but instead, they’re guided by “bigness.”

 

Indeed, antitrust is supposed to be about protecting consumers. But consumers will decide if they like this joint venture or not. Indeed, that’s how markets work.

 

Nonetheless, regulators often have a different take, and we’ll see how this proposed joint sports streaming venture goes with the government.

 

__________

 

Ray Keating is the editor, publisher and economist for DisneyBizJournal.com; and author of the Pastor Stephen Grant thrillers and mysteries, the Alliance of Saint Michael novels, and assorted nonfiction books. Have Ray Keating speak your group, business, school, church, or organization. Email him at raykeating@keatingreports.com.

 

The views expressed here are his own – after all, no one else should be held responsible for this stuff, right?

 

Support the Daily Dose of Disney with Ray Keating Podcast at https://www.buzzsprout.com/1724143. Subscribe at the $8 or $10 level, and get The Disney Planner: The TO DO List Solution by Ray Keating. Remain a supporter and you'll get a FREE BOOK by Ray Keating every six months going forward. Thanks!

 

The Disney Planner: The TO DO List Solution combines a simple, powerful system for getting things done with encouragement and fun for Disney fans, including those who love Mickey, Marvel, Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Pixar, princesses and more.

 

Consider other books by Ray Keating, including…

 

• The Pastor Stephen Grant thrillers and mysteries. There are 18 books in the series now.

 

• Pre-order The Weekly Economist III: Another 52 Quick Reads to Help You Think Like an Economist. Signed books here and Kindle editions here.

 

• Order The Weekly Economist II: 52 More Quick Reads to Help You Think Like an Economist. Signed books here.  And Kindle and paperback editions here.

 

• The Weekly Economist: 52 Quick Reads to Help You Think Like an Economist. Signed paperbacks at RayKeatingOnline.com or paperbacks, hardcovers and Kindle editions at Amazon.com.

 

• Cathedral: An Alliance of Saint Michael Novel is at Amazon. 

 

• The Lutheran Planner: The TO DO List Solution combines a simple, powerful system for getting things done with encouragement, inspiration and consolation from the Christian faith.

 

• Signed editions of Ray’s books are at www.raykeatingbooksandmore.com. 

 

Also, check out Ray’s podcasts – the Daily Dose of Disney, Free Enterprise in Three Minutes, and the PRESS CLUB C Podcast.

Disney’s Strong Earnings Report and Outlook

 by Ray Keating

News/Analysis

DisneyBizJournal.com

February 7, 2024

 

Disney surprised the markets with a strong earnings report today, along with a boatload of announcements. Indeed, the first quarter 2024 earnings report was one to be appreciated by stockholders.

Let’s get to what I see as the key takeaways, and there are a good many.

 

First, diluted earnings per share (EPS) excluding certain items jumped by 23 percent versus the same period last year – from $0.99 to a $1.22. For good measure, Disney offered some rare earnings guidance, projecting that full year fiscal 2024 EPS excluding certain items would increase by at least 20 percent versus 2023, to approximately $4.60.

 

Second, the company announced a 50 percent increase in its semi-annual dividend to $0.45 per share, which will be distributed in July.

 

Third, Disney also announced a stock buyback of $3 billion during the current fiscal year, with further buybacks seemingly slated for the future.

 

Fourth, the company was bullish on its cost savings and efficiency undertakings, noting that it would hit or exceed the previously announced $7.5 billion cost savings for the year.

 

Fifth, the company confirmed, once more, that it was on track to arrive at streaming profitability by the end of the current fiscal year. CFO Hugh Johnston pointed out that the objective on the streaming front is to achieve double-digit margins. According to Johnston, the path to such levels of profitability lies with growing subscriptions via paid sharing (which got a good deal of attention), lower churn, and international growth, as well as pricing and assorted efficiencies. Iger noted that the company is “working toward” what Netflix has achieved. 

 

In terms of streaming subscriptions, Hulu saw subscribers increase by 1.2 million in the quarter. Meanwhile, as largely expected, Disney+ subscriptions decreased by 1.3 million, but Disney also projected Disney+ core subscribers to increase by 5.5 million to 6 million in the second quarter.

 

Sixth, Disney announced that it entered into a partnership with Epic Games, with a $1.5 billion equity investment in the gaming enterprise. This partnership will result in the creation of a Disney Universe existing alongside and interconnected with Epic’s Fortnite. Disney CEO Bob Iger noted the need for the company to tap into demographic trends regarding gaming, and the opportunity to leverage the company’s intellectual property (IP) accordingly. He also highlighted the opportunity in this Disney digital world to purchase digital goods and perhaps in the future physical goods.

 

Seventh, since Taylor Swift seems to be everywhere, Disney announced that her “Eras Tour” concert film will come exclusively to Disney+ on March 15, with additional content not in the original release.

 

Eighth, it was noted that 70 percent of the announced plan to invest $60 billion on parks over the coming decade will go to increased capacity, with every park location and the high seas being affected. Annual announcements are expected to come from the company each year starting in 2025.

 

Ninth, a full-slate ESPN standalone streaming option will be launched in August 2025 or the fall of that year. This ESPN streaming option will include all ESPN programming, and will integrate betting, e-commerce, stats and personalization. In addition, the previously announced streaming sports joint venture with Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery is scheduled to launch this fall.

 

Tenth, all parks were profitable in the quarter, with growth in international parks particularly strong. And it was repeated that the company is expecting to “turbocharge growth” in the parks. The cruise line got notable attention in terms of expanding opportunities. It was noted in the earnings report: “At Experiences, we generated all-time records in revenue, operating income, and operating margin in the first quarter…” As for key sources of profitability on the Experiences front for the quarter, four were highlighted: Shanghai Disneyland, Hong Kong Disneyland, the Disney cruise line, and the latest Spider-Man video game.

 

Eleventh, on the movies and franchise fronts, it was announced that the planned Moana television show was being transformed into a theatrically released movie, set for November of this year. Meanwhile, it’s hard to say if something should or should not be read into the fact that the only Star Wars movie specifically mentioned by Iger was the one featuring The Mandalorian and Grogu. For good measure, Iger noted the slowdown in production on the Marvel front, declaring that there would a “focus on stronger franchises” going forward. In addition, the forthcoming Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes movie received a fair amount of attention. It has a release date of May 10, 2024.

Iger’s assessment was summed up in a statement in the earnings report: “Just one year ago, we outlined an ambitious plan to return The Walt Disney Company to a period of sustained growth and shareholder value creation. Our strong performance this past quarter demonstrates we have turned the corner and entered a new era for our company, focused on fortifying ESPN for the future, building streaming into a profitable growth business, reinvigorating our film studios, and turbocharging growth in our parks and experiences… Looking at the renewed strength of all of our businesses this quarter – from Sports, to Entertainment, to Experiences – we believe the stage is now set for significant growth and success, including ample opportunity to increase shareholder returns as our earnings and free cash flow continue to grow.”

 

Finally, regarding the activist investor challenges facing the company with the upcoming April 3 shareholder meeting, when asked about it on CNBC, Iger declared that those individuals didn’t understand the Disney business, nor the Disney brand. He also spoke of the company “acting with a sense of urgency,” and that “all of us are optimistic.” When it came to streaming, Johnston also used the word “urgency,” that is, there is an “urgency to get to a good sustainable business.”

 

Why all the “urgency” talk? That’s what happens when activist investors lurk heading into a shareholder meeting, and people have been focusing on the under-performance of your stock.

 

In after-hours trading, at the time of this writing, Disney’s stock price was up by more than six percent.

 

__________

 

Ray Keating is the editor, publisher and economist for DisneyBizJournal.com; and author of the Pastor Stephen Grant thrillers and mysteries, the Alliance of Saint Michael novels, and assorted nonfiction books. Have Ray Keating speak your group, business, school, church, or organization. Email him at raykeating@keatingreports.com.

 

The views expressed here are his own – after all, no one else should be held responsible for this stuff, right?

 

Support the Daily Dose of Disney with Ray Keating Podcast at https://www.buzzsprout.com/1724143. Subscribe at the $8 or $10 level, and get The Disney Planner: The TO DO List Solution by Ray Keating. Remain a supporter and you'll get a FREE BOOK by Ray Keating every six months going forward. Thanks!

 

The Disney Planner: The TO DO List Solution combines a simple, powerful system for getting things done with encouragement and fun for Disney fans, including those who love Mickey, Marvel, Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Pixar, princesses and more.

 

Consider other books by Ray Keating, including…

 

• The Pastor Stephen Grant thrillers and mysteries. There are 18 books in the series now.

 

• Pre-order The Weekly Economist III: Another 52 Quick Reads to Help You Think Like an Economist. Signed books here and Kindle editions here.

 

• Order The Weekly Economist II: 52 More Quick Reads to Help You Think Like an Economist. Signed books here.  And Kindle and paperback editions here.

 

• The Weekly Economist: 52 Quick Reads to Help You Think Like an Economist. Signed paperbacks at RayKeatingOnline.com or paperbacks, hardcovers and Kindle editions at Amazon.com.

 

• Cathedral: An Alliance of Saint Michael Novel is at Amazon. 

 

• The Lutheran Planner: The TO DO List Solution combines a simple, powerful system for getting things done with encouragement, inspiration and consolation from the Christian faith.

 

• Signed editions of Ray’s books are at www.raykeatingbooksandmore.com. 

 

Also, check out Ray’s podcasts – the Daily Dose of Disney, Free Enterprise in Three Minutes, and the PRESS CLUB C Podcast.

Lots of Disney News Heading Into the Earnings Calls

 by Ray Keating

News/Analysis

DisneyBizJournal.com

February 6, 2024

 

Heading into the company’s February 7 earnings call, there’s plenty of news swirling around the Walt Disney Company.

 

First, another big-time activist investor group – Blackwells Capital – is tossing board nominees into the ring for the April 3 shareholder meeting. Blackwells wants to expand the number of board seats, and is talking about the possibility of breaking up Disney into three public companies, according to Reuters. Does anyone else detect an early-1980s vibe here, given Disney’s recent terrible stock performance?

 

This, of course, in addition to Nelson Peltz's Trian Fund Management effort to replace Disney board members.

Second, news broke on February 6 that ESPN, Fox and Warner Brothers are going to team up to establish a mega-sports streaming service. Each company would own a one-third share of the joint venture. According to the press release from Disney, “The platform would aggregate content to offer fans an extensive, dynamic lineup of sports content, aiming to provide a new and differentiated experience to serve sports fans, particularly those outside of the traditional pay TV bundle. By subscribing to this focused, all-in-one premier sports service, fans would have access to the linear sports networks including ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, SECN, ACCN, ESPNEWS, ABC, FOX, FS1, FS2, BTN, TNT, TBS, truTV, as well as ESPN+.”

 

Disney CEO Bob Iger said, “The launch of this new streaming sports service is a significant moment for Disney and ESPN, a major win for sports fans, and an important step forward for the media business. This means the full suite of ESPN channels will be available to consumers alongside the sports programming of other industry leaders as part of a differentiated sports-centric service.”

 

Pricing and other details will be forthcoming. 

 

But one has to wonder if this type of joint venture will attract attention from Washington’s antitrust activist regulators.

 

Third, Gina Carano is back. But not in The Mandalorian. She’s in the courtroom, and Elon Musk is at her side. Carano is suing Disney for her firing from the streaming show, and Musk’s company X is funding the lawsuit, according to CNBC. As reported by CNBC: “The suit, which alleges wrongful discharge and sex discrimination, seeks Carano’s reinstatement in ‘The Mandalorian,’ and monetary damages for the loss of her past pay and her future employment as a result of her termination. Carano was booted from the series after she shared a post on Instagram and TikTok that implied conservatives in the U.S. were being treated like Jewish people in Nazi Germany.”

 

Finally, Disney has brought in a big thinker to help people with their board votes – Professor Ludwig Von Drake. The Hollywood Reporter noted: “The media and entertainment giant released an animated video Monday urging shareholders to vote, but only for the company’s preferred board members. The Austrian duck, who is uncle to Donald and an expert on many subjects in the Disney universe, guides the shareholders through the voting process that kicks off ahead of the April 3 shareholder meeting.”

 

__________

 

Ray Keating is the editor, publisher and economist for DisneyBizJournal.com; and author of the Pastor Stephen Grant thrillers and mysteries, the Alliance of Saint Michael novels, and assorted nonfiction books. Have Ray Keating speak your group, business, school, church, or organization. Email him at raykeating@keatingreports.com.

 

The views expressed here are his own – after all, no one else should be held responsible for this stuff, right?

 

Support the Daily Dose of Disney with Ray Keating Podcast at https://www.buzzsprout.com/1724143. Subscribe at the $8 or $10 level, and get The Disney Planner: The TO DO List Solution by Ray Keating. Remain a supporter and you'll get a FREE BOOK by Ray Keating every six months going forward. Thanks!

 

The Disney Planner: The TO DO List Solution combines a simple, powerful system for getting things done with encouragement and fun for Disney fans, including those who love Mickey, Marvel, Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Pixar, princesses and more.

 

Consider other books by Ray Keating, including…

 

• The Pastor Stephen Grant thrillers and mysteries. There are 18 books in the series now.

 

• Pre-order The Weekly Economist III: Another 52 Quick Reads to Help You Think Like an Economist. Signed books here and Kindle editions here.

 

• Order The Weekly Economist II: 52 More Quick Reads to Help You Think Like an Economist. Signed books here.  And Kindle and paperback editions here.

 

• The Weekly Economist: 52 Quick Reads to Help You Think Like an Economist. Signed paperbacks at RayKeatingOnline.com or paperbacks, hardcovers and Kindle editions at Amazon.com.

 

• Cathedral: An Alliance of Saint Michael Novel is at Amazon. 

 

• The Lutheran Planner: The TO DO List Solution combines a simple, powerful system for getting things done with encouragement, inspiration and consolation from the Christian faith.

 

• Signed editions of Ray’s books are at www.raykeatingbooksandmore.com. 

 

Also, check out Ray’s podcasts – the Daily Dose of Disney, Free Enterprise in Three Minutes, and the PRESS CLUB C Podcast.

Disney Earnings Beat Market Expectations and Iger Emphasizes Shift from Fixing to Building

 by Ray Keating

News

DisneyBizJournal.com

November 8, 2023

 

The Walt Disney Company published its fourth quarter and full year earnings for 2023 today, and the company generally beat market expectations. It also was reiterated on the call that management would recommend to the board that a Disney dividend should be established, or re-established, by the end of the calendar year.

The company’s diluted earnings per share, excluding certain items, for the quarter increased to $0.82 from the prior-year quarter’s $0.30, and for the entire year, diluted EPS, excluding certain items, came in at $3.76 in 2023 versus $3.53 in the prior year.

 

For good measure, revenues were up by 5 percent in the quarter, and by 7 percent for the year, compared to the same previous periods.

 

Also, Disney+ added 6.9 million core subscribers in the fourth quarter, which far exceeded market expectations. In addition, streaming losses fell dramatically – from $1.47 billion a year earlier to $387 million in this quarter – with profitability on target for the fourth quarter of 2024.

 

Disney+ core subscribers came in at 112.6 million, with total Hulu subscribers at 48.5 million and ESPN+ at 26.0 million – both up slightly.

 

The Experiences division – parks and consumer products – saw a 13 percent increase in revenues and a 31 percent increase in operating income in the quarter.

 

Disney CEO Bob Iger noted the benefits of the company’s new structure, and spoke of “restored creativity.” He also emphasized that the company was moving from “fixing” matters due to past decisions and industry changes to “building” in four key areas. 

 

The first path for building is streaming profitability, pointing out that 50 percent of new Disney+ subscribers chose the advertising option, and that a unified Disney+ and Hulu app would be set up in beta form in December and officially launched in early spring 2024.

 

The second path is making ESPN the preeminent sports platform, including via new strategic partnerships. Iger emphasized that ESPN was experiencing solid revenue and income growth.

 

The third is a kind of refocus of the movie studio, namely, a move away from quantity and to a focus on quality. Iger, while noting successes, did acknowledge a slip in quality.

 

And fourth, Iger spoke of “turbo-charging” growth in experiences, that is, parks, cruise lines, etc. Previously announced investments were noted, as were improved guest experience ratings.

 

In after-hours trading, at the end of the Disney earnings call, the stock price was up by better than three percent.

 

__________

 

Ray Keating is the editor, publisher and economist for DisneyBizJournal.com; and author of the Pastor Stephen Grant thrillers and mysteries, the Alliance of Saint Michael novels, and assorted nonfiction books. Have Ray Keating speak your group, business, school, church, or organization. Email him at raykeating@keatingreports.com.

 

The views expressed here are his own – after all, no one else should be held responsible for this stuff, right?

 

Support the Daily Dose of Disney with Ray Keating Podcast at https://www.buzzsprout.com/1724143. Subscribe at the $8 or $10 level, and get The Disney Planner: The TO DO List Solution by Ray Keating. Remain a supporter and you'll get a FREE BOOK by Ray Keating every six months going forward. Thanks!

 

Consider books by Ray Keating, including…

 

• The Pastor Stephen Grant thrillers and mysteries. There are 18 books in the series now.

 

• Order The Weekly Economist II: 52 More Quick Reads to Help You Think Like an Economist. Kindle editions and paperbacks via Amazon here and signed books here. And don’t forget the first book in this growing series, i.e., The Weekly Economist: 52 Quick Reads to Help You Think Like an Economist at Amazon.com.

 

• Cathedral: An Alliance of Saint Michael Novel is at Amazon. 

 

• The Lutheran Planner: The TO DO List Solution combines a simple, powerful system for getting things done with encouragement, inspiration and consolation from the Christian faith.

 

• Signed editions of Ray’s books are at www.RayKeatingOnline.com. 

 

Also, check out Ray’s podcasts – the Daily Dose of Disney, Free Enterprise in Three Minutes, and the PRESS CLUB C Podcast.

“Andy’s Room” to Host Toy Story Funday Football During Falcons-Jaguars Game From London

 by Beth Keating

News

DisneyBizJournal.com

September 30, 2023

 

I watch football exactly one day a year – and sometimes not even then, if one of my family’s preferred teams hasn’t made it to the Big Game.  Yes, Super Bowl Sunday is the only time I park myself in front of the TV to “enjoy” that American pastime known as football.  On a typical week, I might supply a few “game day foods,” set them out on the coffee table, then disappear into a different room while the other family members yell at the television screen.

This Sunday, though, I might just be joining the family in front of the TV, though it will be a mite bit early for the usual nachos and mini-hot dogs.  At 9:30 a.m. (ET) Sunday morning (October 1, 2023), the Atlanta Falcons and Jacksonville Jaguars will be kicking off from London in Week 4 of the NFL season.  And while the game will be televised traditionally in its usual form on ESPN+ (as well as local broadcast stations in the markets of the participating teams), it will also show up in a slightly different, alternate format, live on Disney+ and ESPN+ (and on mobile with NFL+).

 

Dubbed “Toy Story Funday Football,” the alternate game will simultaneously animate the Falcons-Jaguars game from Wembley Stadium in London, using the NFL’s Next Gen Stats player tracking data and motion-capture technology.  Instead of seeing the typical green, line-marked football field though, the Toy Story version will be brought to you in real time direct from Andy’s room.  (If you’ve been living under a rock – or the nearest bleacher - “Andy’s room” is where the Toy Story characters usually reside in the Disney animated film series, launched in 1995.) 

 

Among the characters appearing in the broadcast will be Woody, Buzz, Bo Peep, Bullseye, Bunny, Ducky, Forky, the Aliens, Jessie, Rex, and Slinky Dog, participating from the sidelines and in “non-gameplay elements.”

The real life football players themselves will appear on screen as animated football figures, and the special “half-time show” will feature Toy Story’s Duke Caboom undertaking a monumental motorcycle jump. While Chris Fowler, Dan Orlovsky, Louis Riddick, and Laura Rutledge will be calling the game from inside the London location for the live game, the Toy Story version of the show will be narrated by its own announcers, with Drew Carter providing the play-by-play, Booger McFarland as analyst, and 12-year old Pepper Persley as a reporter.  For family members who, like me, aren’t all that football-savvy, the day will feature educational elements teaching the game of football, including demonstrations with “how to” videos, trivia, and more.

 

Toy Story Funday Football is a first-of-its-kind NFL alternate presentation. “Fans will view every run, pass, score and all football-related action through state-of-the-art tracking technology,” assures ESPN, for those who might be worried that the Toy Story version might not be taking the game seriously enough, or be accurate in its entirety to the actual Falcons-Jaguars game.  In addition, for those die-hard fans watching the animated game, there will also be pre-recorded segments and interviews with the real Falcons and Jaguar players sprinkled into the broadcast.

 

If you are watching from outside the United States, the special presentation will be available in over 95 markets live and/or in replay, including Brazil, the UK, Mexico and France.  Video on Demand will also be available in many markets 24 hours after the live broadcast ends.

This novel NFL collaboration is a venture by ESPN, ESPN’s Edge Innovation Center, Disney, NFL, Pixar, Next Gen Stats, Beyond Sports, and Silver Spoon.

So, who is with me for my second football game of the year?  Pretty sure there will be a few football players “falling…with style!”

 

__________

 

Beth Keating is a theme parks, restaurant and entertainment reporter for DisneyBizJournal.

6 Questions for Bob Iger

 by Ray Keating

Commentary

DisneyBizJournal.com

September 23, 2023

 

While visiting Walt Disney World on Friday afternoon, I overheard a conversation among Disney cast members either speculating or knowing that Disney CEO Bob Iger was at the Boardwalk Resort.

 

So, as noted in the accompanying video, this got me thinking about what I would ask Mr. Iger if I happened to bump into him. Here are the six questions that came to mind.

 

First, Disney has made a big deal in recent days about pledging to invest $60 billion in parks and cruise lines over the coming decade, could you provide more specifics? What are we looking at in terms of numbers and projects at Walt Disney World, for example? “Frozen” at Disneyland and “Black Panther” have been mentioned in reports, can you give us more?

 

Second, with news and rumors swirling about offers being made to Disney for ABC and other Disney television networks, including Byron Allen’s reported $10 billion offer for ABC, FX and National Geographic, what’s the company’s thinking on a price target for such assets?

 

Third, can you give us some clarity on the future of ESPN and its move to full streaming?

 

Fourth, in light of the Disney deal with Charter Communication, how do you now envision the future of streaming, such as Disney+, as it relates to cable television? (See the recent DisneyBizJournal analysis).

 

Fifth, the quality of Marvel films has fallen off notably since Avengers: Endgame, or at best these films have become far more uneven. What is the plan going forward, and is Kevin Feige in danger of losing his job?

 

Sixth, some recent Disney movies pulled in a decent amount of revenue at the box office – such as The Little Mermaid, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny and Elemental – but runaway costs made these either box office losers or break-even propositions. What’s being done to get these costs under control?

 

And if I could slip one more question in, it would be: Given the controversy between Disney and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, it has been reported that you’ve said that you want to “quiet the noise” on these types of issues. How do you accomplish that given the reality of politics?

 

__________

 

Ray Keating is the editor, publisher and economist for DisneyBizJournal.com; and author of the Pastor Stephen Grant thrillers and mysteries, the Alliance of Saint Michael novels, and assorted nonfiction books. Have Ray Keating speak your group, business, school, church, or organization. Email him at raykeating@keatingreports.com.

 

The views expressed here are his own – after all, no one else should be held responsible for this stuff, right? (Keating is a Disney shareholder.)

Consider books by Ray Keating, including…

 

• The Pastor Stephen Grant thrillers and mysteries. There are 18 books in the series now.

 

• Order The Weekly Economist II: 52 More Quick Reads to Help You Think Like an Economist. Kindle editions and paperbacks via Amazon here and signed books here. And don’t forget the first book in this growing series, i.e., The Weekly Economist: 52 Quick Reads to Help You Think Like an Economist at Amazon.com.

 

• Cathedral: An Alliance of Saint Michael Novel is at Amazon. 

 

• The Lutheran Planner: The TO DO List Solution combines a simple, powerful system for getting things done with encouragement, inspiration and consolation from the Christian faith.

 

• Signed editions of Ray’s books are at www.RayKeatingOnline.com. 

 

Also, check out Ray’s podcasts – the Daily Dose of Disney, Free Enterprise in Three Minutes, and the PRESS CLUB C Podcast.