4 Key Takeaways From Disney’s Earnings Call

After Disney (DIS) reported fiscal third-quarter results that beat analysts’ estimates, CEO Bob Iger and CFO Hugh Johnson discussed the entertainment giant’s streaming business, expectations for consumer demand at its parks, and more on the company’s earnings call Wednesday.

Streaming Businesses Turn a Profit Ahead of Schedule

Disney’s combined streaming business of ESPN+, Disney+, and Hulu returned profitability in the third quarter, ahead of Disney’s expectations of profitability in the fourth quarter.

While Disney already returned a surprise profit on Disney+ and Hulu in the previous quarter, the third quarter marked the first instance the combined streaming services made a profit.

Iger told investors, “You can expect that it’s going to grow nicely in fiscal 2025,” as the company plans to improve how it leverages tech across its streaming business. Some of those efforts include an ongoing password-sharing crackdown, better recommendation engines, and more efficient marketing, with Iger adding he’s “bullish” about the future of the streaming business.

Falling Park Sales in the US Hurt Disney’s Experiences Segment

Disney’s experience segment, which includes theme parks and cruises, saw a moderation of consumer demand during the third quarter that was more significant than expected.

The company saw decreased sales at its domestic parks, despite comparable head count, as consumer demand at its parks declined. International parks and cruise lines saw growth during this period.

Johnson said the company expects “a flattish revenue number” for the experiences segment in the coming quarter for “a few quarters.”

Raising Streaming Prices on Added Value

When asked how Disney navigates subscriber growth while maintaining pricing power, Iger highlighted the company’s content library, bundling opportunities, and sports programming as adding value to the streaming offerings to justify hiking prices.

Disney announced its streaming services will get more expensive in October ahead of its earnings announcement.

Iger said when the company increases streaming prices it sees “a modest churn,” but not a significant number.

NBA Rights Secured Amid Sports Streaming Push

Disney said its sports offerings help make its streaming services more attractive to consumers and advertisers alike, highlighting its recent NBA rights win.

Iger said the sports programming has been “an advertiser delight” as well as “an audience delight.” The CEO said the new NBA deal “reflects the value of live programming” to its streaming business and the growing value of basketball and women’s sports. There is “a large WNBA component” to the deal, Iger said.

The new contract will take effect in a year when Disney expects “a lot of the pieces will be in place” to drive advertising and distribution revenue amid its push to digital.