Being a Disney fan means marking a lot (maybe even too many) important dates on your calendar.
A ride is opening? Mark it down. A new movie is coming out? Put that down too. And, if you’re a serious Disney fan, listening in on the company’s earnings calls is how you can really get an idea of how the House of Mouse is doing. November 8th marks the final call of the fiscal year, and we’re expecting some major announcements. Let’s get into it!
Disney+
We can likely count on hearing an update on the streaming side of the business — something CEO Bob Iger has said is his “number one priority.” During past earnings calls, we typically learn the latest Disney+ subscriber and revenue numbers, which haven’t been increasing lately.
Last quarter, Disney had a total of 146.1 million subscribers, including both Disney+ Hotstar and Disney+ Core. Disney had 11.7 million fewer subscribers than the prior quarter, yet revenue was up. We’ll have to see if the subscriber count has increased or decreased during Q4.
Park Revenue
In addition to streaming subscribers and revenue, we can also expect to hear updates on other financial aspects of the company like parks. There was an unusually slow summer this year, followed by low results during Q3 of this year as well.
For the third quarter, the biggest loss was at Disney World, while results at Disneyland Resort were “up modestly compared to the prior-year quarter.” Disney executives will likely comment on revenue from the Parks, Experiences, and Products Division during the call, so we’ll update you soon.
SAG-AFTRA/Writers Strike
Iger hasn’t been quiet about his feelings on the SAG-AFTRA/WGA Strike. Though the Writers Guild strike is over, the SAG-AFTRA strike continues. It’s likely we could hear more from Iger given his previous comments.
“It’s very disturbing to me,” Iger said regarding the SAG-AFTRA strike combined with the WGA strike. He explained that the entertainment industry as a whole is still trying to recover after COVID-19 halted film and television production across the board.
Iger later shared, “Nothing is more important to this company than its relationships with the creative community,” adding, “It is my fervent hope we quickly find solutions.”
Lawsuits
Disney is currently involved in two lawsuits that have seen their fair share of the spotlight. A federal suit was filed by The Walt Disney Company, while a state-level suit has been filed by the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District.
It’s not likely that Disney will comment directly on any pending litigation, but we could hear Iger address the ongoing political conflict with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.
New CFO
Back in June, Disney’s longtime Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Christine McCarthy announced that she would be stepping down from her role and taking a family medical leave of absence. Since then, Kevin Lansberry has been acting as Interim CFO.
But, as of December 4th, 2023, Hugh F. Johnston will be taking over the role, and we expect Iger or Lansberry may make comments on the new hire.
We may also learn more from any questions or comments regarding park updates, Genie+, upcoming film releases, or new attractions and expansions coming to the Disney parks.
We’ll be sharing all the major updates and news you need to know from the earnings call on November 8th, so stay tuned to AllEars for more!
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What are you looking forward to hearing during the earnings call? Tell us in the comments.
Scrap the absolute money grabbing Genie+ and bring back fastpasses.