It has been an anxious summer in Burbank, Bristol and the rest of the Disney-ESPN empire thanks to ongoing cutbacks, movie box office disappointments and strategic uncertainties. Disney stock recently sank to a nine-year low.
08.08.2023 - 20:47 / deadline.com
Disney has wrapped up its 2023-24 upfront sales process, with gains in sports and streaming helping it return to 2022 revenue and volume levels.
The media giant reported strong buyer interest in live events; addressable inventory across sports and entertainment, including Hulu and Disney+ ad tier; and programmatic and measurement offerings.
The upfront as an industry ritual has evolved from a straightforward pitch for a batch of heavily viewed watercooler shows to a jigsaw puzzles of platforms and properties and ads being served 24/7. Rather than a few short weeks after sellers’ annual presentations to advertisers in May, this year’s negotiations stretched out over two months, with the first reports of finalized results coming in July. Disruptions to traditional viewing and the rise of streaming have played out against turbulence in the broader economy, with stubbornly high inflation and interest rates complicating the task for advertisers looking to lure consumers.
Disney said it secured single-digit increases in sports volume and pricing, noting rising demand for women’s sports. ESPN and ABC have garnered rising ratings for the WNBA and NCAA basketball and softball, among other properties.
More than 40% of upfront commitments were for streaming and digital buys, led by Disney+, ESPN+, and Hulu, the company said. Inclusion commitments, an increasing priority for media companies, were locked in from financial services, pharmaceutical, retail, tech and telecom brands.
Top-performing categories overall included consumer packaged goods, financial services, media & entertainment, pharmaceutical, sports gaming and travel & leisure, Disney said.
“Our investments in the most dynamic technology and streaming capabilities,
It has been an anxious summer in Burbank, Bristol and the rest of the Disney-ESPN empire thanks to ongoing cutbacks, movie box office disappointments and strategic uncertainties. Disney stock recently sank to a nine-year low.
A bunch of familiar “Sex and the City” faces have been popping up on the spinoff “And Just Like That…”
Fyre Festival 2 – the second version of the disgraced music festival – have sold out.Earlier this week, the festival’s founder, Billy McFarland, announced on TikTok that the first 100 pre-sale tickets were up for grabs. Each retailed at $499 a piece with ticket tiers marked as “coming soon” ranging from $799 to $7,999.Despite the fact that the festival has no lineup, venue, or dates lined up for the event, the first 100 pre-sale tickets have sold out.
Chip and Joanna Gaines have a new reality show in the works.
Jennifer Maas TV Business Writer Chip and Joanna Gaines are ready to roll. The home renovation titans behind Magnolia Network are developing a roller dancing competition series for Max.
Although the tide could turn in the coming weeks with the expected approval of Microsoft’s $68.7 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard, investment and M&A in the gaming sector declined again in the second quarter.
Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer The Writers Guild of America issued a report on Thursday calling Netflix, Amazon and Disney the “new gatekeepers” of the media business, and calling for antitrust regulators to prevent consolidation in the streaming marketplace. The report argues that Netflix, Amazon and Disney have amassed collective market power that has driven down wages and limited viewer choice.
, the Patagonia Summer Sale is taking up to 30% off outdoor clothing and gear for men, women and kids. There are also discounts on travel bags like duffels and backpacks for your upcoming adventures. As we gear up for more outdoor adventures, the Patagonia sale has some seriously good wardrobe staples from high-quality outerwear to upgrade your gear closet.Shop the Patagonia SaleJust about every category of outdoor-friendly apparel you can imagine is on sale now at Patagonia.
Duran Duran guitarist Andy Taylor has said a drug he is taking to treat his prostate cancer has extended his life by five years.Taylor, 62, opened up about living with stage 4 metastatic prostate cancer during an interview back in January. He had been diagnosed with the disease around four years prior.
Wrestling icon Ric Flair’s final match in the ring was last July, and the Nature Boy reportedly got some shut-eye between swinging punches.
sneakers. Whether you’re looking for stylish walking shoes or the ultimate sandal for making summer moves, Sorel has nearly 100 best-selling styles on sale now through Wednesday, August 30.Shop the Sorel SaleKnown for their winter boots that keep your feet warm, protected and dry like no other, Sorel also makes sandals and sneakers not only blend fashion and function, but are also built to last. Sorel sneakers have been spotted on Jennifer Aniston, Katie Holmes and Sydney Sweeney and right now, you can save up to 40% on Sorel's shoes made with the brand's iconic waterproof, extra comfy designs.When Oprah released her list of Favorite Things for 2020, Sorel's Kinetic Conquest Boots made the cut.
Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF) head Kate Taylor has put together what she describes as an “eclectic and lively” mix of titles for her first year at the helm.
Sandra Bullock is in mourning. The actress' long-time partner, Bryan Randall, died on Saturday, Aug.
The Higher attainment gap between the most and least deprived areas has grown wider since last year, while remaining below pre-pandemic levels.
Gesine Bullock-Prado is remembering Bryan Randall. On Monday, news broke that Randall, Sandra Bullock‘s longtime partner, had died after private, three-year battle with ALS, and the actress’ sister took to Instagram to pay tribute to the late photographer.
Sandra Bullock's longtime partner, had died after private, three-year battle with ALS, and the actress' sister took to Instagram to pay tribute to the late photographer.«I'm convinced that Bry has found the best fishing spot in heaven and is already casting his lure into rushing rivers teaming with salmon,» Bullock-Prado wrote alongside a smiling photo of Randall.«ALS is a cruel disease but there is some comfort in knowing he had the best of caretakers in my amazing sister and the band of nurses she assembled who helped her look after him in their home,» she added. «Rest in peace, Bryan.»Randall's family announced his death on Monday.
Disney Illusion Island, has shared that there are a number of Disney games that the team would leap at the opportunity to create.In an interview with Tech Radar Gaming, AJ Grand-Scrutton spoke about the love that he and IT director Mark Ragon still have for the original Castle Of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse and World Of Illusion games on the Sega Mega Drive.“This game wouldn’t exist without those games,” he explained, expanding on the more recent influences on Disney Illusion Island like the Ori series, the Metroid games and Gato Roboto.In the future, it remains to be seen if there will be downloadable content (DLC) for the game like new playable characters outside of Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Goofy. Despite this, Grand-Scrutton seemed to sound very positive about the partnership with Disney and has already thought of what Dlala Studios could create next.“There’s a list.
Jennifer Maas TV Business Writer AMC Networks reported its second-quarter 2023 earnings Friday, revealing it had lost 500,000 more subscribers across its portfolio of niche streamers and was down 17% in U.S. ad sales for the April 1-June 30 period. AMC Networks lost 300,000 subscribers across its streaming services in Q1, falling from 11.8 million at the end of 2022 to 11.5 million by March 31.
sneakers. Whether you’re looking for stylish walking shoes or the ultimate sandal for making summer moves, Sorel has nearly 100 best-selling styles on sale now.Shop the Sorel SaleKnown for their winter boots that keep your feet warm, protected and dry like no other, Sorel also makes sandals and sneakers not only blend fashion and function, but are also built to last. Sorel sneakers have been spotted on Jennifer Aniston, Katie Holmes and Sydney Sweeney and right now, you can save up to 40% on Sorel's shoes made with the brand's iconic waterproof, extra comfy designs.When Oprah released her list of Favorite Things for 2020, Sorel's Kinetic Conquest Boots made the cut.
Patagonia Summer Sale is taking up to 30% off outdoor clothing and gear for men, women and kids. There are also discounts on travel bags like duffels and backpacks for your upcoming adventures. As we gear up for more outdoor adventures, the Patagonia sale has some seriously good wardrobe staples from high-quality outerwear to upgrade your gear closet.Shop the Patagonia SaleJust about every category of outdoor-friendly apparel you can imagine is on sale now at Patagonia.