Core Insights - Walt Disney reported Q3 FY2025 results with adjusted EPS of $1.61, exceeding analyst expectations of $1.45, while GAAP revenue was $23.7 billion, slightly below consensus by 0.18% [1][2] - The company experienced an 8% increase in total segment operating income to $4.6 billion, driven by a profitable shift in Direct-to-Consumer streaming and strong performance in the Experiences segment, despite challenges in legacy Entertainment operations [1][4] Financial Performance - Adjusted EPS (Non-GAAP) reached $1.61, a 16% increase year-over-year from $1.39 [2] - GAAP EPS was reported at $2.92, more than doubling from $1.43 in Q3 2024 [2] - Revenue (GAAP) increased by 2.2% year-over-year to $23.7 billion, compared to $23.2 billion in Q3 2024 [2] - Total segment operating income (Non-GAAP) rose to $4.6 billion, up 10% from $4.2 billion [2] - Free cash flow (Non-GAAP) increased by 58% to $1.9 billion, up from $1.2 billion [2] Subscriber and Streaming Insights - Disney+ subscribers reached 127.8 million, a 1.0% sequential increase, with international subscribers rising by 2% [5] - Hulu subscriptions grew to 55.5 million, contributing to overall streaming growth [5] - Average revenue per user (ARPU) for Disney+ remained flat in the U.S. at $8.09, with slight increases internationally [5] - The company anticipates further growth from a Charter deal expected to boost Hulu subscriptions in Q4 FY2025 [6] Experiences Segment Performance - The Experiences segment saw operating income rise to $2.5 billion, up 13% year-over-year, with domestic parks delivering $1.65 billion in operating income, a 22% increase [7] - Revenue from domestic parks reached $6.4 billion, supported by cruise line expansion and the launch of the Disney Treasure ship [7] - International parks faced a 3% decline in operating income due to lower attendance and increased costs at Shanghai Disney Resort and Hong Kong Disneyland Resort [7] Strategic Initiatives - The company is focusing on improving streaming profitability and expanding park experiences, including integrating Hulu with Disney+ and investing in new park attractions [4] - Disney plans to commit over $30 billion to expand existing parks in Florida and California, emphasizing quality and guest experience [8] - The company is recalibrating its film production strategy to enhance the quality of major properties, particularly Marvel films [10] Entertainment Segment Challenges - Operating income in the Entertainment segment declined by 15% to $1.02 billion (Non-GAAP), impacted by lower results in Content Sales/Licensing and Linear Networks [9] - Linear networks experienced a 28% decrease in operating income due to declining subscriber numbers and weaker advertising rates [9] Sports Programming Performance - Sports programming, anchored by ESPN and ESPN+, reported segment operating income of $1.0 billion, up 29% year-over-year, aided by the removal of losses from the Star India business [11] - ESPN faced a 7% decline in domestic operating income due to rising programming costs, while ARPU for ESPN+ declined by 3% to $6.40 [11] Company Outlook - Management updated guidance for FY2025, forecasting adjusted EPS of $5.85, an 18% increase from the prior year [13] - The company expects $1.3 billion in Direct-to-Consumer operating income and over 10 million new streaming subscriptions in Q4 FY2025 [13] - The Experiences segment is projected to deliver 8% operating income growth, while Sports targets 18% growth [13]

Core Insights - The Walt Disney Company reported third-quarter fiscal 2025 adjusted earnings of $1.61 per share, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 10.3% and reflecting a year-over-year increase of 15.8% [1] - Revenues for the quarter rose 2.1% year over year to $23.6 billion, slightly missing the consensus mark by 0.1% [1] Segment Details - Media and Entertainment Distribution revenues, accounting for 45.3% of total revenues, increased 1.2% year over year to $10.7 billion [2] - Linear Networks revenues declined 14.7% year over year to $2.27 billion, while Direct-to-Consumer revenues grew 6.4% year over year to $6.17 billion [2] - Content Sales/Licensing and Other revenues rose 6.9% year over year to $2.25 billion [2] - Parks, Experiences and Products revenues, making up 38.4% of total revenues, increased 8.3% year over year to $9.08 billion, with domestic revenues up 10% to $6.4 billion and international revenues up 5.6% to $1.69 billion [3] Subscriber Details - As of June 28, 2025, Disney+ had 127.8 million paid subscribers, up from 126 million as of March 29, 2025 [4] - Domestic Disney+ average monthly revenue per paid subscriber increased 0.4% sequentially to $8.09, while international average monthly revenue rose 2% to $7.67 [4] Operating Details - Total costs and expenses increased 1% year over year to $20 billion, with segmental operating income rising 8.3% to $4.57 billion [6] - Media and Entertainment Distribution's segmental operating income fell 14.9% year over year to $1.02 billion, primarily due to lower results in Linear Networks and Content Sales/Licensing [6] - Parks, Experiences and Products' operating income increased 13.2% year over year to $3.51 billion [9] Balance Sheet - As of June 28, 2025, cash and cash equivalents were $5.36 billion, down from $5.85 billion as of March 29, 2025 [11] - Total borrowings were $42.2 billion, a decrease from $42.9 billion as of March 29, 2025 [11] - Free cash flow for the quarter was $1.88 billion [11] Guidance - For the fourth quarter of fiscal 2025, Disney expects total Disney+ and Hulu subscriptions to increase by over 10 million, with most growth coming from Hulu [12] - The company projects adjusted earnings per share of $5.85 for fiscal 2025, an 18% increase over fiscal 2024 [13] - Direct-to-Consumer operating income is expected to reach $1.3 billion, with overall double-digit percentage growth anticipated for the Entertainment segment [13]

The WWE had long been expected to reap rewards for its lineup of 10 annual “premium live events” like Wrestlemania, but its $1.6 billion rights deal with ESPN unveiled Wednesday is drawing some extra attention on Wall Street. The agreement, whose financial terms were confirmed to Deadline by a source familiar with the details, succeeds a landmark pact with NBCUniversal’s Peacock. Despite raves in some corners, the deal has not managed to boost the stock of WWE parent TKO Group Holdings. Its shares declined ...

NFL Deal (ESPN Stake) - Disney is giving a 10% stake in ESPN to the NFL in exchange for assets and income streams [1] - The NFL deal is expected to be accretive by approximately $0.05 per share before purchase accounting [5] - The deal includes the NFL Network, fantasy football business combination, Red Zone marketing rights, and three additional games [3] - Disney views the deal as pro-consumer, aiming to converge sports content and enhance the user experience with features like multi-view games, personalized Sports Center, and enhanced statistics [9][10] - Disney anticipates both revenue and cost synergies from combining the NFL Network with ESPN [4] WWE Deal - Disney is investing $16 billion (1.6 billion * 5 years) in a 5-year deal for WWE content [11] - Disney expects positive financial returns from the WWE investment [11] Strategic Outlook - ESPN's strong content portfolio (NFL, NBA, College Football Playoff, SEC, NHL) allows Disney to selectively pursue financially sound deals [12] - Disney hopes the regulatory process for the NFL deal will proceed smoothly, as it believes the deal is pro-consumer and not anti-competitive [9][11]

Financial Performance - Disney shares slide as profit outlook overshadows streaming wins [1] Market Trends - Bloomberg Intelligence provides more insights [1]

The Walt Disney Co. late Tuesday announced a non-binding agreement for ESPN to acquire NFL Network and other NFL media assets in exchange for a 10% equity stake in the sports giant. https://t.co/5l5wdbhyxA ...

Group 1 - The CEO of Disney, Bob Iger, emphasized the long-term value of new intellectual property (IP) while acknowledging the continued popularity of existing franchises, suggesting opportunities for sequels and modern adaptations [1][3] - Disney is actively developing original properties under the 20th Century Studios and Searchlight Pictures banners, with Marvel also exploring its character library for new content [2] - The company has seen a successful turnaround since Iger's return in 2022, with renewed theatrical momentum contributing to the long-term value of popular brands and franchises [3] Group 2 - The live-action reboot of Lilo & Stitch has surpassed $1 billion at the global box office, making it the first Hollywood film to achieve this milestone in 2023, alongside other successful titles like Moana 2 and Deadpool & Wolverine [3] - Lilo & Stitch is projected to become Disney's second-largest licensed merchandise franchise this year, with over 70% revenue growth compared to the previous year [4] - Upcoming releases from Disney include Marvel's The Fantastic Four, Zootopia 2, Avatar: Fire and Ash, and several other major titles scheduled for 2026 [5]

Market Analysis & Investment Strategies - TD Ameritrade's former Chairman & CEO Joe Moglia discussed the state of markets and the importance of removing emotions from investing [1] - The discussion included retail investing and risk management tools [1] - Big Tech and Joe Moglia's interest in ethereum were also topics of conversation [1] Company Performance & Industry Stake - Disney reported third quarter fiscal earnings [1] - The NFL is set to take a 10% stake in Disney's ESPN [1] - The report breaks down Disney's Q3 print and discusses highlights and concerns [1]

Earnings Reports Overview - The Walt Disney Company reported fiscal Q3 results with earnings of $1.61 per share, exceeding expectations of $1.46, marking a +10.3% earnings beat. However, revenues were slightly below consensus at $23.65 billion, a +2.12% increase from $23.16 billion a year ago [3][4] - McDonald's reported Q2 earnings of $3.19 per share, beating estimates by 4 cents, with revenues of $6.84 billion, a +1.92% surprise and a +5% year-over-year increase. Comparable sales grew +3.8% overall, with +2.5% in the U.S. and +4% internationally [5] - Shopify's shares surged +14% after reporting Q2 earnings of 35 cents per share and revenues of $2.68 billion, surpassing expectations by +25% and +5.5% respectively, marking its first earnings beat in three quarters [6] - Uber reported earnings of 63 cents per share, beating estimates by a penny, with revenues of $12.65 billion, exceeding consensus by +1.57%. The company also announced a $20 billion share buyback [7] - Honda Motor Co. posted a +90% earnings surprise in its fiscal Q1 report with earnings of 97 cents per ADS, significantly improving from a -75% miss in the prior quarter [8] - Planet Fitness beat estimates by +8.86% with earnings of 86 cents in its Q2 report, maintaining a Zacks Rank 2 (Buy) [8]

Core Insights - Walt Disney reported better-than-expected quarterly results and raised its annual profit forecast, driven by growth in its streaming business, which is central to its future strategy [1][5] - The company entered significant deals with the NFL and WWE to enhance its ESPN streaming service, priced at $29.99 per month, providing access to major sporting events [1][4] Financial Performance - Adjusted earnings per share increased by 16% year-over-year to $1.61, surpassing analyst expectations of $1.47 [2] - For the fiscal year ending in September, Disney projected adjusted EPS of $5.85, a 10-cent increase from previous forecasts [5] Streaming Business Growth - Disney+ and Hulu subscriptions rose by 2.6 million to 183 million, contributing to a 6% revenue increase in the direct-to-consumer segment, which reported an operating income of $346 million, a significant improvement from a loss of $19 million a year ago [8] - The company anticipates adding 10 million Disney+ and Hulu subscribers in the current quarter, primarily through an expanded partnership with Charter [7] Theme Parks and Other Segments - The parks division saw a 13% increase in operating income to $2.5 billion, with domestic parks profits rising by 22% despite new competition from Universal's Epic Universe [9] - Walt Disney World in Orlando achieved record revenue for the quarter [10] Sports Unit Performance - The sports unit's operating income increased by 29% to $1 billion, although domestic ESPN profit fell by 3% due to higher programming and production costs [10]