Core Insights - ESPN's direct-to-consumer streaming service launched in August has been a significant success, with 80% of new sign-ups opting for the Trio Bundle that includes Disney+ and Hulu [1][3] - In the fiscal fourth quarter, Disney added over 12 million subscribers, reaching a total of 196 million, with ESPN drawing 2.1 million sign-ups from its launch through September 30 [2] - The strong uptake of the Trio Bundle is seen as a positive indicator for reducing future churn rates [3] Subscriber Growth - Disney's streaming service exceeded expectations by adding more than 12 million subscribers in the fourth quarter, bringing the total to 196 million [2] - ESPN's new streaming outlet is not intended to be regularly reported on, as it complements the declining linear operations [2] User Engagement - The new service has performed exceptionally well with new users, including both former multichannel linear subscribers and new customers interested in ESPN [4] - Pay-TV subscribers have also engaged more deeply by authenticating their subscriptions to access programming via the ESPN app, with encouraging authentication rates reported [4] Features and Personalization - The app includes personalized features such as a tailored version of SportsCenter and TikTok-like vertical videos, with the algorithm effectively curating content based on user interactions [5]

Core Insights - Disney's strong performance in streaming, particularly a significant increase in subscribers, helped mitigate challenges faced by its film studio and advertising sales in the fiscal fourth quarter [1] Streaming Performance - The total number of subscribers for Disney+ and Hulu reached 196 million, with a year-over-year increase of 12.4 million, exceeding Wall Street's expectations by over 2 million [2] - Operating income in the direct-to-consumer segment rose by $99 million to $352 million, with an 8% increase in revenue [2] Financial Results - Adjusted earnings per share decreased to $1.11 from $1.14 in the previous year but still surpassed analysts' expectations by six cents [3] - Total revenue remained flat year-over-year at $22.5 billion, falling short of forecasts [3] Advertising and Studio Performance - A $40 million shortfall in political ad spending compared to the previous year impacted results [4] - The film studio faced challenges due to tough comparisons with the same quarter last year, which featured successful releases like Inside Out 2 and Deadpool & Wolverine [4] - Content Sales/Licensing and Other revenue declined by $368 million [4] Theme Parks and Corporate Division - The Experiences division, which includes theme parks, saw a modest revenue increase of 6% to $8.77 billion [5] - A significant carriage dispute with YouTube TV led to a two-week blackout, although this issue was not reflected in the quarterly report as it occurred after the quarter ended [5]

Government Shutdown and Market Impact - The Senate voted 60-40 to advance a bill aimed at ending the government shutdown, with a final vote yet to be scheduled [1][8] - The reopening of the government is expected to provide clarity on economic data necessary for Federal Reserve interest rate decisions, contributing to a positive market sentiment [2][12] - US stock futures are showing strength, particularly in the NASDAQ, which is projected to gain about 1.5% at the open [6][18] Earnings Reports and Company Performance - Disney is anticipated to report its first quarterly adjusted earnings drop in over two years, with earnings expected at $1.14 per share, down from $1.14 a year ago, and revenue projected to rise by only 1% to $22.8 billion [22][23] - Coreweave is expected to report strong results following deals with OpenAI and Meta, despite facing a 22% stock decline last week amid an AI-driven sell-off [3][18] - Pfizer has won a bidding war for obesity startup Metsa, agreeing to pay up to $10 billion, while Monday.com has narrowed its revenue forecast, causing its shares to plunge [30][31][32] Market Sentiment and Future Projections - UBS forecasts the S&P 500 could reach 7500 by the end of 2026, driven by an AI tech rally and corporate earnings growth [19][20] - Morgan Stanley also predicts that corporate earnings will fuel the US stock rally, with the S&P 500 expected to post a nearly 15% jump in third-quarter profits [20][21] - Analysts are cautious about the sustainability of current market momentum, with concerns about potential deceleration in growth rates and the impact of a bubble in AI-related stocks [39][42]

Group 1: Disney's Direct-to-Consumer Momentum - Disney's Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) segment has shown significant growth, reporting an operating income of $346 million in Q3 of fiscal 2025, a turnaround from a $19 million loss a year ago, driven by price increases, subscriber growth, and rising ad revenues [1][9] - The company projects a remarkable $1.3 billion in DTC operating income for fiscal 2025, indicating an over 800% year-over-year increase [2][9] - Disney+ and Hulu have reached a combined total of 183 million subscribers, with an expectation of adding 10 million more in Q4 2025 [3][9] Group 2: Competitive Landscape - Netflix remains the leader in streaming with over 300 million subscribers and plans to invest $18 billion in content for 2025, enhancing revenues through ads and price increases [5] - Warner Bros. Discovery's streaming segment, Max, added 3.4 million subscribers, reaching 125.7 million, and achieved $293 million in EBITDA, showcasing strong competitive strength against Disney [6] Group 3: Financial Performance and Valuation - Disney shares have increased by 5.2% year-to-date, underperforming the Zacks Consumer Discretionary sector's growth of 10.9% and the Zacks Media Conglomerates industry's growth of 10.1% [7] - The stock is currently trading at a forward 12-month price/earnings ratio of 18.12X, compared to the industry's 20.29X, indicating a relatively favorable valuation [10] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Disney's fiscal 2025 earnings is $5.86 per share, reflecting a year-over-year growth of 17.91% [13]

Group 1: Investment Performance - Sound Shore Management's Investor Class (SSHFX) and Institutional Class (SSHVX) delivered returns of 3.06% and 3.10% respectively in Q2 2025, compared to 3.79% for the Russell 1000 Value Index and 10.94% for the S&P 500 [1] - The 35-year annualized returns for SSHFX and SSHVX were 14.92% and 15.14% respectively, outperforming the Russell Value at 12.76% but trailing the S&P 500 at 19.71% as of June 30, 2025 [1] Group 2: The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) - The Walt Disney Company had a one-month return of -0.45% and a 52-week gain of 29.66%, with a stock price of $115.79 and a market capitalization of $208.182 billion as of September 10, 2025 [2] - Sound Shore Management views The Walt Disney Company as an attractive investment due to its successful repositioning and plans to launch the ESPN streaming service by the end of 2025, indicating potential for growth both domestically and internationally [3] - Despite the potential of The Walt Disney Company, some analysts suggest that certain AI stocks may offer greater upside potential and less downside risk, with 111 hedge fund portfolios holding Disney shares at the end of Q2 2025, up from 104 in the previous quarter [4]

Group 1: Costco - Costco has shown steady financial performance with net sales increasing at a compound annual rate of 10.8% from fiscal 2019 to fiscal 2024, despite challenges like the COVID-19 pandemic and inflation [4] - In Q3 2025, Costco reported net sales of $62 billion, making it the third-largest retailer globally, with an average of 4,000 stock-keeping units per warehouse, providing a significant cost advantage [5] - The company's membership model boasts a 90.2% renewal rate, driving customer loyalty and high-margin revenue [6] - Costco's shares are trading at a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 53.9, indicating a high valuation that investors must consider [7] Group 2: Disney - Disney's cable networks are experiencing a decline, with revenue falling 15% year over year in Q3, and operating profit dropping 28% [8] - The company has successfully positioned itself for a streaming future, with Disney+ and Hulu combined having 183 million subscribers, leading to a 6% year-over-year revenue gain [9] - Disney launched a new ESPN streaming service aimed at enhancing the sports viewing experience [10] - The Experiences segment, including theme parks and cruise lines, reported a 27.7% operating margin in Q3, with management identifying 700 million potential customers with high Disney affinity [11] - Disney shares are available at a P/E multiple of 18.5, suggesting greater upside potential compared to Costco's high valuation [13]

Streaming Strategy & Bundling - Disney is launching ESPN's streaming version, signaling an aggressive rebundling strategy to reduce churn [1][2] - ESPN subscribers can get Disney Plus and Hulu for $30 for the first year [2] - Disney is bundling ESPN with Fox 1 for $40 and ESPN with NFL Plus, also for $40 [2] - The goal is to supercharge the streaming bundle to increase subscriber loyalty, similar to cable subscribers [3] Subscriber Trends & Market Analysis - ESPN's TV subscribers peaked at 100 million in 2011 but declined to 61 million as of June [3] - Moffen Nathansson anticipates limited cord-cutting acceleration due to the high price of streaming subscriptions [4] - Eight streaming subscriptions are needed to watch every major US sporting event, plus YouTube Sunday Ticket for out-of-market NFL games [4] Future Opportunities - ESPN is exploring more bundling opportunities, potentially with Peacock (NBA and Olympics) or Paramount Plus [4]

Core Viewpoint - ESPN and Fox are launching a joint streaming service bundle for $39.99 per month, starting October 2, which combines their direct-to-consumer offerings to provide a wide range of sports, news, and entertainment content [1][3][20] Group 1: Streaming Service Details - The bundle will include access to ESPN's upcoming subscription platform and Fox's new streaming service, FOX One, both available individually from August 21 [3][20] - Subscribers will have access to a comprehensive portfolio of content, including major sports leagues such as NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, and college sports, as well as events like the FIFA World Cup [6][10] - ESPN's platform will feature approximately 47,000 live events annually, along with replays and original programming [8][9] Group 2: Strategic Collaboration - The collaboration aims to enhance the availability of ESPN's sports programming and provide a seamless viewing experience for fans [4][21] - The partnership is seen as a response to the previous failed venture, Venu Sports, which was intended to offer a single sports-focused streaming subscription but faced regulatory challenges [15][20] - The new bundle is positioned as a more flexible option for viewers who have cut the cord or never subscribed to traditional cable [13][21]

Core Insights - Disney's ESPN and Fox Corp. are collaborating to offer a bundled direct-to-consumer streaming service, aiming to attract more consumers with a focus on sports [1][2] - The bundled streaming service will launch on October 2, priced at $39.99 per month, while individual services will cost $29.99 for ESPN and $19.99 for Fox One [2] Group 1: Streaming Service Details - ESPN's streaming service will be an all-in-one app featuring live sports, programming from ESPN networks, fantasy products, betting tie-ins, and documentaries [3] - Fox One will provide content from its broadcast and pay TV networks but will not include exclusive or original content [5] - ESPN will also offer a bundle with Disney+ and Hulu for $35.99 per month, enhancing its content with a deal for WWE's major live events starting in 2026 [4] Group 2: Strategic Moves - Fox's entry into direct-to-consumer streaming follows the abandonment of its Venu joint venture with Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery [6] - Both CEOs of Fox and Disney have indicated interest in exploring further bundling options with other services [7] - The partnership with ESPN is seen as a strategic move to enhance value and viewing experience for customers [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]