This is Disney’s annual “Investor Day,” an opportunity for the company to let its stockholders know how the company is performing and respond to their questions. Disney leads with their biggest success in 2020 . . . STREAMING. Disney has exceeded all expectations in this division and has reorganized the company to focus on this strength.
We’ll be covering the event for you live, so if you are reading this while the presentation is ongoing, please refresh periodically to see the latest reveals.
Live-stream starts at 1:35 pm Pacific Time:
Disney Investor Day
Lowell Singer, vice president, Investor Relations kicks off the meeting with an overview of the agenda.
Company Overview
Bob Chapek takes the stage. It appears to be preproduced and not actially live.
- 86.8 Million subscribers for Disney+. That’s at least 4 years ahead of schedule.
- Disney has separated content production from distribution. Allowing the company to focus on creativity and distribute however they want.
- Bob quoting Walt Disney in a stilted way.
- Bob touts the acquisition of FOX allowing the company to expand its reach.
- Bob proud to be leading the company in these challenging times, finding new ways to interview people
Kareem Daniel – Media and Distribution
Direct to Consumer includes Disney+, STAR, ESPN+, and HULU
- New Disney+ items on the way:
- 10 new Marvel
- 10 new Star Wars
- 15 Disne/Pixar
- 15 Live Action
- A “Strategic pivot” will result in many films going straight to Disney+
- Raya and the Last Drago will hit theaters and Disney+ at the same time – A MAJOR change in the way films are distributed. This is a HUGE blow to theaters nationwide.
Disney’s All About Streaming Now
- Streaming performance exceeds all goals – 86.8 million Disney+, 38.8 million Hulu, 11.5 ESPN+
- Global Distribution is increasing rapidly with Disney+ now in most large international markets.
- Xfinity joining HULU
- More distributors being added
- Verizon offering Disney bundle ($12.99 Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+)
- Partnering with providers all over the world
- India targeted as major market. Disney+/Hotstar offers a mix of Disney+ and Indian content. Bollywood, local, sports, etc.
- Other Southeast Asian countries will follow the Disney+/Hotstar model.
- STAR and STAR+ will be the brand Disney uses outside of the US.
- STAR will be the 6th brand title in the Disney+ app, adding to the content available. Including local and regional content for each market.
- Price going up with the addition of STAR to reflect the additional content and value.
- Smart content filters will allow families to determine what sorts of content they want to block for viewers in their home.
- For Latin America, Star+ will be its own separate app. Including sports and original content. Launches June of 2021
- Lots of description of how the app works.
Kelly Campbell, President of HULU
- Rapid growth and a clear path toward profitability
- Hulu is the #1 streamer and the top 5 TV providers overall
- FX added to HULU
- ABC News is adding new exclusive content to HULU
- EXPN+ is being added as a channel on HULU so you don’t have to use a separate app! FINALLY. We wish they’d add Disney+ to HULU as well.
ESPN+ and Sports Content
- Growing fast. 92 of the top 100 most watched steaming items in 2019 were sports related
- ESPN is the #1 Sports brand in watch time and subscribers
- More college football being added
- ESPN morning show being added to discuss the previous day’s sports
- Peyton’s Places starring Peyton Manning on the way
New Disney TV and Movies Headed Your Way
Bob Iger, former Disney CEO, takes the stage in his new role in charge of content.
- Bob is now in charge of content creation at the company
- He is proud to have grown the company with acquisitions such as Marvel, Lucas Film, Pixar, and FOX, among others.
- Trying to create new content which reflects current times and diversity
- New content on the way that’s going to take some time to get through. Here we go . . .
Coming to Hulu and Stars
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- Only Murders in the Building
- The dropout
- DopeSick
- Nine Perfect Strangers
- Season 5 of The Handmaid’s Tale
- A Kardashians reality show coming to HULU
- Only Murders in the Building
Coming to FX
18 years of FX shows are now in one spot on Hulu.
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- 120% increase on FX views
- 4 more seasos of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia on the way.
- New Alien movie coming to FX. The action will take place on Earth!
- A retelling of Shogun is on the way.
Disney+ Content on the way
From LucasFilm:
- Kathleen Kennedy is thrilled with the Mandalorian’s success.
- Season 2 trailer looks action-packed as Mando attempts to get the Child back to the Jedi
- Still filming Mandalorian during the pandemic. Here’s an image of actual production:
- Using practical sets where possible so actors can be immersed in the environment instead of pretending on green screen.
- New Star Wars series – Andor – a spy drama based on the Rogue One film.
- Obi-Wan Kenobi live action on the way starring Ewan McGregor.
- The Bad Batch animated series.
- Star Wars Visions anime
- New Lando feature
- The Acolyte is a mystery thriller set in the era of the High Republic
- R2 and C3PO in a new show – A Droid Story.
- The return of Willow!!! It will be a series in 2022
- Indy returns! A final Indiana Jones will premiere in 2022. Harrison Ford himself will return
- A New Star Wars feature film is being written now. Star Wars Rogue Squadron will arrive at Christmas 2023
- And another Star Wars character to get her own show is Ahsoka Tano.
Coming to National Geographic
- 1500 hours of Nat Geo content now on Disney+
- New Disney+ National Geographic content on the way:
- Cousteau
- Genius profiles notable figures.
- Secrets of the Whales
- A Real Bugs Life
- Chris Hemsworth hosts “Limitless” – A show about the science of aging
- Will Smith hosts “Welcome to Earth“
- Cousteau
Disney+ Series
- The Simpsons are a top draw in all Disney+ markets.
- The Mighty Ducks are returning
- Turner and Hooch will be rebooted as a series
- The Big Shot
- Beauty and the Beast – The Prequel Series – with all new music
- Swiss Family Robinson series. Yep, you heard that right! Bring back the Swiss Family Treehouse, Disney!
- Percy Jackson and the Olympians the series (a top trending topic on social media when word leaked out)
- The Mysterious Benedict Society
- Hocus Pocus 2. The sequel is on the way at long last!!!
- Safety
- Three Men and a Baby starring Zac Efron
- Reboot of Cheaper by the Dozen
- Diary of a Wimpy Kid
- Flora and Ulysses
- Disney jumps on the “Ice Age” bandwagon with Adventures of Buck Wild
- The Jungle Cruise Movie
- Disney’s Lion King . . . again???
- The Little Mermaid live action
- Chip and Dale Rescue Rangers should spark some nostalgia.
- Night at the Museum as an animated film this time around.
- Pinocchio
- Peter Pan and Wendy
- Amy Adams returns in Disenchanted. This is a long-awaited sequel to the 2007 film, Enchanted.
- Sister Act returns
- Cruella – Emma Stone will play the titular role
Walt Disney Animation Studios
Here’s what’s new from Disney Animation.
- Raya and the Last Dragon – With time running out, can they rebuild their shattered world? With the help of a dragon, they just might.
Get your first look at the characters of Raya and the Last Dragon. Meet the street-savvy entrepreneur Boun and formidable giant Tong… pic.twitter.com/OsEZ4ybedw
— Disney Animation (@DisneyAnimation) December 11, 2020
- Disney Feature Animation’s first series for Disney+. Baymax the series! In early 2022.
- Zootopia+ is also on the way with a series of shorts
- Tiana will be a long-form musical production featuring Tiana and other characters.
- Moana the series in 2023.
- New African stories written and produced by African artists bring a long-form series called IWAJU “The Future”.
In a first-of-its-kind collaboration, Disney Animation and Pan-African entertainment company Kugali will team up to create an all-new, science fiction series coming to #DisneyPlus in 2022: Iwájú. Check out a first look at visual development art from the series. pic.twitter.com/9iuWFDr61T
— Disney Animation (@DisneyAnimation) December 11, 2020
- 60th Disney feature. A musical called Encanto. Music by Lin-Manuel Miranda!
This Fall, Walt Disney Animation Studios’ all-new film Encanto takes you to Colombia, where a magical family live in a magical home. Directed by Byron Howard and Jared Bush, co-directed and co-written by Charise Castro Smith, and music written by Lin-Manuel Miranda. pic.twitter.com/bdxag3SzPv
— Disney Animation (@DisneyAnimation) December 11, 2020
PIXAR
Pete Doctor introduces the upcoming projects.
- Pixar’s 23rd feature film is Soul. Which will be skipping theaters for Disney+ on Christmas Day.
- New Sparkshorts
- Inside Pixar new episodes
- Popcorn
- Doug Days follows the adorable dog from Pixar’s UP
- All-new Cars series
- Win or Lose a long-form series for Disney+
- Feature Film LUCA
- Turning Red – about a tween who turns into a red panda when stressed.
- Lightyear – Buzz Lightyear was a toy based upon an unseen science fiction film. Lightyear creates that film! Chris Evans will voice Buzz Lightyear instead of Tim Allen.
Marvel
- Wanda Vision
- Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
- The Falcon and the Winter Soldier
- Black Widow
- Loki – TV series for Disney+
- What If…? Marvel animated series for Disney+
- Shang-Chi – Film headed to theaters.
- Ms. Marvel –
- The Eternals – releasing 2021
- Hawkeye
- She Hulk – a comedy series
- Moon Knight
- Iron Heart
- Armor Wars
- Secret Invasion
- The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special
- I AM Groot
- Thor: Love and Thunder
- Blade
- Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.
- In honor of Chadwick Bosman, the role of Black Panther will not be recast
- July 8th, 2022 Black Panther 2 will be released
Disney Financials – 2020
- Two business units going forward: Disney Media and Entertainment; and Disney Parks, Experiences and Products. Unfortunately, Disney is ONLY telling us about the Disney Media and Entertainment division today.
- Approximately 30% of Disney+’s subscribers are from Hotstar or Star
- In Latin America, consumers can choose Disney+, STAR+, or a Bundle of the two.
- Disney+ is approximately 4 years ahead of schedule on the number of subscribers
- By the end of 2024 Disney+ projects 230 – 260 MILLION subscribers
- Disney will increase Disney+ in March of 2021 by $1.
- Disney+ expected to reach profitability in fiscal 2024
- Hulu is expected to have between 50 and 60 million subscribers in fiscal 2024
- ESPN+ 20-30 million subscribers by fiscal 2024.
- ESPN+ is expected to reach profitability by 2023
- Disney streaming could cost as much as 16 BILLION per year
- Disney expects a combined 300-350 million subscribers by fiscal 2024
- Disney has great confidence in its streaming business unit.
NOTES
- Disney focused on the positives of their new golden child, streaming
- Disney appears poised to kill conventional theaters by streaming many features and skipping traditional theaters, others may debut at the same time in theaters and on Disney’s own streaming platforms.
- There was very little mention of the current hardships for the company
- Disney Parks and Resorts, as well as consumer products, were completely ignored
Well folks, this has been a long day for us. We’ve been writing, posting, and updating for six and a half hours. What did you see above that looks interesting to you?
