Here’s the Early 2025 Disney News You May Have Missed
The Walt Disney Company threw a lot at us last week, but corporate executives did so in odd fashion.Disney’s fiscal earnings report for this quarter was an understated affair, with nobody particularly enthusiastic about being there.
Walt Disney Company
Still, we learned a lot about the company because we combed through the fine print.
So, here’s some early 2025 Disney news you may have missed.
The Disney Flywheel Is Running Optimally
(Photo by VALERIE MACON / AFP) (Photo by VALERIE MACON/AFP via Getty Images)
According to Disney, it became the first studio to cross $5 billion in box office in a year since the pandemic’s start.
In other words, Disney’s the first studio to do this since 2019, with the most recent studio being…Disney.
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Disney points to several titles as integral to its success. It’s the usual suspects like Moana 2, Inside Out 2, and Deadpool & Wolverine.
However, Disney also gloats a bit about Mufasa: The Lion King, a title the trades dismissed as a bomb after its opening weekend.
Photo: Disney
This prequel recently crossed $650 million at the box office and is an unqualified financial success.
I’ll level with you that I wouldn’t have taken that bet after opening weekend.
Photo: Disney
This isn’t the only vital part of the Disney Flywheel, though.
Disney points out the underlying significance of each strong film, utilizing Moana as an example.
Photo: Billboard
Because fans loved the original Moana so much, they’ve consumed one billion hours of their time streaming the film.
For two straight years, Moana was THE most-streamed movie on the internet, and Disney has taken advantage of its popularity.
Photo: Matt Stroshane/Disney
As a company release points out, The Tale of Moana anchors nighttime entertainment aboard the new ship, the Disney Treasure.
In addition, Disney notes that it streamed the four most popular programs of the year: Bluey, Bob’s Burgers, Family Guy, and Grey’s Anatomy.
Photo: Ludo Studios
We previously discussed this fact, but Disney’s highlighting it to make a point.
For a couple of years, streaming was allegedly the company’s chief vulnerability. Now, it’s a pure strength.
Walt Disney Company
That’s a sure sign that the modern version of the Disney Flywheel, the digital one, is running optimally.
The Next Step Is ESPN
Photo: ESPN
After years of struggling, ESPN just experienced a tumultuous but stellar 2024.
There was behind-the-scenes drama in a couple of instances. Viewers didn’t care, though.
Families Streaming Disney+
We’ve learned during the streaming era that live sports remains a constant in life.
People like me crave sporting events and will watch pretty much anything. Seriously, did you know I’m a curling addict?
Well, it turns out that society has a lot more Davids than the Constitution should allow.
Photo: ESPN
We know this because ESPN’s live sports ratings have been universally up for everything but the NBA and MLB lately.
Women’s college basketball ratings have soared to a point no media analyst would have believed possible five years ago.
Photo: ESPN
As for the NBA, ESPN even catches a break there, as sometimes, GMs lose their ever-loving minds.
You can safely expect NBA ratings to creep up over the next few months as Los Angeles welcomes its next superstar.
Photo: Disney
But ESPN has faced a not-so-hidden problem all along. It’s been a cable service since its inception.
We’ve reached a stage now where cord-cutters are no longer the problem; it’s cord-nevers.
Disney Reveals Its New ESPN Plan
Photo: Hulu
These folks have never even watched cable and are only barely aware of what it is.
Disney needs such consumers watching ESPN as well. So, it must go find them.
Photo: Disney
Much of Disney’s current media strategy relies on enticing this next generation of consumers to love ESPN, too.
As Disney just revealed, Disney+ (!) will prove integral to this endeavor.
Photo: Yesterland
The streaming service has already added some ESPN+ content for free, which makes me wonder why I’m paying for ESPN+.
Executives don’t worry about potentially disgruntled customers like me. We’re the addicts.
ESPN
Disney needs the casuals, and its plan relies on ESPN Flagship, the vastly superior replacement for ESPN+.
This product will be the streaming version of ESPN, offering all the same content, including live sports.
Image: Disney
You can expect to hear more about ESPN Flagship, well, everywhere because it matters that much to the Disney Flywheel.
The movie studio markets all its products via live sports, as demonstrated with Disney’s Super Bowl ads.
Photo: Also Variety
Disney executives recently indicated that variants of ESPN Flagship content would be available in other places.
CEO Bob Iger’s plan calls for ESPN to reach consumers of all price points to ensure the Flywheel keeps spinning.
Photo: ESPN
So, Disney+ will soon offer ESPN Flagship content, and that’s not all.
Sports Center, the anchor program on ESPN, will air an exclusive version called SC+ on Disney+.
Photo: English Jargon
The sole purpose of this show is to train Disney+ subscribers to expect ESPN content on the streaming service.
Once that process begins in earnest, Disney will have consolidated Hulu, ESPN Flagship, and Disney+ on “one app.”
Photo: Disney
At that moment, Disney will have fully converted from the cable/network television model of the 1990s to its digital future.
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Feature Photo: Disney
