Disney’s Multi-Platform Strategy Works
I’m on record as saying that Disney should spin off or sell its Linear Networks.
Yes, I’m including ESPN in that group even though I know how much Disney relies on it.
The reality is that the era of broadcast television has come and gone.
In this digital age, the overwhelming majority of people consume media via streaming.
Photo: Playbuzz.com
Or do they? Well, yes, but there’s a second argument to be made here, one based in fact.
Disney’s multi-platform strategy works. Nielsen just proved it. So, let’s discuss how.
Live Sports, Y’All
The other day, I wrote about why Disney pays a fortune for football.
Quite randomly, Nielsen posted this article a few days after I wrote that.
Photo: The Walt Disney Company
The gist is that Disney just claimed its best viewer performance in a calendar year. Here’s the quote:
“Disney added 1.2 share points and finished with 11.9% of total television viewing in January, nearly tying its Media Distributor Gauge best (12.0% in January 2025).”
Walt Disney Company
That timing shouldn’t be lost on you, as it’s not the least bit coincidental.
Disney performed better in January 2026 than it had at any point since January 2025.
Photo: Sporting News
What do those two months have in common? You guessed it! The answer is football.
Specifically, Disney’s various networks broadcasted plenty of playoff football.
Photo: D23
Some of it was college football, while others were NFL games. There was even an FCS championship.
And all of these broadcasts share a similarity: they earned jaw-dropping ratings.
Photo: Disney
Seriously, the Illinois State Redbirds/Montana State Cheaters championship game is the third-most-watched ever.
Meanwhile, THE most-watched FCS game ever was the Montana/Montana State semifinal. And that’s lower division football, folks! Disney’s run of SEC football was nothing short of mythic.
Similarly, all of ESPN’s conversation-based content peaked in January 2026 due to football.
Photo: Michael Vargo on LinkedIn
Not coincidentally, Disney claimed some of its best ratings ever, according to Nielsen.
The company managed an 11.9 percent market share, Disney’s second-best total to date..
Remarkably, more than one out of every nine active viewers were watching Disney in January.
Disney bested Netflix by 35 percent and fell behind only YouTube, who nobody can usually touch.
In January, the cap between YouTube and Disney was just five percent, though!
Disney’s Multi-Platform Strategy Works
Walt Disney Company
Whenever I discuss Disney, I’m evaluating the company at a specific moment in time.
So, what I say now may look ridiculous at a later date. Still, we can draw a simple conclusion from this data.
Walt Disney Company
Disney’s multi-platform strategy works, at least at this point in 2026.
Currently, Disney tries to find viewers wherever they are, a decision based on demographics. Corporate strategists have identified an odd phenomenon among Disney viewers.
The company may effectively target people of all age demographics with a unique platform.
Forbes
Currently, Disney utilizes its traditional media platforms – ABC, ESPN, and the like – for older viewers.
Simultaneously, the company targets younger viewers (and tech-forward people) via streaming.
NPR
One day soon, this house of cards will collapse, as the tide has turned against broadcast television.
As proof, Peacock reported that its 2026 Winter Olympics streaming viewership increased by 96 percent.
Photo:cnet.com
Meanwhile, Warner Bros. Discovery, which owns international rights, performed even better.
More people are consuming media than ever before, a point Nielsen also enumerates.
Nielsen
The Gauge notes that broadcast television had its best month since January 2025.
Conventional viewership reached 42.7 percent of viewers, which sounds good.
Image: The Wall Street Journal
Then, you look at streaming and see that it claimed 47 percent.
So, even when linear television delivers its best performance in a calendar year, streaming still beats it.
Nielsen
Still, I want to point out something else from the most recent update of The Gauge.
“ESPN alone saw an 82% monthly viewing uptick,” and was 10.5 percent of all cable viewing in January.
ESPN
Meanwhile, ESPN the app is gaining tons of sign-ups without siphoning viewership from the cable channel.
Disney is walking quite the tightrope here, but it’s working thus far.
This Week’s Streaming Ratings
Photo: Bluey.tv
Now that we’ve discussed the big picture, let’s sweat the small stuff for a moment.
Here are Disney’s streaming hits for the week of January 26th through February 1st:
Photo: Disney+
- Bluey – 958 million viewer minutes
- Grey’s Anatomy – 851 million viewer minutes
- Law & Order – 688 million viewer minutes
- Wonder Man – 618 million viewer minutes
- Family Guy – 602 million viewer minutes
That’s it. That’s the list. It was Disney’s worst performance on the Nielsen streaming charts in ages.
However, there is one kernel of hope here, and you should be able to guess which one.
No, it’s not Bluey, although, yeah, it’s always Bluey. After a brief lull, the show is trending upward again.
Photo: Disney
Since Bluey has been THE most streamed program for two straight years, that’s not a surprise.
Meanwhile, Wonder Man claims the pleasant but unexpected performance of the week.
Photo: Disney+
Now, I should couch this by mentioning that Disney+ simultaneously released all eight episodes.
So, that’s probably the performance the show will have, given that it debuted on January 27th.
Bluey asks Aunt Trixie to take off Muffin’s cone while Bingo and Mum watch on. (Credit: Disney Channel)
Still, I suspect Disney must be ecstatic with this performance, given the show’s struggles.
Wonder Man took forever to start filming and then sat on the shelf for two calendar years.
Photo: Marvel
I’ll never understand why, as it’s a phenomenal series with positive glowing reviews.
For whatever reason, Kevin Feige and his team benched it indefinitely, though.
Now that it has performed this well, buzz has grown about a potential season two.
Let’s just say that NOBODY was expecting that a year ago at this time.
Source: denofgeek.com
I hope Disney does it, though. Sir Ben Kingsley is having the time of his life playing Trevor Slattery.
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Feature Photo: NY Post
