Everything you need to know about Disney, ESPN, and Bob Iger’s return as CEO

ESPN is testing an AI-generated avatar pinch the Saturday assemblage shot show SEC Nation. Dubbed FACTS, it’s going to beryllium “...promoting acquisition and nosy astir sports analytics” pinch accusation drawn from ESPN Analytics, which includes information for illustration the Football Power Index (FPI), subordinate and squad statistics, and crippled schedules. We haven’t seen the avatar successful action, but it sounds for illustration a bot-ified type of stats encyclopedia Howie Schwab, who was ESPN’s first statistician and yet the prima of a mid-2000s crippled show, Stump the Schwab.

ESPN has already brought generative AI to its website pinch AI-written crippled recaps. FACTS is still successful development, and there’s nary connection connected erstwhile it could make its first quality connected the network.

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Disney made money disconnected its streaming business for the 2nd clip successful a row. During Q4 2024, profit from Disney Plus, Hulu, and ESPN Plus soared to $321 million, up from $47 cardinal past quarter.

During an net telephone connected Thursday, Disney CEO Bob Iger said astir 60 percent of each caller subscribers are choosing Disney Plus’ ad-supported plan. Meanwhile, 37 percent of full subscribers successful the US are presently subscribed to the option, which has go a awesome gross driver for streaming services.

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There’s a caller streaming bundle coming to town. Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery are teaming up to offer Disney Plus, Hulu, and Max successful a bundle that will go disposable successful the US this summer.

The caller bundle will see some ad-supported and ad-free options, but there’s still nary connection connected really overmuch it will cost. Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery opportunity they will stock “additional details” astir the bundle successful the “coming months.” Once available, you’ll beryllium capable to acquisition the bundle from Disney Plus, Hulu, aliases Max’s website.

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Disney Plus and Hulu posted a profit for the first clip today. In Disney’s earnings report released connected Tuesday, the institution revealed that some streaming services made $47 cardinal mixed this past 4th — a immense turnaround from the $587 cardinal nonaccomplishment reported astatine the aforesaid clip past year.

But Disney’s streaming business wasn’t wholly profitable. ESPN Plus still mislaid $65 million, dragging its mixed streaming net $18 cardinal successful the red. Despite this, the narrowing losses people a immense milestone for Disney arsenic it continues to put much successful streaming. The intermezo institution says it expects its streaming business to go profitable successful the 4th fourth of this year.

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The revamped Disney Plus app could soon characteristic always-on channels dedicated to Star Wars and Marvel shows, according to a report from The Information. The channels, which are reportedly akin to those connected free ad-supported streaming services for illustration Pluto aliases Tubi, could take distant the choice erstwhile it comes to picking retired what to watch next.

In summation to Star Wars and Marvel series, Disney’s lineup of channels could characteristic stations that continuously watercourse Disney’s classical animated films aliases movies from Pixar, The Information reports. Even though viewers would request a Disney Plus subscription to tune successful to the channels, they will apt still incorporate ads — conscionable for illustration accepted television.

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Disney Plus already has rules successful spot to forestall subscribers from sharing their passwords — but now we person an thought erstwhile it will commencement making users salary to stock them. In an question and reply connected CNBC, Disney CEO Bob Iger says the institution plans connected “launching our first existent foray into password sharing” successful June.

Iger says the rollout will commencement successful “just a fewer countries successful a fewer markets” earlier expanding to each subscribers successful September. Disney’s anti-password sharing rules initially went into effect for caller subscribers connected January 25th and were rolled retired to existing members connected March 14th. Netflix became the first streaming work to ace down connected password sharing successful 2023, arsenic it began charging users an other $7.99 per period to adhd an other spectator extracurricular their household.

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Disney has been hinting astatine immoderate large changes successful the Disney Plus branding. In caller days, tons of users checked their TV, tablet, aliases telephone to find the streaming app had a caller logo — the iconic Disney bluish replaced by a glowing greenish background. The caller logo has been controversial: immoderate group spot it arsenic a needless simplification of a acquainted design; immoderate group admit that it doesn’t look for illustration each different streaming service; immoderate group find themselves wondering if the colour really changed aliases if they’ve conscionable been looking astatine their TV incorrect each this time.

Well, it did change. Permanently. That caller greenish colour is called “Aurora,” some successful tribute to the aurora borealis and the protagonist of Sleeping Beauty. (I don’t retrieve overmuch of this greenish colour successful that movie, but whatever.) It’s meant to beryllium a operation of Disney bluish and Hulu greenish — here’s a really nosy heavy dive into the nonstop alchemy of said operation — arsenic Hulu becomes a portion Disney Plus.

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As of today, Hulu is portion of Disney Plus. Hulu still exists — it still moreover has its ain app — but it’s besides being bundled into Disney’s superior streaming work alongside each the company’s different content. Even the Disney Plus logo changed to merge that iconic greenish Hulu hue.

From a merchandise perspective, the Hulu integration is astir what you’d imagine. Hulu is now a tile wrong the app, adjacent to Marvel and Pixar and National Geographic and the rest. The value hasn’t changed; it’s still US-only, and the app’s not going away. Hulu shows and movies will besides show up successful hunt results and recommendations; if you’re subscribed to Hulu, you’ll get everything seamlessly, and if you’re not, the app will effort to person you to motion up. Disney has been beta-testing this for months, and it useful good — it tin beryllium somewhat confusing to fig retired what’s “a Hulu thing,” whereas “a Pixar thing” is overmuch easier to define, but there’s thing shockingly caller aliases confusing here. It’s conscionable Hulu wrong of Disney Plus.

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How Marvel plans to introduce the Fantastic Four to the MCU is still unclear, but erstwhile Reed Richards shows up, he’s going to look a batch for illustration Pedro Pascal.

Along pinch an announcement astir its Thunderbolts movie being bumped to May 2nd, 2025, Marvel revealed coming that it has yet recovered the stars who will represent the Fantastic Four. Though John Krasinski has already portrayed 1 incarnation of Reed Richards successful Doctor Strange successful the Multiverse of Madness, Pascal is group to represent the characteristic successful the Fantastic Four, where he’ll beryllium joined by Vanessa Kirby arsenic Sue Storm / the Invisible Woman, Joseph Quinn arsenic Johnny Storm / the Human Torch, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach arsenic Ben Grimm / the Thing.

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Disney and Fortnite shaper Epic Games are teaming up to build what’s being described arsenic an “expansive and unfastened games and intermezo universe.” As portion of the announcement, Disney revealed that it is investing $1.5 cardinal successful an equity liking successful Epic.

Details connected what this metaverse-like project will look for illustration are sparse, but here’s really Disney explains it:

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Warner Bros. Discovery is preparing to motorboat a streaming work successful business pinch ESPN / Disney and Fox Sports, arsenic reported earlier by CNBC and Sports Business Journal. All 3 companies person agreed successful rule to motorboat an as-yet-unnamed standalone app, of which they each stock one-third ownership, this autumn that streams a scope of leagues and sports.

It is poised to person sports networks including ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, SECN, ACCN, ESPNews, ABC, FOX, FS1, FS2, BTN, TNT, TBS, and truTV. The caller work will aerial games from the National Football League (NFL), Major League Baseball (MLB), the National Basketball Association (NBA), and the National Hockey League (NHL), on pinch NASCAR, PGA Tour Golf, Grand Slam Tennis, and more. Disney Plus, Hulu, and Max users will besides get the action to bundle the caller service.

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The writing’s been connected the wall for months now, but Disney Plus is yet implementing measures to support US subscribers from sharing their passwords pinch group who aren’t paying for the service.

Today, Disney Plus began sending retired emails informing subscribers astir caller changes to its position of work that will, among different things, make it harder for group to entree the work utilizing log-in credentials that aren’t really theirs. The updated position travel a fewer months aft Disney Plus implemented akin measures for its Canadian subscribers and conscionable days aft Hulu sent retired akin notices to users astir changes to its ain TOS and its plans to extremity password sharing successful the coming weeks.

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Apple and Disney announced that the Vision Pro will person 3D contented from Disney Plus astatine launch, while Disney Plus subscribers will get typical animated screening environments to travel them. Other apps announced pinch Vision Pro support see ESPN, MLB, PGA Tour, Max, Discovery Plus, Amazon Prime Video, Paramount Plus, Peacock, Pluto TV, Tubi, Fubo, Crunchyroll, Red Bull TV, IMAX, TikTok, and MUBI. A notable omission from the database is Netflix; however, executives person antecedently said that the existing app will activity unmodified connected Apple’s caller headset.

The announcement lists immoderate of the movies that will beryllium successful 3D, and naturally, Avatar: The Way of Water is among them. But Vision Pro owners will besides get 3D versions of movies for illustration Avengers: Endgame, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and Encanto.

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