MAM
Disney reports 14 % revenue growth
MUMBAI: Despite the fact that it suffered major losses on the theatrical front with films like The Alamo failing badly at the box office and the fact that it sold most of its retail outlets in the US, Disney has still managed to record a 14 per cent year-on-year increase in revenue for the fiscal ended 30 September 2004.
Revenues increased to just under $ 31 billion ($ 30.752 billion) from $ 27.061 billion in the previous year. For the fourth quarter there was marginal growth of eight per cent to $ 7.5 billion.
For the year, Disney had to face restructuring and impairment charges ($64 million or $0.02 per share) in connection with the earlier mentioned sale of its stores in North America.
Media Networks revenues for the year increased eight per cent to $11.8 billion, and operating income increased by as much as 79 per cent to $2.2 billion. For the quarter, revenues increased 10 per cent to $2.9 billion and segment operating income increased 50 per cent to $448 million from $298 million in the prior year.
The rise in operating income was due to a much stronger performance at ESPN as a result of higher affiliate and advertising revenues and lower NFL rights amortisation. ABC managed to increase ad revenue. There were also increases at the domestic and international Disney Channels driven by higher affiliate revenue. In India Disney will launch three channels next year.
Studio Entertainment revenue for the year increased by 18 per cent to $8.7 billion and segment operating income increased by seven per cent to $662 million. However for the quarter, revenues decreased by 14 per cent to $1.9 billion and operating income decreased to a low of $23 million from $205 million in the prior-year quarter.
The disappointing theatrical motion picture distribution revenues reflected the weak performance of films like Home on the Range, The Alamo and King Arthur . Last year, there were two huge hits Finding Nemo and Pirates of the Caribbean.
In the consumer products division revenues for the year increased seven per cent to $2.5 billion and segment operating income increased by 39 per cent to $534 million.
Disney CEO Michael Eisner added, “By any measure, 2004 was an outstanding year for The Walt Disney Company. All three of our core financial measures – cash flow, earnings per share and return on invested capital – showed strong growth, and we increased our operating income at each of our operating segments demonstrating the balanced nature of the company’s performance.
“As we begin the new fiscal year, our focus remains on delivering long-term value to our shareholders through the continued creation of the kind of outstanding content that widens the global appeal of our great existing brands and helps build exciting new ones.”
Digital
Content India 2026 opens with a copro pitch, a spice evangelist and a £10,000 prize for Indian storytelling
Dish TV and C21Media’s three-day summit puts seven ambitious projects before an international jury, and two walk away with serious development money
MUMBAI: India’s content industry gathered in Mumbai this March for Content India 2026, a three-day summit organised by Dish TV in partnership with C21Media, and it wasted no time making a statement. The event opened with a Copro Pitch that put seven scripted and unscripted television concepts before an international panel of judges, and by the end of it, two projects had walked away with £10,000 each in marketing prize money from C21Media to support development and international promotion.
The jury, comprising Frank Spotnitz, Fiona Campbell, Rashmi Bajpai, Bal Samra and Rachel Glaister, evaluated a shortlist that ranged from a dark Mumbai comedy-drama about mental health (Dirty Minds, created by Sundar Aaron) to a Delhi coming-of-age mystery (Djinn Patrol, by Neha Sharma and Kilian Irwin), a techno-thriller about a teenage gaming prodigy (Kanpur X Satori, by Suchita Bhatia), an investigative crime drama blending mythology and modern thriller (The Age of Kali, by Shivani Bhatija), a documentary on India’s spice heritage (The Masala Quest, hosted by Sarina Kamini), a documentary on competitive gaming (Respawn: India’s Esports Revolution, by George Mangala Thomas and Sangram Mawari), and a reality-horror competition merging gaming and immersive fear (Scary Goose, by Samar Iqbal).
The session was hosted by Mayank Shekhar.
The two winners were Djinn Patrol, backed by Miura Kite, formerly of Participant Media and known for Chinatown and Keep Sweet: Pray & Obey, with Jaya Entertainment, producers of Real Kashmir Football Club, also attached; and The Masala Quest, created and hosted by Sarina Kamini, an Indian-Australian cook, author and self-described “spice evangelist.”
The summit also unveiled the Content India Trends Report, whose findings made for bracing reading. Daoud Jackson, senior analyst at OMDIA, set the tone: “By 2030, online video in India will nearly double the revenue of traditional TV, becoming the main driver of growth.” He noted that in 2025, India produced a quarter of all YouTube videos globally, overtaking the United States, while Indians collectively spend 117 years daily on YouTube and 72 years on Instagram. Traditional subscription TV is declining as free TV and connected TV gain ground, forcing broadcasters to innovate. “AI-generated content is just 2 per cent of engagement,” Jackson added, “highlighting the dominance of high-quality human content. The key for Indian media companies is scaling while monetising effectively from day one.”
Hannah Walsh, principal analyst at Ampere Analysis, added hard numbers to the picture. India produced over 24,000 titles in January 2026 alone, with 19,000 available internationally. The country now accounts for 12 per cent of Asia-Pacific content spend, up from 8 per cent in 2021, outpacing both Japan and China. Key exporters include JioStar, Zee Entertainment, Sony India, Amazon and Netflix, delivering over 7,500 Indian-produced titles abroad each year. The top importing markets are Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt, the United States and the Philippines. Scripted content dominates globally at 88 per cent, with crime dramas and children’s and family titles performing particularly strongly.
Manoj Dobhal, chief executive and executive director of Dish TV India, framed the summit’s ambition squarely. “Stories don’t need translation. They need a platform, discovery, and reach, local or global,” he said. “India produces more movies than any country, our streaming platforms compete globally, and our tech and creators win international awards. Yet fragmentation slows growth. Producers, platforms, and tech move in different lanes. We need shared spaces, collaboration, and an ecosystem where ideas, technology, and people meet. That is why we built Content India.”
The data, the pitches and the prize money all pointed to the same conclusion: India is not waiting for the world to discover its stories. It is building the infrastructure to sell them.
