Hollywood
Disney’s film studios clock over $6.5 billion at the global box office: Q3 results
CALIFORNIA: The Walt Disney Company posted a robust start to fiscal 2026, with chief executive Bob Iger and chief financial officer Hugh Johnston pointing to blockbuster films, accelerating streaming momentum and record sports viewership as key drivers of first-quarter performance.
In an executive commentary on Monday, the duo said recent achievements reflected “tremendous progress” in strengthening the company and positioning its businesses for long-term growth.
Disney’s film studios delivered more than $6.5 billion at the global box office in calendar year 2025, marking its third biggest year ever and its ninth time as the world’s top studio in a decade. Two recent releases: Zootopia 2 and Avatar: Fire and Ash, each crossed the $1 billion mark globally.
The company said 37 of the 60 films worldwide to surpass $1 billion in box-office takings have come from Disney studios, four times more than any rival. The success of branded franchises also lifted viewership on Disney plus and drove footfall at theme parks.
Zootopia 2 emerged as the highest-grossing Hollywood film ever in China, earning over $630 million to date, while boosting attendance at the Zootopia-themed land at Shanghai Disneyland.
Across television and streaming, Disney dominated audience charts. Seven of the ten most-watched shows of 2025 streamed on Disney plus or Hulu, according to Nielsen, with Bluey retaining its crown as the most-streamed series in the US for a second year, clocking 45 billion minutes viewed. ABC led US broadcast television among adults aged 18–49, with hits including High Potential, Abbott Elementary and Dancing with the Stars.
Streaming remained a strategic growth engine, with Disney highlighting international expansion, investment in local content and a wave of product enhancements on Disney plus. The company is rolling out new advertising technology, including AI-powered planning tools, and plans to introduce a curated slate of Sora-generated content following a licensing agreement with OpenAI.
In sports, ESPN tightened its grip as the industry leader, capturing more than 30 per cent of total sports viewership across networks. The quarter saw ESPN’s strongest college football regular season since 2011, while ABC delivered its best season since 2006. The College Football National Championship drew 30.1 million viewers, becoming the second most-watched cable event ever.
Monday Night Football recorded its second-highest audience in two decades, with Disney’s NFL divisional game attracting 38 million viewers, the most watched event in the company’s history.
Disney also expanded ESPN’s rights portfolio, signing a new three-year Major League Baseball deal that makes ESPN the exclusive distributor of MLB.TV. In January, the company closed its acquisition of NFL Network and associated media assets, including linear rights to NFL RedZone.
The launch of ESPN Unlimited marked a further push into direct-to-consumer sports streaming, with the company reporting strong early adoption and engagement.
Meanwhile, Disney’s Experiences division continued to ramp up expansion. Next month will see the opening of World of Frozen at the revamped Disney Adventure World in Disneyland Paris, nearly doubling the size of the resort’s second park.
New attractions tied to Bluey, Toy Story 5 and The Mandalorian and Grogu are also in development across Disney’s parks.
In cruise tourism, Disney recently launched the Disney Destiny, while the Disney Adventure: its first ship based in Asia, is set for its maiden voyage from Singapore on 10 March. The fleet will rise to eight ships, with five more planned beyond fiscal 2026.
Iger and Johnston said the quarter reflected disciplined execution and strategic investment across Disney’s core growth pillars, setting the company on a clear path for sustained expansion.
Hollywood
Disney sells out ad slots for 98th Oscars broadcast
Strong demand for live events turns the Academy Awards into a global, multi-platform marketing moment
NEW YORK: Hollywood’s biggest night has also become one of advertising’s hottest tickets. Disney has sold out all advertising inventory for the 98th Oscars, underscoring the growing demand from brands eager to ride the cultural wave of major live events.
The sell-out marks the sixth consecutive live tentpole success for Disney Advertising. The streak includes last year’s 97th Oscars, the 59th Annual CMA Awards, and Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest, signalling strong appetite among marketers for moments that bring audiences together in real time.
For advertisers, the Oscars are no longer just a single night of glitz and gold statues. Disney’s “Content Everywhere” strategy has expanded the awards show into a sprawling, multi-platform brand playground spanning linear television, streaming, social media and digital content.
“Live continues to be one of the most powerful ways for brands to connect with engaged audiences at scale, and the Oscars represent the very best of culture, creativity and community,” said Disney Advertising SVP, entertainment and streaming solutions John Campbell. He added that the company has reshaped the show’s commercial potential into a connected experience that stretches well beyond the broadcast.
Brands such as Mazda, Pfizer and Volkswagen of America are tapping into Disney’s wider ecosystem, appearing across original content segments including Know Your Movies on Hulu and Critically Acclaimed on Disney+. Partnerships also extend to social media through TikTok Pulse Premiere and to custom brand storytelling created by Disney CreativeWorks.
The result is what Disney calls the “Oscars Everywhere” approach. Rather than a few high-profile ad breaks, advertisers now find themselves woven through a series of moments before, during and after the ceremony.
These include On The Red Carpet at The Oscars, a live pre-show syndicated across major local markets and streamed nationwide, and the After the Oscars Show, which keeps the conversation going once the final award has been handed out.
This year’s sponsors include Rolex, returning for its ninth year, and Burger King, which joins the Oscars advertiser roster for the first time. Other brands in the mix include Disney Cruise Line, Dunkin’, Eli Lilly and Company, Eucerin, Intuit TurboTax, L’Oréal, McDonald’s, Microsoft, Miebo, Paris Baguette, Peacock, Starbucks, State Farm, Toyota and Verizon.
The 98th Oscars will take place on March 15, 2026, at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood. The ceremony will be broadcast live on ABC and streamed on Hulu, reaching audiences in more than 200 territories worldwide.
