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
WBD sets April 23 vote on $110bn Paramount Skydance merger
Investor approval key step, but regulators loom over mega media deal
NEW YORK: Warner Bros. Discovery has set April 23 as the date for shareholders to vote on its proposed $110 billion merger with Paramount Skydance, marking a crucial step in one of the biggest media deals in recent years.
The all-cash transaction offers WBD shareholders $31 per share, a hefty 147 per cent premium to its unaffected stock price, signalling strong intent to push the deal across the finish line. The company’s board has unanimously backed the merger and is urging investors to vote in favour.
Even if shareholders give the green light, the deal is far from done. Regulators in the United States and Europe are expected to scrutinise the merger closely, weighing concerns around competition and potential price impacts for consumers.
To keep investors on side, WBD has built in a safety net. If the deal is not completed by September 30, shareholders will receive a quarterly “ticking fee” of $0.25 per share until closure.
The proposed merger would significantly reshape the media landscape, combining the assets of Warner Bros. Discovery with those linked to Paramount Global and Skydance Media. It would also cement the growing influence of David Ellison, who has been steering Skydance’s aggressive expansion strategy.
“The WBD Board has been guided by the singular principle of securing a transaction that maximises the value of our iconic assets and delivers as much certainty as possible to our shareholders,” said Warner Bros. Discovery board chair Samuel A. Di Piazza Jr.. “This historic transaction will expand consumer choice and create new opportunities for creative talent.”
Warner Bros. Discovery chief executive officer David Zaslav added that the company is working closely with its counterpart to close the deal and unlock value for stakeholders.
With investor backing likely but regulatory hurdles ahead, the proposed merger is shaping up to be a defining moment for the global entertainment industry, where scale, content and competition are increasingly intertwined.
