Credit: DisneyThe Walt Disney Company recently announced a massively successful quarter, including more than $7 billion by Disney Parks & Experiences.
Disney CEO Bob Chapek– though criticized for many Disney Park decisions, like the inception of Disney Genie+ and Lightning Lane, as well as alleged treatment of Cast Members— was happy to report the earnings to shareholders and said that he believes this is just the beginning.
“We’ve had a very strong start to the fiscal year, with a significant rise in earnings per share, record revenue and operating income at our domestic parks and resorts, the launch of a new franchise with Encanto, and a significant increase in total subscriptions across our streaming portfolio to 196.4 million, including 11.8 million Disney+ subscribers added in the first quarter.
This marks the final year of The Walt Disney Company’s first century, and performance like this coupled with our unmatched collection of assets and platforms, creative capabilities, and unique place in the culture give me great confidence we will continue to define entertainment for the next 100 years.”
While many Disney fans typically think of the Disney Parks when talking about the company, there are also many massive media entities and platforms– including Disney+, ESPN, and ABC — that are a part of the Walt Disney Company.
As he looked forward to what’s next for The Walt Disney Company in the future, Chapek recently revealed more details about the future of the Walt Disney Co. during an interview with CNBC.
One of the details? Disney is currently in the midst of a bidding war for NFL Sunday Ticket and just recently offered $2.5 billion for the streaming platform.
For those who are unaware, NFL Sunday Ticket– currently operated by DirecTV– is the sole streaming provider of the National Football League. Anyone who subscribes to NFL Sunday Ticket is able to watch games from around the country, as long as they are not in their local market. Currently, FOX and CBS have cable deals to broadcast local market games.
Related: Super Bowl LVI Winners & Super Bowl MVP Heading To Disneyland Resort
If Disney were to gain the rights to NFL Sunday Ticket, this would mean that Disney would almost be the sole national provider of games for the league. Currently, only two companies ESPN– which is owned by Disney– and NBC– owned by Comcast– have rights to broadcast NFL games nationally. ESPN broadcasts Monday Night Football and NBC broadcasts Sunday Night Football.
NFL Sunday Ticket could mean a revenue stream of more than $2.5 billion per season for Disney, according to a report from Front Office Sports.
What do you think of Disney potentially purchasing NFL Sunday Ticket? Let us know in the comments.