98th Academy Awards Viewership Hits Record Low
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: 1 hour ago
0mins
Should l Buy DIS?
Source: seekingalpha
- Viewership Decline: The 98th Academy Awards attracted 17.86 million viewers on ABC and Hulu, marking a drop of over 9% from last year's 19.69 million, representing the lowest viewership since 2022 and breaking a three-year recovery trend.
- Strong Digital Engagement: Despite the decline in TV audiences, ABC reported a 42% increase in social media impressions to over 184 million, indicating that audience engagement remains robust on digital platforms, reflecting a shift from traditional TV to new media.
- Award Winners: The film 'One Battle After Another' won six awards, including Best Picture and Best Director, while 'Sinners' excelled with four awards, showcasing Warner Bros. Discovery's strong production capabilities.
- Future Transition: The Oscars are set to move from ABC to YouTube in 2029, indicating that the awards show is adapting to the trend of audiences shifting towards streaming and social media, which may further impact future viewership.
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Analyst Views on DIS
Wall Street analysts forecast DIS stock price to rise
19 Analyst Rating
16 Buy
3 Hold
0 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 100.300
Low
123.00
Averages
137.29
High
152.00
Current: 100.300
Low
123.00
Averages
137.29
High
152.00
About DIS
The Walt Disney Company is a diversified worldwide entertainment company. The Company's segments include Entertainment, Sports and Experiences. The Entertainment segment generally encompasses its non-sports focused global film and episodic content production and distribution activities. The lines of business within the Entertainment segment along with their business activities include Linear Networks, Direct-to-Consumer, and Content Sales/Licensing. The Sports segment encompasses its sports-focused global television and direct-to-consumer (DTC) video streaming content production and distribution activities. The lines of business within the Sports segment include ESPN and Star. The Experiences segment includes Parks and Experiences and Consumer Products. Parks and Experiences consists of Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, Disneyland Resort in California, Disney Cruise Line, and others. Consumer Products includes licensing of its trade names, characters, visual, literary and other IP.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
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- Future Growth Expectations: Management anticipates a 10% operating margin for this segment in fiscal 2026, implying that with a 10% revenue growth, combined operating income from Disney+ and Hulu could reach $2.7 billion, marking a significant turnaround from substantial losses just a few years ago.
- Experience Business Expansion: Disney's theme parks and cruise segment achieved a 33% operating margin in Q1 of fiscal 2026 and plans to expand its cruise fleet from eight to thirteen ships, showcasing immense potential and consistent revenue growth in its experiences division.
- Attractive Valuation: Disney shares are currently trading at a P/E ratio of 14.5, representing a 62% discount compared to Netflix, making the stock appealing despite a 50% decline in share price over the past five years, as the company's unique intellectual property and market position suggest strong investment potential over the next five years.
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98th Academy Awards Viewership Hits Record Low
- Viewership Decline: The 98th Academy Awards attracted 17.86 million viewers on ABC and Hulu, marking a drop of over 9% from last year's 19.69 million, representing the lowest viewership since 2022 and breaking a three-year recovery trend.
- Strong Digital Engagement: Despite the decline in TV audiences, ABC reported a 42% increase in social media impressions to over 184 million, indicating that audience engagement remains robust on digital platforms, reflecting a shift from traditional TV to new media.
- Award Winners: The film 'One Battle After Another' won six awards, including Best Picture and Best Director, while 'Sinners' excelled with four awards, showcasing Warner Bros. Discovery's strong production capabilities.
- Future Transition: The Oscars are set to move from ABC to YouTube in 2029, indicating that the awards show is adapting to the trend of audiences shifting towards streaming and social media, which may further impact future viewership.
See More
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- Experiences Division Potential: The experiences segment, including theme parks and cruises, achieved a 33% operating margin in Q1 of fiscal 2026, with consistent revenue growth over the years, highlighting its unique market position and competitive edge.
- Intellectual Property Advantage: Disney's extensive portfolio of valuable intellectual property allows for continuous creation of new experiences, making it difficult for competitors to replicate its success, thus ensuring long-term growth prospects for the company.
- Valuation Appeal: With a current P/E ratio of 14.5, Disney shares are available at a 62% discount compared to Netflix's 37.7, and despite market caution due to past stock performance, Disney's unique strengths position it as a potentially winning investment over the next five years.
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- Stock Performance Issues: Disney's stock closed at $91.80 in November 2022, and has only risen 9% over the past 41 months, while the S&P 500 has surged 69%, indicating relative weakness that could undermine investor confidence.
- Historical Lessons: Although former CEO Bob Iger turned streaming profitable in fiscal 2024, his inability to outperform the market led to two proxy battles, highlighting challenges in corporate governance and market trust.
- Managing Fan Expectations: New CEO Josh D'Amaro faces the high expectations of Disney fans, whose demands for theme park experiences and content are complex and often contradictory, making it a significant challenge that could impact the company's brand image.
- Acknowledging the Predecessor: Should D'Amaro achieve a new all-time high for Disney stock, it is suggested he thank former CEO Chapek to recognize his contributions to the company's growth, which could enhance internal culture and external perception.
See More
Disney's New CEO Faces Significant Challenges Ahead
- Stock Performance Issues: Disney's stock closed at $91.80 in November 2022, and has only risen 9% over the past 41 months, while the S&P 500 surged 69%, indicating relative weakness that could undermine investor confidence.
- Streaming Success: Despite challenges, former CEO Chapek's new streaming service thrived during his tenure, showcasing Disney's potential in digital content, which may lead to sustained revenue growth in the future.
- Increased Market Pressure: New CEO Josh D'Amaro takes over during the annual shareholder meeting, facing dual pressures from shareholders and fans, necessitating a balance between meeting fan expectations and achieving financial goals to avoid further stock declines.
- Historical Lessons: Former CEO Iger's success stemmed from turning streaming operations profitable, and D'Amaro must learn from his experience, particularly in navigating market fluctuations and shareholder expectations, to ensure Disney's long-term sustainability.
See More
Disney's Streaming Business Sees Major Profit Surge
- Streaming Profit Surge: Disney's direct-to-consumer streaming segment, including Disney+ and Hulu, reported operating income of $1.3 billion for fiscal 2025, an impressive 828% increase from $143 million the previous year, highlighting strong financial performance that attracts investor interest.
- Future Growth Expectations: Management anticipates a 10% operating margin for this segment in fiscal 2026, implying that with a 10% revenue growth, combined operating income from Disney+ and Hulu could reach $2.7 billion, marking a significant turnaround from substantial losses just a few years ago.
- Experience Business Expansion: Disney's theme parks and cruise segment achieved a 33% operating margin in Q1 of fiscal 2026 and plans to expand its cruise fleet from eight to thirteen ships, showcasing immense potential and consistent revenue growth in its experiences division.
- Attractive Valuation: Disney shares are currently trading at a P/E ratio of 14.5, representing a 62% discount compared to Netflix, making the stock appealing despite a 50% decline in share price over the past five years, as the company's unique intellectual property and market position suggest strong investment potential over the next five years.
See More
98th Academy Awards Viewership Hits Record Low
- Viewership Decline: The 98th Academy Awards attracted 17.86 million viewers on ABC and Hulu, marking a drop of over 9% from last year's 19.69 million, representing the lowest viewership since 2022 and breaking a three-year recovery trend.
- Strong Digital Engagement: Despite the decline in TV audiences, ABC reported a 42% increase in social media impressions to over 184 million, indicating that audience engagement remains robust on digital platforms, reflecting a shift from traditional TV to new media.
- Award Winners: The film 'One Battle After Another' won six awards, including Best Picture and Best Director, while 'Sinners' excelled with four awards, showcasing Warner Bros. Discovery's strong production capabilities.
- Future Transition: The Oscars are set to move from ABC to YouTube in 2029, indicating that the awards show is adapting to the trend of audiences shifting towards streaming and social media, which may further impact future viewership.
See More
Disney Stock Attracts Investor Attention
- Streaming Segment Strength: Disney's direct-to-consumer streaming segment reported operating income of $1.3 billion in fiscal 2025, an impressive 828% increase from the previous year, with expectations of a 10% operating margin in fiscal 2026, showcasing robust financial performance.
- Experiences Division Potential: The experiences segment, including theme parks and cruises, achieved a 33% operating margin in Q1 of fiscal 2026, with consistent revenue growth over the years, highlighting its unique market position and competitive edge.
- Intellectual Property Advantage: Disney's extensive portfolio of valuable intellectual property allows for continuous creation of new experiences, making it difficult for competitors to replicate its success, thus ensuring long-term growth prospects for the company.
- Valuation Appeal: With a current P/E ratio of 14.5, Disney shares are available at a 62% discount compared to Netflix's 37.7, and despite market caution due to past stock performance, Disney's unique strengths position it as a potentially winning investment over the next five years.
See More
Stocks Decline Amid Inflation Data and Oil Prices
- Market Reaction: Stocks tumbled on Wednesday due to hotter-than-expected wholesale inflation data and rising oil prices from the Middle East conflict, with Brent crude rebounding after Iran reported attacks on its energy facilities, creating a 'one-two punch' for the market.
- Amazon's Outlook: Amazon shares fell nearly 2% following CEO Andy Jassy's projection that AI will drive cloud computing revenues to $600 billion in a decade, exceeding previous estimates by over 50%, which may lead to increased near-term AI spending but is a strategic long-term decision to boost Amazon Web Services sales.
- Starbucks Rating Downgrade: RBC Capital downgraded Starbucks from buy to hold, citing high investor expectations for revenue growth and a lack of visibility on cost savings, although Cramer described this as a 'hack downgrade,' asserting that the turnaround plan under CEO Brian Niccol remains on track.
- Rapid Fire Review: Cramer quickly reviewed stocks including Lululemon Athletica, General Mills, Williams-Sonoma, Constellation Brands, and Disney at the end of the video, emphasizing the trade alert mechanism for subscribers to the CNBC Investing Club, ensuring they receive notifications before trades are executed.
See More
Disney's New CEO Faces Challenges Ahead
- Stock Performance Issues: Disney's stock closed at $91.80 in November 2022, and has only risen 9% over the past 41 months, while the S&P 500 has surged 69%, indicating relative weakness that could undermine investor confidence.
- Historical Lessons: Although former CEO Bob Iger turned streaming profitable in fiscal 2024, his inability to outperform the market led to two proxy battles, highlighting challenges in corporate governance and market trust.
- Managing Fan Expectations: New CEO Josh D'Amaro faces the high expectations of Disney fans, whose demands for theme park experiences and content are complex and often contradictory, making it a significant challenge that could impact the company's brand image.
- Acknowledging the Predecessor: Should D'Amaro achieve a new all-time high for Disney stock, it is suggested he thank former CEO Chapek to recognize his contributions to the company's growth, which could enhance internal culture and external perception.
See More
Disney's New CEO Faces Significant Challenges Ahead
- Stock Performance Issues: Disney's stock closed at $91.80 in November 2022, and has only risen 9% over the past 41 months, while the S&P 500 surged 69%, indicating relative weakness that could undermine investor confidence.
- Streaming Success: Despite challenges, former CEO Chapek's new streaming service thrived during his tenure, showcasing Disney's potential in digital content, which may lead to sustained revenue growth in the future.
- Increased Market Pressure: New CEO Josh D'Amaro takes over during the annual shareholder meeting, facing dual pressures from shareholders and fans, necessitating a balance between meeting fan expectations and achieving financial goals to avoid further stock declines.
- Historical Lessons: Former CEO Iger's success stemmed from turning streaming operations profitable, and D'Amaro must learn from his experience, particularly in navigating market fluctuations and shareholder expectations, to ensure Disney's long-term sustainability.
See More
