YouTube Surpasses Disney as Largest Media Company
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Mar 11 2026
0mins
Should l Buy DIS?
Source: NASDAQ.COM
- Revenue Comparison: Analysts at MoffettNathanson estimate that YouTube's revenue reached $62 billion in 2025, surpassing Disney's $60 billion, marking a significant shift towards streaming platforms and highlighting the ongoing decline of traditional media.
- User Growth: YouTube has over 325 million paid subscribers and generated approximately $40.4 billion in ad revenue, showcasing its robust user base and profitability, which further solidifies its leadership position in the global media landscape.
- Challenges for Disney: Despite Disney achieving total revenue of $94.4 billion in 2025, a 3% year-over-year increase, the ongoing decline of its legacy media business pressures the company's performance, prompting management to implement cost-cutting and strategic adjustments.
- Investor Confidence: Disney's stock price has remained flat over the past decade and is down about 48% from its peak five years ago, leading investors to adopt a cautious outlook on its future performance, reflecting concerns over the transition in the traditional media sector.
Trade with 70% Backtested Accuracy
Stop guessing "Should I Buy DIS?" and start using high-conviction signals backed by rigorous historical data.
Sign up today to access powerful investing tools and make smarter, data-driven decisions.
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: 97.950
Low
123.00
Averages
137.29
High
152.00
Current: 97.950
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.
OpenAI Shutters Sora App, Restructures Strategy
- Closure of Sora App: OpenAI announced the shutdown of the Sora app, which achieved over one million downloads within five days of launch, reflecting the company's strategic retreat due to cost pressures amid its $730 billion valuation.
- Collaboration with Disney: Despite a three-year licensing agreement with Disney allowing users to create videos with over 200 characters, OpenAI's decision to exit the video generation space indicates a reevaluation of its future business direction.
- Shift in Strategic Focus: OpenAI is pivoting towards high-productivity enterprise applications, with CEO Fidji Simo emphasizing the need for the company to focus on execution, particularly in competition with rivals like Anthropic.
- Cost Control Measures: To maintain its valuation, OpenAI is cutting expenses, shelving ambitious projects, and planning to consolidate multiple applications into a single desktop super app, reflecting a reassessment of its future profitability model.
See More
Disney's New CEO Faces Significant Challenges Ahead
- Leadership Transition: After a decade of turmoil, Disney sees Bob Iger officially retire, with Josh D'Amaro stepping in as CEO; despite maintaining its lead in family entertainment, the stock has remained flat over the past decade, failing to match the S&P 500's tripling performance.
- Financial Performance: In fiscal 2025, Disney's experiences segment grew by 6% to $36.2 billion, reporting a $10 billion operating profit, which constitutes over half of the company's total profit, highlighting the strong cash flow from its theme parks, while the streaming business continues to erode traditional TV and box office revenues.
- Market Reaction: Despite a broader market rally following President Trump's decision to pause attacks on Iranian infrastructure, Disney's stock fell by 1.6%, indicating investor concerns about the company's future, particularly as the travel sector faces geopolitical pressures.
- Future Outlook: Disney aims for double-digit adjusted earnings per share growth in the current fiscal year; however, investor skepticism towards D'Amaro persists, and with the decline of linear TV and potential setbacks from geopolitical tensions, Disney may face a challenging year ahead.
See More
Disney Faces Challenges Amidst Market Fluctuations
- Stock Volatility: Despite easing tensions in Iran, Disney's stock fell 1.6% on Monday, indicating market concerns about its future performance, particularly as the travel sector faces pressure, suggesting a lack of investor confidence in its recovery.
- Business Transformation Pressure: After a decade of significant changes, Disney's streaming business has yet to replace profits from traditional media, resulting in the stock being nearly flat over the past ten years, reflecting the challenges the company faces during its transformation.
- Theme Park Revenue: In fiscal 2025, Disney's experiences business grew by 6% to $36.2 billion, with an operating profit of $10 billion, highlighting the theme parks' role as a major cash cow; however, future performance may be impacted by geopolitical factors, increasing business uncertainty.
- Management Transition: New CEO Josh D'Amaro takes over amid significant challenges, with investor skepticism about his ability to lead the company out of its difficulties; although the company targets double-digit adjusted earnings per share growth, market reactions suggest a lack of confidence in the management team.
See More
Alibaba's New Strategy in Animation Market
- User Data-Driven Creation: Alibaba's Youku animation team decides on storylines based on analysis of approximately 170 million user data, emphasizing audience preferences over traditional creative concepts, thereby enhancing viewer engagement and satisfaction.
- Popularity of 'Cang Yuan Tu': Since its debut in 2023, Youku's animated series 'Cang Yuan Tu' has attracted 9.9 million followers in China, making it the platform's most popular show, with a movie adaptation planned for 2027 to further expand its brand influence.
- Quality Production Enhancement: To meet the increasing viewer demands, Youku continuously raises the production quality of its animations by hiring better artists, aiming to match the detail level of Hollywood animated films, thus strengthening its competitive edge in the market.
- International Expansion Plans: Youku aims to promote 'Cang Yuan Tu' in Thailand and Vietnam, and is expanding its overseas market through an international streaming platform and a YouTube channel, showcasing its ambitions in the global animation market.
See More
FuboTV's Reverse Split Triggers Stock Price Volatility
- Stock Volatility: FuboTV's shares experienced a significant drop of 10.6% on Monday, ultimately closing down 3.6%, reflecting market concerns regarding its 1-for-12 reverse stock split aimed at maintaining compliance with exchange rules.
- Market Capitalization: With a market cap now at $399 million, FuboTV's combined entity generated $6.2 billion in revenue and $78 million in adjusted EBITDA over the past year, indicating potential value despite current market challenges.
- Subscriber Decline: Although year-over-year revenue grew by 6%, North American subscribers decreased from 6.3 million to 6.2 million, and international subscribers fell from 362,000 to 335,000, suggesting a weakening demand for streaming services in a competitive landscape.
- Investment Risks: FuboTV's low price-to-earnings and price-to-sales ratios position it as a potential deep-value pick for high-risk investors, yet the ongoing question remains whether consumers will continue to invest in costly sports streaming content amidst rising competition and expenses.
See More
WNBA's New CBA Boosts Player Salaries Significantly
- Salary Structure Transformation: The new CBA raises the average player salary to $583,000 by 2026, with projections exceeding $1 million by 2032, marking a significant advancement in female athletes' compensation and enhancing their economic standing.
- Maximum Salary Cap: The agreement sets the maximum salary at $1.4 million in 2026, potentially rising to $2.4 million by 2032, which is expected to retain top talent in the WNBA and reduce the trend of players seeking overseas opportunities.
- Impact on Career Choices: With improved salary structures, players will have greater flexibility in their off-season activities, as Ogwumike noted that linking salaries to business revenue will alter players' professional choices and lifestyles.
- Trust in League Leadership: Despite some players expressing dissatisfaction with WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert's communication, Ogwumike remains optimistic about collaboration under the new CBA, emphasizing the historical progress achieved through player and leadership cooperation.
See More
OpenAI Shutters Sora App, Restructures Strategy
- Closure of Sora App: OpenAI announced the shutdown of the Sora app, which achieved over one million downloads within five days of launch, reflecting the company's strategic retreat due to cost pressures amid its $730 billion valuation.
- Collaboration with Disney: Despite a three-year licensing agreement with Disney allowing users to create videos with over 200 characters, OpenAI's decision to exit the video generation space indicates a reevaluation of its future business direction.
- Shift in Strategic Focus: OpenAI is pivoting towards high-productivity enterprise applications, with CEO Fidji Simo emphasizing the need for the company to focus on execution, particularly in competition with rivals like Anthropic.
- Cost Control Measures: To maintain its valuation, OpenAI is cutting expenses, shelving ambitious projects, and planning to consolidate multiple applications into a single desktop super app, reflecting a reassessment of its future profitability model.
See More
Disney's New CEO Faces Significant Challenges Ahead
- Leadership Transition: After a decade of turmoil, Disney sees Bob Iger officially retire, with Josh D'Amaro stepping in as CEO; despite maintaining its lead in family entertainment, the stock has remained flat over the past decade, failing to match the S&P 500's tripling performance.
- Financial Performance: In fiscal 2025, Disney's experiences segment grew by 6% to $36.2 billion, reporting a $10 billion operating profit, which constitutes over half of the company's total profit, highlighting the strong cash flow from its theme parks, while the streaming business continues to erode traditional TV and box office revenues.
- Market Reaction: Despite a broader market rally following President Trump's decision to pause attacks on Iranian infrastructure, Disney's stock fell by 1.6%, indicating investor concerns about the company's future, particularly as the travel sector faces geopolitical pressures.
- Future Outlook: Disney aims for double-digit adjusted earnings per share growth in the current fiscal year; however, investor skepticism towards D'Amaro persists, and with the decline of linear TV and potential setbacks from geopolitical tensions, Disney may face a challenging year ahead.
See More
Disney Faces Challenges Amidst Market Fluctuations
- Stock Volatility: Despite easing tensions in Iran, Disney's stock fell 1.6% on Monday, indicating market concerns about its future performance, particularly as the travel sector faces pressure, suggesting a lack of investor confidence in its recovery.
- Business Transformation Pressure: After a decade of significant changes, Disney's streaming business has yet to replace profits from traditional media, resulting in the stock being nearly flat over the past ten years, reflecting the challenges the company faces during its transformation.
- Theme Park Revenue: In fiscal 2025, Disney's experiences business grew by 6% to $36.2 billion, with an operating profit of $10 billion, highlighting the theme parks' role as a major cash cow; however, future performance may be impacted by geopolitical factors, increasing business uncertainty.
- Management Transition: New CEO Josh D'Amaro takes over amid significant challenges, with investor skepticism about his ability to lead the company out of its difficulties; although the company targets double-digit adjusted earnings per share growth, market reactions suggest a lack of confidence in the management team.
See More
Alibaba's New Strategy in Animation Market
- User Data-Driven Creation: Alibaba's Youku animation team decides on storylines based on analysis of approximately 170 million user data, emphasizing audience preferences over traditional creative concepts, thereby enhancing viewer engagement and satisfaction.
- Popularity of 'Cang Yuan Tu': Since its debut in 2023, Youku's animated series 'Cang Yuan Tu' has attracted 9.9 million followers in China, making it the platform's most popular show, with a movie adaptation planned for 2027 to further expand its brand influence.
- Quality Production Enhancement: To meet the increasing viewer demands, Youku continuously raises the production quality of its animations by hiring better artists, aiming to match the detail level of Hollywood animated films, thus strengthening its competitive edge in the market.
- International Expansion Plans: Youku aims to promote 'Cang Yuan Tu' in Thailand and Vietnam, and is expanding its overseas market through an international streaming platform and a YouTube channel, showcasing its ambitions in the global animation market.
See More
FuboTV's Reverse Split Triggers Stock Price Volatility
- Stock Volatility: FuboTV's shares experienced a significant drop of 10.6% on Monday, ultimately closing down 3.6%, reflecting market concerns regarding its 1-for-12 reverse stock split aimed at maintaining compliance with exchange rules.
- Market Capitalization: With a market cap now at $399 million, FuboTV's combined entity generated $6.2 billion in revenue and $78 million in adjusted EBITDA over the past year, indicating potential value despite current market challenges.
- Subscriber Decline: Although year-over-year revenue grew by 6%, North American subscribers decreased from 6.3 million to 6.2 million, and international subscribers fell from 362,000 to 335,000, suggesting a weakening demand for streaming services in a competitive landscape.
- Investment Risks: FuboTV's low price-to-earnings and price-to-sales ratios position it as a potential deep-value pick for high-risk investors, yet the ongoing question remains whether consumers will continue to invest in costly sports streaming content amidst rising competition and expenses.
See More
WNBA's New CBA Boosts Player Salaries Significantly
- Salary Structure Transformation: The new CBA raises the average player salary to $583,000 by 2026, with projections exceeding $1 million by 2032, marking a significant advancement in female athletes' compensation and enhancing their economic standing.
- Maximum Salary Cap: The agreement sets the maximum salary at $1.4 million in 2026, potentially rising to $2.4 million by 2032, which is expected to retain top talent in the WNBA and reduce the trend of players seeking overseas opportunities.
- Impact on Career Choices: With improved salary structures, players will have greater flexibility in their off-season activities, as Ogwumike noted that linking salaries to business revenue will alter players' professional choices and lifestyles.
- Trust in League Leadership: Despite some players expressing dissatisfaction with WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert's communication, Ogwumike remains optimistic about collaboration under the new CBA, emphasizing the historical progress achieved through player and leadership cooperation.
See More
