Disney will invest $1 billion in OpenAI and allow Sora users to create short-form videos featuring more than 200 Disney, Pixar, Marvel, and Star Wars characters. User-generated material opens a new potential spigot of low-cost content for Disney+, which is under increased pressure to compete with YouTube. The move marks a major shift for a conglomerate that has historically held its IP close to the chest.

Disney is moving toward a long-awaited CEO transition, aiming to name Bob Iger’s successor in early 2026 after years of instability. Top internal contenders Josh D’Amaro and Dana Walden have already presented long-range strategies, with the winner set to shadow Iger until his contract ends. The next chief will inherit rising streaming expectations, a $60 billion global parks expansion, and the challenge of reviving major film franchises while managing the decline of linear TV. EMARKETER data shows Disney+ and Hulu subscription revenues will keep rising through 2027, but with slowing growth—raising the stakes for a leader who can execute creatively and operationally.

Target teams up with Disney on a new bedding collection: The expansion of its Pillowfort private-label line should help drive sales and brand loyalty.

Marvel falters while Neon surges: The weekend box office numbers might come down to marketing.

Kraft Heinz expects US consumers’ trade-down behaviors to linger into 2025: The CPG company hopes to offset private labels’ rise with pop-culture partnerships, new products, and increased distribution in dollar and club stores.

Disney has a youth problem: YouTube is increasingly the destination for children's content, which doesn't bode well for the House of Mouse.

On today's podcast episode, we discuss what a completely Walt Disney Co.-owned Hulu will look like, if the entertainment giant has a Marvel problem, and whether Disney+ can ever rival Netflix for the subscriber crown. "In Other News," we talk about why Roku's revenues and streaming hours are doing particularly well and why Warner Bros. Discovery's ad revenues and subscriber growth are not. Tune in to the discussion with our vice president of content Paul Verna.

Disney adapts to industry challenges: House of Mouse emphasizes ESPN's sports offerings and nonscripted content at upfronts.

Film and TV companies are expanding into video games: Whether it’s mobile games, mid-budget indie titles, or mega-franchise blockbusters, Hollywood’s next frontier is gaming.

Hasbro and Mattel are optimistic about the future: The resiliency of the toy category coupled with strong IP properties should keep both companies in the green, even in the event of a recession.

Scandal and branding issues are catching up with Harry Potter: The latest film is struggling domestically, and international box offices might not save it.

Marvel’s ups and downs in 2021 signal change for the film industry: The superhero franchise returned to theaters this year, but trouble abroad and issues with streaming will force studios to rethink blockbuster release strategies.

A little over a year since its debut in the United States, Canada, and the Netherlands, Disney+ is now officially available to consumers in Latin America. Subscribers to the platform will be able to enjoy unlimited access to the company’s vast array of content from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic, Fox, and more.

More people are leaving pay TV for digital alternatives, as TV networks increase their subscription costs and end promotional prices.

US advertisers are committing more dollars upfront for linear TV and digital video, however the percentage of digital video ads being sold programmatically continues to increase.