Disney CFO Hugh Johnston Talks Unnamed Sports Bundle
Feb 8, 2024
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Disney CFO Hugh Johnston discusses cutting costs, the new sports bundle with Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery, meeting viewers where they are, the potential impact of a sports bundle on cable networks and independent bidding for sports rights, challenges of a three-way JV, success in China, and avoiding boycotts.
Disney has achieved significant cost cutting and margin improvement, saving $500 million and experiencing a margin jump of 350 basis points.
Disney's sports bundle aims to reduce friction and target consumers who are not in the traditional cable bundle or have already moved away from it, with independent bidding for sports rights.
Deep dives
Cost Cutting and Margin Improvement
The podcast episode discusses the progress made by Disney in terms of cost cutting, resulting in significant margin improvement. The company has saved $500 million, which has positively impacted the bottom line with a margin jump of 350 basis points. The management team is confident that this trend will continue as they tightly manage costs while reinvesting in the business to drive top-line growth.
The Future of Sports Streaming and Competition
The episode delves into Disney's plans for a sports bundle in the streaming market. The focus is on reducing friction and providing a great product to sports consumers. While the bundle may lead to some shifting of viewers from traditional cable networks, Disney is primarily targeting those who were not in the cable bundle or have already moved away from it. Additionally, Disney clarifies that bidding for sports rights will continue to be done independently, instead of as a joint venture with the other parties involved in the streaming venture.
Disney Senior Executive Vice President and CFO Hugh Johnston discusses cutting costs, the newly announced sports bundle with Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery and meeting viewers where they are. He speaks with Bloomberg Surveillance hosts Jonathan Ferro and Lisa Abramowicz.