Tag: Disney

Disney announces crackdown on password sharing
Tech

Disney grants OpenAI licensing rights for iconic characters

OpenAI has struck an equity-only licensing deal with the Walt Disney Company, giving the AI firm rights to use select Disney characters without any upfront cash payment. As part of the agreement, OpenAI will issue stock warrants to Disney, enabling the entertainment company to acquire additional shares in OpenAI on top of its previously announced […]

Disney+ announces price hike
Tech

Disney, YouTube in talks to restore ABC, ESPN

Disney said Friday that it is still in discussions with Google’s YouTube TV to restore access to ABC and ESPN after the channels were removed from the pay-TV platform. Recall, YouTube TV on Monday, offered to reinstate ABC and ESPN following Disney’s request to make ABC available for Election Day coverage. “YouTube TV continues to […]

Disney, Universal sue AI firm Midjourney over alleged copyright infringement
News

Disney, Universal sue AI firm Midjourney over alleged copyright infringement

Entertainment giants Disney and Universal have filed a federal lawsuit against artificial intelligence company Midjourney, accusing it of unlawfully replicating their iconic characters using AI technology. The case, lodged in a Los Angeles federal court, claims that Midjourney’s AI image generator produces unauthorized likenesses of well-known characters, including Darth Vader from Star Wars, Elsa from […]

Disney+ announces price hike
Business

Disney completes Hulu buyout, to pay Comcast $438.7m 

Disney has agreed to pay Comcast an additional $438.7 million for its 33% stake in Hulu, concluding a multi-year appraisal process. Disney in 2023 announced plans to acquire Comcast’s share in the streaming platform and paid $8.6 billion, based on Hulu’s $27.5 billion minimum valuation set by both companies in 2019. Disney acquired a two-thirds […]

Disney+ announces price hike
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Disney cuts workforce globally as cable subscribers decline

Disney is laying off several hundred employees worldwide to cut costs as more consumers shift from traditional cable to streaming. The job cuts focus on marketing for film and TV, TV publicity, casting and development, and corporate finance. The company emphasized it is taking a targeted approach to limit the impact, with no entire teams […]

Disney to merge streaming platforms Hulu Live TV with Fubo
News

Disney to merge streaming platforms Hulu Live TV with Fubo

In a surprising move announced Monday, Disney revealed plans to merge its Hulu Live TV business with Fubo, the live TV streaming service renowned for its sports coverage. Under the terms of the agreement, Disney will acquire a 70% stake in Fubo, which will continue to operate as a separate service. This merger is poised […]

Disney announces crackdown on password sharing
Tech

Disney settles women’s pay disparity lawsuit with $43m

Walt Disney has agreed to pay $43.3 million to settle a lawsuit that accused the company of gender-based pay disparity, with female employees allegedly earning $150 million less than male counterparts over eight years. As part of the settlement, Disney will hire a labor economist for three years to analyze and address pay equity among […]

Disney to merge streaming platforms Hulu Live TV with Fubo
News

Walt Disney data leak exposes sensitive info, financial details

Walt Disney has faced a major data breach this summer, with leaked information revealing financial details, strategic plans, and sensitive personal data of staff and customers, according to a Wall Street Journal report on Thursday. In August, Disney confirmed it was investigating the unauthorized release of over a terabyte of data from one of its […]

Walt Disney’s Pixar lays off staff
News

Walt Disney’s Pixar lays off staff

Pixar Animation Studios, renowned for creating beloved films like “Toy Story” and “Up,” have laid off,  affecting about 14% of its workforce on Tuesday, Reuters reported. Around 175 individuals will be impacted by the job cuts at this division of the Walt Disney Co. Previously, the animation studio had expanded its staff to produce original […]

Disney, Warner Bros to launch joint streaming bundle
News

Disney, Warner Bros to launch joint streaming bundle

Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery are set to shake up the streaming industry with the announcement of a new streaming bundle comprising Disney+, Hulu, and Max. This move underscores a significant development in the ever-evolving streaming landscape, characterized by the bundling of premier brands. The bundle, expected to launch this summer, will offer both ad-supported […]

Disney announces crackdown on password sharing
News

Disney announces crackdown on password sharing

Disney CEO Bob Iger has announced that the company will start implementing stricter measures to deter password sharing globally starting this summer, a disclosure he made in an interview with CNBC Similar restrictions were previously introduced for Canadian subscribers last autumn. The decision comes as no surprise, as Disney’s CFO Hugh Johnston had outlined the […]

Disney, Warner Bros to launch joint streaming bundle
Tech

Disney+ subscribers decrease by 1.3m Q4 2023

In the last quarter of 2023, Disney+ witnessed a decrease of 1.3 million subscribers following a significant price hike introduced in the fall. Despite this decline, the streaming platform successfully reduced its streaming business losses by $300 million from October to December. The core subscriber base, including U.S., Canada, and international users (excluding Disney+ Hotstar […]