As streaming revenue declines, Disney's new CEO may need to reduce spending to restore profits.
- Iger was hired by Disney on a two-year deal to revive the business.
- Disney stock increased 10% in Monday's premarket session.
- Under Iger's leadership, Disney+, a streaming service, was introduced in 2019.
When Bob Iger returns to manage Walt Disney, he must demonstrate a new side to Wall Street by reducing expenses and regaining profitability in just two years after blowing money on acquisitions and a streaming company the previous time around.
Late on Sunday night, the media conglomerate shocked investors by announcing that Chief Executive Bob Chapek had been ousted and that 71-year-old Iger had been handed a two-year contract to steer the business back toward growth. The incident made me think of other comebacks, such as Steve Jobs' visit to Apple and Howard Schultz's crisis return to Starbucks.
Iger's decision to return might have appeared to be a brave one. The company, however, is at a distinct stage of growth 'The limiting of some operations may be one of the short-term solutions, according to PP Foresight analyst Paolo Pescatore. The most obvious target of that could be Disney+, a streaming service Iger helped launch in 2019.
The division's losses more than doubled to $1.5 billion in the most recent reported quarter (nearly Rs. 1,220 crore). As Disney makes significant investments in content to attract viewers, the company's profitability has begun to suffer, testing investor patience and leading to a 40% decrease in its shares so far this year.
With fewer end-state customers made up of super fans willing to pay high RPUs (rates per user), which would result in significantly greater margins, MoffettNathanson analysts concluded that Disney+ would likely perform better.
Additionally, they named ESPN as a potential target for considerable cost reductions, including a review of all incoming sports licences, as the network loses cable subscribers.
Dan Loeb's activist investment firm Third Point initially supported a potential spin-off of the company when it acquired a stake in ESPN in August, but it eventually dropped the idea. Some brokerages have also expressed doubt about whether Iger's two-year commitment would be sufficient to change the company and identify a replacement.
The problem is that Iger must eventually stop working. He handled the transfer to Tom Staggs poorly in 2016, and now with (Bob) Chapek, according to Rosenblatt Securities. In spite of this, Disney shares rose 10% in premarket trading on Monday, indicating support for the executive who ran the company for 15 years.