Disney CEO Bob Iger said on Thursday at the Morgan Stanley Technology, Media and Telecom Conference in San Francisco that the entertainment giant may once again make some of its film and television shows available to rivals. He said the change was part of cutting back the amount of programming solely on its Disney+ streaming service.
"As we look to reduce the content that we're creating for our own platforms, there probably are opportunities to license to third parties," Iger said. "For a while, that was something we couldn't possibly do because we were so favoring our own streaming platforms. But if we get to a point where we need less content for these platforms, and we still have the capacity of producing that content, why not use it to grow revenue?"
Iger said he was bullish overall on streaming but said the company needed to rethink its current strategy. For example, the company started restricting how much of its content was available to competitors in 2019.
“It’s already clear to us that the exclusivity that we thought would be so valuable to us in growing subscriptions, while it has some value, it wasn’t as valuable as we thought,” he said.
Two examples he cited as possibilities for sharing with other streaming platforms are cartoon series such as Bob's Burgers and Family Guy. Both came under the Disney umbrella when it purchased 21st Century Fox.
The possible change comes as Disney struggles to keep up its growth. The company reported a quarterly loss of $1.5 billion earlier this year. It also reported its first loss of subscribers on Disney+.
An Illinois attorney general's office investigation released Tuesday found that 451 Catholic clergy sexually abused nearly 2,000 children in the state over a nearly 70-year period, which was more than four times the 103 individuals the church named when the state began its review in 2018.
Paramount Global is set to absorb Showtime into Paramount+, creating a single streaming option to compete with the likes of Netflix and Warner Bros. Discovery’s Max. The company also plans to raise the monthly price from $9.99 to $11.99 per month after the integration.
HBO released a sneak peek of next week's series finale for 'Succession' after four seasons.
Dua Lipa is teasing her new single from the upcoming 'Barbie' movie.
Warner Bros. released the official trailer for the upcoming musical film, 'The Color Purple,' based on the novel and 1985 original film.
Toronto Blue Jays star Vladimir Guerrero Jr. noticed a young boy who had a sign that read he had beaten cancer. Guerrero decided to surprise the young fan.
From the newest 'American Idol' to the end of a 'Bill & Ted's' hot spot, here are your top entertainment headlines.
Cheddar's own Shannon LaNier is taking a staycation, and all week he'll be trying out different summer activities in New York and the surrounding area that will hopefully serve as an inspiration no matter where you live. On Monday, Shannon traveled to Huntington, New York to get a taste of the boating life. He spoke with Maggie Maskery, head of public relations for Discover Boating, about some of the best boat share options.
A guitar destroyed by Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain sold for nearly $600,000 dollars on Saturday at an auction in a Hard Rock Café in New York City.
Scores of Boston University students turned their backs on the head of one of Hollywood's biggest studios, and some shouted “pay your writers,” as he gave the school's commencement address Sunday in a stadium where protesters supporting the Hollywood writers' strike picketed outside.
