• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

As Big Tech showers employees with perks to win the talent war, Nvidia built a nearly $5 trillion company by making people pay for their own lunch

2

MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year

3

The Supreme Court's birthright citizenship ruling hands the U.S. economy a $7.7 trillion win

1

As Big Tech showers employees with perks to win the talent war, Nvidia built a nearly $5 trillion company by making people pay for their own lunch

2

MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year

3

The Supreme Court's birthright citizenship ruling hands the U.S. economy a $7.7 trillion win
Arts & EntertainmentDisney

Disney Q3 earnings: Streaming a bright spot as parks and cruises plummet

Aric Jenkins
By
Aric Jenkins
Aric Jenkins
Down Arrow Button Icon
Aric Jenkins
By
Aric Jenkins
Aric Jenkins
Down Arrow Button Icon
August 4, 2020, 4:32 PM ET
Disney Store
A woman wearing a mask walks past the newly reopened Disney store in Times Square as New York City enters Phase 4 of reopening following restrictions imposed to slow the spread of coronavirus on July 23, 2020. Disney's parks and cruises have plummeted amid the pandemic.Alexi Rosenfeld—Getty Images
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Disney on Tuesday released its earnings numbers for the third quarter of fiscal 2020 and, as expected, its parks and cruises business took a hammering due the coronavirus pandemic.

One bright spot, however? Streaming. The company announced it now surpasses 100 million paid subscribers for its full direct-to-consumer portfolio, which includes Disney+, ESPN+, and Hulu. And with national movie theater chains still closed indefinitely, the company is making a bold gamble by releasing the anticipated live-action Mulan remake on streaming video on demand.

The tentpole will premiere on Disney+ on Sept. 4 for a price of $29.99, CEO Bob Chapek announced during an earnings call. Asked about the impact it could have on the traditional movie theater window, Chapek added: “We’re looking at Mulan as a one-off, as opposed to say, there’s some new business windowing model we’re looking at.” (Last month, Universal and AMC Theaters struck a deal to reduce the exclusive theatrical window for movies from 90 to 17 days.)

Shares of Disney initially declined following the report before rising about 2% in after-hours trading.

In the third quarter, which ended on June 27, Disney brought in $11.78 billion revenue versus analysts’ expected revenue of $12.39 billion. Disney managed to squeak by with a profit with its earnings per share at 8 cents versus an estimated loss of 64 cents.

Disney’s lone segment to increase revenue year-over-year was direct-to-consumer and international. More than half of Disney’s 100 million streaming subscribers are from Disney+, with a total of 60.5 million subscribers not even one year into service. Three million of those subscribers were added in the third quarter.

Prior to Disney+’s launch in November, the company had set an initial target of 60 million to 90 million subscribers by the end of fiscal 2024.

ESPN+ was a standout improvement during Q3 despite most live sports not yet returning during the third quarter. The service added 6.1 million subscribers for a total of 8.5 million. A year earlier, ESPN+ had just 2.4 million subscribers. Disney partially attributed the increase to the Ultimate Fighting Championship pay-per-view events during the period.

Disney’s theme parks and movie studios were not as fortunate, with segment revenues declining 85% and 55% year-over-year, respectively. The company lost $3.5 billion in operating income from its parks being closed during the quarter. Some of its parks, including Orlando’s Disney World, have since been able to reopen with limited capacity and strict social distancing measures.

“In an otherwise bleak earnings outlook, Disney’s explosive growth in its streaming business is the one saving grace, which is grabbing investor attention and causing the stock to rise,” Investing.com senior analyst Haris Anwar said.

“The company is taking full advantage of the stay-at-home environment and adding subscribers at a robust pace,” Anwar added. “Investors are looking beyond the tough quarter to continued reopening of parks, while Disney+ is expected to see further growth.”

About the Author
Aric Jenkins
By Aric Jenkins
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Arts & Entertainment

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Arts & Entertainment

paramount
CommentaryAntitrust
How Paramount’s theater commitments could boost local economies across the nation
By Ike BrannonJuly 2, 2026
19 minutes ago
Today, Emily Blunt is worth $80 million thanks to her Hollywood career—but she actually wanted to be a UN Spanish translator on $80K
SuccessCareers
Today, Emily Blunt is worth $80 million thanks to her Hollywood career—but she actually wanted to be a UN Spanish translator on $80K
By Orianna Rosa RoyleJuly 2, 2026
4 hours ago
Melania Trump NFT earnings surge 28x in 2025 as the First Lady rakes in nearly $17 million in total earnings, filing shows
PoliticsDonald Trump
Melania Trump NFT earnings surge 28x in 2025 as the First Lady rakes in nearly $17 million in total earnings, filing shows
By Mia OsmonbekovJuly 1, 2026
17 hours ago
Donald Trump sits at his desk in the Oval Office, smiling and with his hands folded in front of him.
PoliticsDonald Trump
Trump got a $78K pension from the Screen Actors Guild in 2025 because he appeared in Home Alone 2 in 1992
By Sasha RogelbergJuly 1, 2026
18 hours ago
powell
InvestingSports
Premier League Lacrosse adds Rob Mac, Glen Powell to investors group in historic $100 million funding round
By The Associated PressJune 30, 2026
2 days ago
swiss
EuropeHeat
It’s so hot in Switzerland that yodelers are standing in fountains
By Jez Fielder and The Associated PressJune 30, 2026
2 days ago

Most Popular

As Big Tech showers employees with perks to win the talent war, Nvidia built a nearly $5 trillion company by making people pay for their own lunch
Big Tech
As Big Tech showers employees with perks to win the talent war, Nvidia built a nearly $5 trillion company by making people pay for their own lunch
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezJuly 1, 2026
1 day ago
MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year
Success
MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year
By Sydney LakeJune 25, 2026
7 days ago
The Supreme Court's birthright citizenship ruling hands the U.S. economy a $7.7 trillion win
Newsletters
The Supreme Court's birthright citizenship ruling hands the U.S. economy a $7.7 trillion win
By Diane BradyJuly 1, 2026
1 day ago
Current price of oil as of July 1, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of July 1, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJuly 1, 2026
22 hours ago
Philanthropy leader at Warren Buffett and Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge says children of billionaires are pushing them to give their wealth away faster
Success
Philanthropy leader at Warren Buffett and Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge says children of billionaires are pushing them to give their wealth away faster
By Preston ForeJune 27, 2026
5 days ago
Elon Musk on MacKenzie Scott giving away $26 billion of her fortune: 'Sadly,' it makes the world a worse place
Success
Elon Musk on MacKenzie Scott giving away $26 billion of her fortune: 'Sadly,' it makes the world a worse place
By Sydney LakeJune 29, 2026
3 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.