The Walt Disney Company today reported earnings for its fourth quarter and full year ended September 28, 2024.
Financial Results for the Quarter and Full Year:
•Revenues increased 6% for Q4 to $22.6 billion from $21.2 billion in the prior-year quarter, and 3% for the year to $91.4 billion from $88.9 billion in the prior year.
•Income before income taxes declined 6% to $0.9 billion in Q4 from $1.0 billion in the prior-year quarter and increased 59% for the year to $7.6 billion from $4.8 billion in the prior year.
•Diluted earnings per share (EPS) for Q4 increased 79% to $0.25 from $0.14 in the prior-year quarter, and for the year more than doubled to $2.72 from $1.29 in the prior year.
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Key Points:
•Achieved strong 23% growth in total segment operating income(1) for Q4 and 21% for the year, and 39% growth in adjusted EPS(1) to $1.14 from $0.82 for Q4 and 32% to $4.97 from $3.76 for the year.
•Entertainment segment operating income improved significantly, to $1.1 billion, up $0.8 billion in Q4 versus the prior-year quarter.
•Entertainment DTC delivered 14% ad revenue growth in Q4, contributing to $253 million in operating income, and combined DTC streaming businesses improved their profitability in Q4, with operating income(1) of $321 million.
•Ended the quarter with 174 million Disney+ Core and Hulu subscriptions, and more than 120 million Disney+ Core paid subscribers, an increase of 4.4 million over the prior quarter.
•Pixar’s Inside Out 2 and Marvel’s Deadpool & Wolverine broke numerous box office records and helped drive $316 million in operating income at Content Sales/Licensing and Other in Q4.
•Sports segment operating income was $0.9 billion, a decline of $0.1 billion compared to the prior-year quarter. Domestic ESPN advertising revenue in Q4 grew 7% versus the prior-year quarter.
•The Experiences segment had record revenue and operating income for the full year. In Q4, Experiences revenue increased $0.1 billion, or 1%, and operating income of $1.7 billion was a decline of $0.1 billion, or 6% compared to the prior-year quarter. Domestic Parks & Experiences operating income increased in Q4, on comparable attendance to the prior-year quarter, driven by higher guest spending, partially offset by higher expenses and costs related to new guest offerings driven by Disney Cruise Line. International Parks & Experiences operating income declined in Q4.
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“This was a pivotal and successful year for The Walt Disney Company, and thanks to the significant progress we’ve made, we have emerged from a period of considerable challenges and disruption well positioned for growth and optimistic about our future,” said Robert A. Iger, Chief Executive Officer, The Walt Disney Company.
“Our solid performance in the fiscal fourth quarter reflected the success of our strategic efforts to improve quality, innovation, efficiency, and value creation. In Q4 we saw one of the best quarters in the history of our film studio, improved profitability in our streaming businesses, a record-breaking 60 Emmy Awards for the company, the continued power of live sports, and the unveiling of an impressive collection of new projects coming to our Experiences segment. As a result of our strategies and our focus on managing our businesses for both the near- and long-term, we are differentiating ourselves from traditional competitors, leveraging the deepest and broadest set of entertainment assets in the industry to drive attractive returns and further advance our goals.”