You can have streaming platforms of all shapes and sizes, all types of content, but the stories matter. We know that based on the way that we deliver on outcomes for customers, and that’s important. Ultimately, being flexible, understanding the environment that they’re in right now in terms of what’s going on in this dynamic marketplace with changes in business cultures, tariffs, supply chain, and so we’re in with our partners every single day having those conversations to make sure that this is ultimately about outcomes, not eyeballs.
You mentioned tariffs. How is Disney approaching brands amid the current uncertainty?
We want to make sure that for the brands that want to take advantage of these moments, for the brands that need help in how they show up in these moments, that they have the most opportunity, whether that’s through live sports, streaming, big campaigns, small campaigns, integration, second screen experiences, different types of advertising formats, all the flexibility that’s required to be the best partner that they have.
What we have found—we found it in Covid-19—we’ve seen it time and time again in times of challenged marketplaces, that’s a moment where people go back to their tried and true partners, where they spend more with the brands that they trust, who have been transparent with them, who have been in it with them, and who have proven that they’re great partners and deliver the outcomes that they need.
You had an ad sales reorganization last summer to reach more midmarket advertisers. What are the results since then?
Having that midmarket team, in just the short period of time that we have, we’ve really seen a significant difference in the types of business we’re doing with them. It also helps from a perspective of seeing different marketplaces and having a diversified pool of marketers across the portfolio—because different industries are going to be impacted differently by these tariffs. We grew our advertiser base significantly in the last couple of months. Having that is important for us to continue to diversify and learn candidly from different industries.
What are the live sports tentpoles you’re excited to share with advertisers?
What am I excited about? So much. I’m just gonna go through my calendar! Our college football portfolio of sports rights this year is outstanding. The new format for the College Football Championship, the SEC coming to ESPN and ABC, the ACC and the growth of that conference, all of college football is a tremendous driver of multiyear partnerships with brands, and I couldn’t be more excited about College GameDay and the growth there.
We continue to have an incredible opportunity around the NFL together with college football. There is no home for football in the fall bigger and with more opportunity for brands than ESPN and ABC. We have incredible talent in front and behind the camera. The ManningCast, as well, to give you an alternative viewing experience, is hilarious. We have the NBA deal, of all of these new NBA deals, that matters. We have everything except one round of the playoffs on ESPN, ABC, and we exclusively have the NBA Finals, and the majority of the money on NBA moves in that window. In addition, we will now have Inside the NBA. And by the way, as part of that deal, we also got a renewed deal with the WNBA, which, again—women’s sports. Could I say anything more? Sixty-five percent of all live women’s sports hours sit across our platform. And that is a massive growth opportunity for us.
