WEATHER ALERT
Disney reports sharp profit growth in the fourth quarter and an expansion of its cost-cutting drive
Read full article: Disney reports sharp profit growth in the fourth quarter and an expansion of its cost-cutting driveWalt Disney Co. has reported sharp profit growth for its fiscal fourth quarter while announcing an expansion of its cost-cutting drive under returning CEO Bob Iger.
Disney to acquire the remainder of Hulu from Comcast for at least $8.6 billion
Read full article: Disney to acquire the remainder of Hulu from Comcast for at least $8.6 billionWalt Disney Co. said it will acquire a 33% stake in Hulu from Comcast for at least $8.6 billion, a deal that will give Disney full control of the streaming service.
Disney raises streaming prices after services post a big operating loss
Read full article: Disney raises streaming prices after services post a big operating lossDisney unveiled a new pricing structure that incorporates an advertising-supported Disney+ as part of an effort to make its streaming business profitable.
Disney+ ad-free subscription cost to rise by 38% in December
Read full article: Disney+ ad-free subscription cost to rise by 38% in DecemberDisney said it is raising prices for streaming subscribers in the U_S_ who want to watch Disney+ without ads as more viewers switch to what CEO Bob Chapek described Wednesday as the โbest value in streaming.โ.
Actor Rupert Friend and writer Joby Harold chat new โStar Warsโ prequel series โObi-Wan Kenobiโ
Read full article: Actor Rupert Friend and writer Joby Harold chat new โStar Warsโ prequel series โObi-Wan KenobiโThe show's six episodes will follow the legendary Jedi Master, played by Ewan McGregor.
The ultimate guide for watching Christmas movies this month
Read full article: The ultimate guide for watching Christmas movies this monthItโs that time of year again: To watch all of the classic (and a few new) Christmas movies -- and given how 2021 has gone, we could all use a little holiday cheer these days, right?
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New this week: 'Black Widow, Jakob Dylan and 'Gossip Girl'
Read full article: New this week: 'Black Widow, Jakob Dylan and 'Gossip Girl'This weekโs new entertainment releases include new music from Jakob Dylan and the Wallflowers and a reboot of โGossip Girlโ less than 10 years after the CW series ended.
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New this week: Whales, 'LFG,' 'Mysterious Benedict Society'
Read full article: New this week: Whales, 'LFG,' 'Mysterious Benedict Society'This weekโs new entertainment releases includes Conan OโBrien closing out his TBS late-night show and the new soccer documentary โLFG,โ a revealing look at the U.S. Womenโs National Soccer Teamโs battle for equal pay.
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New this week: 'In the Heights,' 'Loki' and 'Infinite'
Read full article: New this week: 'In the Heights,' 'Loki' and 'Infinite'This weekโs new entertainment releases include the much-anticipated debut of Lin-Manuel Mirandaโs โIn the Heights,โ a sweaty, vibrant musical about a close-knit Washington Heights neighborhood.
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New this week: 'Big Shot,' 'Mare of Easttown' and 'Monday'
Read full article: New this week: 'Big Shot,' 'Mare of Easttown' and 'Monday'This weekโs new entertainment releases include new music from rockers Greta Van Fleet and the return of John Stamos to TV as a hot-button NCAA basketball coach in โBig Shotโ who ends up coaching girls at an elite private high school.
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Marvel's 'Falcon' promises action, explores race, patriotism
Read full article: Marvel's 'Falcon' promises action, explores race, patriotism(Disney Plus via AP)NEW YORK โ When Steve Rogers handed Sam Wilson his Captain America shield at the end of Marvel's massive 2019 event โAvengers: Endgame,โ Wilson tried it on for a beat. That reluctance and skepticism is front-and-center as Wilson's story continues in โThe Falcon and the Winter Solder,โ a new six-episode Disney+ series that promises an exploration of patriotism and race alongside its shootouts and soaring chase scenes. While โEndgame" appeared to promise a quick transition for Anthony Mackie's Falcon to take up the Captain America mantle, as he has in the comics, the creator of โFalconโ promises only complications. AdSo will there be a Black Captain America by the time the final credits roll in April? Agent, a sometime antagonist to Captain America who twists American patriotism to darker ends.
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S&P 500 closes at record as possible vaccine lifts markets
Read full article: S&P 500 closes at record as possible vaccine lifts marketsTOKYO โ The S&P 500 closed at a record high on Friday as optimism built among investors that a coming vaccine for the coronavirus will help end the shutdowns that have devastated the economy. The S&P 500 added 48.14 points, or 1.4%, to 3,585.15, rising above the index's previous closing record of 3,580.84 set back in early September. The S&P 500 ended the week up 2.2%. Stocks in the S&P 500 energy sector rose more than 16% this week, while tech stocks were essentially flat. โI still think the dust is kind of settling from that vaccine news as investors think about how to be positioned,โ he said.
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Disney posts 4Q loss as parks business, costs drag results
Read full article: Disney posts 4Q loss as parks business, costs drag resultsWalt Disney Co. reported fiscal fourth-quarter loss on Thursday thanks largely to changes related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Their primary focus is on making shows and movies for streaming services. Subscribers to Disney's main streaming bundle โ Disney Plus, ESPN Plus and Hulu โ top 120 million. Disney posted a loss of $629 million, or 39 cents per share, in the three months that ended Oct. 3. Disney said revenue at its parks, experiences and products business fell 61% to $2.6 billion.
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Asian shares track Wall Street decline on pandemic jitters
Read full article: Asian shares track Wall Street decline on pandemic jittersShares were mostly lower in Asia on Wednesday after pandemic concerns snapped a four-day winning streak on Wall Street. Japan's Nikkei 225 erased early losses to gain 0.2% to 23,645.81 while the Hang Seng in Hong Kong gave up 0.2% to 24,608.27. South Korea's Kospi lost 0.7% to 2,386.54 and the S&P/ASX 200 in Australia declined 0.2% to 6,185.30. JPMorgan Chase, Johnson & Johnson, Citigroup and BlackRock all reported stronger results for the summer than analysts had forecast. Benchmark U.S. crude oil lost 17 cents to $40.03 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange.
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Disney reorg to further bolster company's focus on streaming
Read full article: Disney reorg to further bolster company's focus on streamingThe company said in August that its Disney Plus service has more than 60 million subscribers, and subscribers to its main combination of streaming services โ Disney Plus, ESPN Plus and Hulu โ top 100 million. It still plans to launch another international streaming service called Star. Disney has released several major titles on streaming services that would traditionally have appeared at cinemas, like a live-action remake of "Mulan" and the upcoming Pixar film โSoul" that will hit Disney Plus at Christmas. Their primary focus will be on making shows and movies for streaming services, Disney CEO Bob Chapek said in a statement. Disney Plus is considered one of the most successful so far.
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In 3 months, Disney+ has already scored 26.5 million subscribers
Read full article: In 3 months, Disney+ has already scored 26.5 million subscribersDisney+ has 26.5 million subscribers, the company reported in its first fiscal quarter earnings report on Tuesday, exceeding analyst expectations. Disney+, which launched on November 12, is the company's first foray into the streaming world. Analysts expected that the service would bring in 20 million to 25 million subscribers this quarter. The companyโs movie studio had a strong quarter with $3.7 billion in revenue, which was up more than 100% over the year prior. The companyโs streaming unit also saw revenue go up more than 100% from last year, bringing in $3.9 billion.