Deadpool & Wolverine and Inside Out 2 helped propel Disney to what CEO Bob Iger described as “one of the best quarters in the history of our film studio.”
Disney has endured a number of tough years, with its Star Wars, Marvel, and Pixar movies and TV shows struggling to break out. But Deadpool & Wolverine, the only MCU movie of 2024, and Pixar’s Inside Out 2 helped change all that during the fourth quarter of its financial year (July to September 2024), contributing $316 million in operating income (profit). All told, Disney saw an incredible $4 billion globally from the box office this year.
Disney also saw solid profit from its streaming business, with Disney+ and Hulu bringing in $253 million for the quarter. Disney’s total streaming operating income, which includes money made from ESPN+, was $321 million. A year ago the streaming business suffered a $387 million loss. During the quarter, Disney+ saw 4.4 million additional Core subscribers. Disney+, now five years old, now has more than 120 million Core subscribers. All told, Disney now has 174 million Disney+ Core and Hulu subscriptions.
Disney pointed to the success of a number of its series during the report, including Shogun and The Bear. Shogun is getting a second season, and The Bear launches Season 4 in 2025. There was no mention of Star Wars show The Acolyte, which was canceled after just one season.
In total, Disney sales 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. And while income before taxes declined 6% to $0.9 billion in Q4 from $1.0 billion in the prior-year quarter, income for the full year increased 59% to $7.6 billion from $4.8 billion in the prior year.
Disney expects big things from its upcoming slate, which includes Moana 2 and Mufasa: The Lion King. It also pointed to Captain America: Brave New World, the live-action Lilo & Stitch, The Fantastic Four: First Steps, Zootopia 2, and Avatar: Fire and Ash, all due out in 2025.
This week, a report claimed EA boss Andrew Wilson could be in the running to replace Bob Iger. Wilson is reportedly being considered for Disney’s top job, with Iger’s current contract running until 2026. Iger previously retired in 2020, but he returned in 2022 after his successor, Bob Chapek, was pushed out of the role.
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
