Disney Digest 3/19/24 (The Not Expo, ESPN Staying in College, Swift in Context, and More)

Busy day at Disney today. While it means a lot to process, it is great to see the company moving forward past the darkness of the previous few years.

If It Isn’t an Expo, What Is It?

I, for one, am super excited that the D23 event will be using the Honda Center. I know there are logistical questions, but being able to nearly double the capacity for Disney’s biggest presentations while giving a rock concert vibe, is very enticing. And for those that secure tickets, you will know you have a seat taking away any of the need to line up for hours.

There are outstanding questions such as: will the Disney Entertainment Showcase last 5 hours? Will Experiences lengthen their presentation to fill their time slot? How will the Anaheim Convention Center handle the additional guests that are not in line for, or attending, a Hall D23 presentation?

But despite the logistics that need to be figured out, it is nice to see that Disney is making a major investment into their premiere fan event. With the challenges and belt-tightening Disney has undertaken, it would have been easy to put D23 on the chopping block. Instead, they are attempting to make this the biggest D23 event ever.

Lee Corso Better Be Ready

Somewhat overshadowed by the D23 news was the major announcement that officially confirmed that ESPN has secured rights for the expanded College Football Playoff through the 2031-32 season. While this deal had been widely reported, early on, it was presumed that ESPN would share the rights with another broadcaster such as FOX.

While ESPN has gained the right to sublicense a select number of games, this is a major coup for Jimmy Pitaro’s ESPN. Despite losing the Big Ten rights, they have locked themselves in as the premiere destination for college football, particularly given the new SEC deal that is about to go into effect.

There are some important notes in the press release. First, ABC will broadcast the National Championship on ABC starting in the 2026-27 season, which will cement the game as a national prime time event. Also, ESPN gained the right to broadcast the games on Disney’s stable of streaming offerings. With a lot still to be determined about how ESPN will be delivered in the future, it is important that a long-term deal like this allows ESPN flexibility to adjust to where the business goes in the future.

Things are moving quickly in college sports and sports broadcasting, this long term deal will have to work within a rapidly changing landscape.

Ratings Records (Taylor’s Version)

Word came out that Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour (Taylor’s Version), was the most viewed music film in the history of Disney+ with 4.6 million views and 16.2 million hours watched over the first three days of its release. That being said, I couldn’t help but wonder how it compared to other films that have debuted on the platform.

Previously, Disney announced that Elemental was the top movie debut of 2023 with 26.4 million views over the first five days. Prior to that, the live-action adaptation of The Little Mermaid has 16 million views. The first episode of Ahsoka brought in 14 million views. We don’t have details about many other projects, but we do know that Elemental was the top animated film since Turning Red debuted directly on the service in March 2022. Over 7 days, Hocus Pocus 2 had 21.4 million views.

While these numbers are not apples to apples due to the difference in days counted, it does show that while Taylor Swift is popular, she doesn’t measure up to the demand of good old fashioned scripted content.

Protect Nubs at All Costs

We also got the trailer for Star Wars: The Acolyte. On Inside LP we asked our resident Star Wars expert Mike for his thoughts.

While he doesn’t love the Jedi when they are at the height of his power, he is excited by what he has seen thus far. As someone who got into The High Republic on the ground floor, he is also excited to see some of those characters and concepts come to life in live-action.

Personally, since Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures also takes place during the High Republic, I have suddenly grown very concerned for Kai Brightstar, Lys Solay, and Nubs. I hope they stay away from anyone with a red lightsaber. (This is a good rule of thumb to live by)

Quick Takes:

6 Things to Watch for Today:

We expect another busy day tomorrow, so get excited! See you soon!