WASHINGTON: The Walt Disney Company reported fourth-quarter earnings of $22.5 billion Thursday that missed expectations, taking a hit from a slate of movie releases -- including &quot;The Fantastic Four&quot; -- which failed to energize worldwide audiences. The entertainment giant&#39;s revenues for the quarter ended September 27 were roughly flat compared to the same period last year, sending shares down nearly four percent in pre-market trading on Wall Street. Despite the revenue headwinds, Disney delivered strong profits in the quarter, driven by record theme park performance and continued growth in its streaming services. Net income surged to $1.3 billion from $460 million a year earlier. But analysts were rattled by the entertainment segment, where operating income fell $376 million to $691 million, weighed down by difficult comparisons to last year&#39;s blockbuster releases &quot;Inside Out 2&quot; and &quot;Deadpool &amp; Wolverine.&quot; This quarter&#39;s slate included &quot;The Fantastic Four: First Steps,&quot; &quot;The Roses&quot; and &quot;Freakier Friday,&quot; which failed to replicate the massive box office success of the prior year&#39;s hits. Disney&#39;s direct-to-consumer business provided a bright spot, with operating income rising $99 million to $352 million. The company now boasts 196 million Disney+ and Hulu subscriptions combined, adding 12.4 million subscribers during the quarter. Disney+ alone reached 132 million subscribers, up 3.8 million from the previous quarter, while international Disney+ subscribers grew 4 percent. Disney&#39;s theme parks segment posted record results, with operating income of $1.9 billion for the quarter, up $219 million year-over-year. Full-year operating income for the parks division reached a record $10.0 billion. International parks showed particularly strong growth, with operating income rising 25 percent to $375 million, while domestic parks generated $920 million, up 9 percent.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Business

Disney’s quarterly revenue of $22.5 billion missed expectations due to weak film earnings, despite record theme park profits and growing streaming subscribers. Net income surged to $1.3 billion, buoyed by Disney+ and robust international park performance.

Disney revenue misses expectations over weak film earnings   

Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: Jimmy Kimmel&#39;s late-night talk show, which was abruptly pulled from the air last week after the US government threatened broadcasters, will be back on Tuesday, Disney announced Monday. The sudden suspension by ABC, which is owned by Disney, came after conservative complaints about comments Kimmel had made in the wake of the shooting of Christian activist Charlie Kirk, AFP reported. <div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1970217552241451058&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Fmedia-library%2F&sessionId=b0934304d0dccc2dc5d31d4e755d5a42b993341a&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 825px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>&quot;Last Wednesday, we made the decision to suspend production on the show to avoid further inflaming a tense situation at an emotional moment for our country,&quot; said a company statement. &quot;It is a decision we made because we felt some of the comments were ill-timed and thus insensitive. &quot;We have spent the last days having thoughtful conversations with Jimmy, and after those conversations, we reached the decision to return the show on Tuesday.&quot; <div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1970210150339465239&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Fmedia-library%2F&sessionId=b0934304d0dccc2dc5d31d4e755d5a42b993341a&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 672px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>Kimmel&#39;s abrupt disappearance from the airwaves, apparently after government pressure on broadcasters who distribute ABC, sparked fury in liberal America, with critics saying Kimmel had been targeted because he is a frequent critic of President Donald Trump. Trump had celebrated Kimmel&#39;s removal, calling it &quot;Great News for America.&quot;<div class="fr-embed"><iframe src="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/115222372625104790/embed" class="truthsocial-embed" style="max-width: 100%; border: 0;" width="600" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen">&nbsp;</iframe></div> Opponents saw it as the latest step in creeping government control of free speech -- an article of faith for many Americans, as well as a right enshrined in the country&#39;s constitution. Some on the right were also uneasy, including people who regularly count themselves as Trump allies, like Ted Cruz, the conservative senator from Texas, and firebrand broadcaster Tucker Carlson. On Friday, Trump again complained about negative media coverage of him, which he said he thought was &quot;illegal.&quot; FCC threat&nbsp;The Kimmel episode unfolded a week after Kirk, a close Trump ally, was shot dead on a Utah university campus, setting off a bitter battle over responsibility in deeply polarized America, with conservatives -- including Trump -- blaming &quot;the radical left.&quot; Authorities have charged 22-year-old Tyler Robinson and have not indicated they are looking for anyone else. In his show-opening monologue last Monday, Kimmel said &quot;the MAGA gang&quot; was &quot;desperately trying to characterize this kid... as anything other than one of them.&quot; He then showed footage of Trump pivoting from a question about how he had been affected by Kirk&#39;s death to boasting about the new ballroom he is building at the White House, prompting laughter from the studio audience. &quot;This is not how an adult grieves the murder of somebody called a friend. This is how a four-year-old mourns a goldfish,&quot; Kimmel said. Two days later, Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr threatened the licenses of ABC affiliates that broadcast Kimmel&#39;s show. &quot;I think it&#39;s past time these (affiliates) themselves push back... and say, &#39;Listen, we&#39;re not going to run Kimmel anymore until you straighten this out because we&#39;re running the possibility of license revocation from the FCC,&#39;&quot; he told right-wing podcaster Benny Johnson. Hours later, Nexstar, one of the country&#39;s biggest owners of ABC affiliate stations, announced it would be removing the show from its stations.Nexstar is in the middle of a multi-billion-dollar merger with a rival that will require FCC approval. ABC then followed suit, pulling the show nationwide. Hollywood stars&nbsp;Before Disney&#39;s about-face was announced on Monday, a constellation of Hollywood stars signed an open letter calling the decision to pull the show &quot;a dark moment for freedom of speech in our nation (that is) unconstitutional and un-American.&quot; &quot;The government is threatening private companies and individuals that the President disagrees with. We can&#39;t let this threat to our freedom of speech go unanswered,&quot; said the letter by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). <div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-2" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-2&features=eyJ0ZndfdGltZWxpbmVfbGlzdCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOltdLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X2ZvbGxvd2VyX2NvdW50X3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9iYWNrZW5kIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19yZWZzcmNfc2Vzc2lvbiI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZm9zbnJfc29mdF9pbnRlcnZlbnRpb25zX2VuYWJsZWQiOnsiYnVja2V0Ijoib24iLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X21peGVkX21lZGlhXzE1ODk3Ijp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRyZWF0bWVudCIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZXhwZXJpbWVudHNfY29va2llX2V4cGlyYXRpb24iOnsiYnVja2V0IjoxMjA5NjAwLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X3Nob3dfYmlyZHdhdGNoX3Bpdm90c19lbmFibGVkIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19kdXBsaWNhdGVfc2NyaWJlc190b19zZXR0aW5ncyI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdXNlX3Byb2ZpbGVfaW1hZ2Vfc2hhcGVfZW5hYmxlZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdmlkZW9faGxzX2R5bmFtaWNfbWFuaWZlc3RzXzE1MDgyIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRydWVfYml0cmF0ZSIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfbGVnYWN5X3RpbWVsaW5lX3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9mcm9udGVuZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9fQ%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1970169519751762389&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Fmedia-library%2F&sessionId=b0934304d0dccc2dc5d31d4e755d5a42b993341a&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 696px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;"></iframe></div></div>Signatories to the letter included Marvel star Pedro Pascal, Tom Hanks, Jennifer Aniston, Meryl Streep and Robert De Niro, AFP reported. Late-night TV hosts&nbsp;America&#39;s late-night TV hosts rallied behind fellow comedian Jimmy Kimmel last week, taking to their respective programs to condemn &mdash; or make fun of &mdash; the decision to pull Kimmel from the airwaves, BBC reported. Outgoing CBS host Stephen Colbert began The Late Show by saying &quot;we are all Jimmy Kimmel&quot;, and said the star&#39;s removal was a &quot;blatant assault on freedom of speech&quot;. On NBC&#39;s Late Night, host Seth Meyers declared it was &quot;a privilege and honour to call Jimmy Kimmel my friend&quot;, while Jon Stewart and Jimmy Fallon tackled the free speech issue by doing satirical sketches in which they were apparently forced to praise Donald Trump.

Film & TV

 Jimmy Kimmel's show, suspended last week following government pressure after his comments on Charlie Kirk's death, will return Tuesday. The decision came after discussions with Kimmel and amid criticism of potential government interference with free speech.

Articles tagged with "Disney"

Disney revenue misses expectations over weak film earnings

Jimmy Kimmel show to return Tuesday: Disney