Page 3 - Disney

'Hardest decision', says Ananya Birla as she quits music for business

Ananya Birla is the founder of microfinance company Svatantra Microfin and design house Ikai Asai; she is the elder daughter of Aditya Birla Group chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla

'Mufasa: The Lion King': Disney's Live-Action Prequel Movie Gets First Look

Disney amazed fans on Monday, April 29, with the arrival of the much-awaited mystery trailer for 'Mufasa: The Lion King,' the prequel to the 2019 remake of the classic animated movie

RIL-Disney propels Q1 M&A activity to nearly two-year high: Report

The USD 8.5 billion merger between Reliance and Disney helped the overall deal activity in the March quarter of 2024 reach a nearly two-year high, a report said on Tuesday. The overall number of transactions, including mergers and acquisitions and private equity investments, inched up to 427 from 422 in the quarter-ago period, but the values surged by 43 per cent to USD 20.416 billion, the report by the consultancy firm Grant Thornton Bharat said. This performance is the highest in deal activity since the June quarter of 2022, the report said. The March 2024 quarter witnessed a 36 per cent drop in the number of high-value deals of over USD 100 million from 28 to 18, while billion-dollar deals registered an uptick compared to the previous quarter. There were three billion dollar deals collectively valued at over USD 12 billion, that accounted for nearly 59 per cent of the total deal values in Q1 2024, it said. The overall deals included 120 merger and acquisition transactions, whil

Nelson Peltz loses board room fight at Disney; changes may still be ahead

For his own investors at Trian, Peltz is delivering what they care about most - returns

Hunt to find Disney CEO Bob Iger's successor kicks into high gear

The board has extended Iger's retirement date five times, continually deferring decisions about finding a replacement

Disney shareholders back CEO Robert Iger, rebuff activist shareholders

Disney shareholders rallied behind longtime CEO Robert Iger, voting Wednesday to rebuff activist investor Nelson Peltz and his ally, former Disney chief financial officer Jay Rasulo, who had sought seats on the company's board. The company had recommended a slate of directors that did not include Peltz or Rasulo. The dissident shareholders had said in a preliminary proxy filing that they wanted to complete a successful CEO succession at Disney and align management pay with performance. Disney announced in November 2022 that Bob Iger would come back to the company as its CEO to replace his hand-picked successor, Bob Chapek, whose two-year tenure had been marked by clashes, missteps and weakening financial performance. Iger was Disney's public face for 15 years as chief executive before handing the job off to Chapek in 2020, a stretch in which Iger compiled a string of victories lauded in the entertainment industry and by Disney fans. But his second run at the job has not won him ...

Tata Group considering buying Walt Disney's minority stake in TV Platform

The companies are in preliminary talks about an acquisition of Disney's significant minority stake, which would value Tata Play at about $1 billion or more, the people said

Disney failed to disclose ValueAct's past money management role: Blackwells

Disney is relying on ValueAct's endorsement at a time it is fighting to fend off two other activist-investors - Blackwells and Trian Fund Management - as each firm lobbies for seats on Disney board

Reliance-Disney merger likely to capture 50% of India's streaming market

Last month, Reliance agreed to acquire Disney's India business, creating an $8.5 billion media giant ranging from film and television production to news and sports content.

Viacom-Star merger will reduce bargaining power: Advertising industry

The merger of the Indian media business of Walt Disney with Reliance Industries' Viacom18 will create a "significant dominant player", which might reduce the bargaining power for media buying agencies, the country's advertising industry has said. The Rs 70,000-crore behemoth, created post-merger may enable it to exert greater control over pricing and inventory of media rights and also influence over content, advertising industry leaders said. According to the experts, the merged entity will almost have a monopoly in sports properties as it will collectively control 75-80 per cent of the Indian sports market, in both linear TV and digital platforms and may uptick the rates. The joint venture, which is expected to receive approvals by the first quarter of 2025, will have over 70 channels from Star India and 38 TV channels from Viacom18 in eight languages, along with two large OTT platforms -- Jio Cinema and Hotstar -- and two film studios owned by each of them. "The Star-Viacom merge

Disney grandchildren back CEO Iger & board, slam activist investors

The four grandchildren of Roy Disney, in an open letter to Disney shareholders expressed concerns about the threat posed by "self-anointed" activist investors

Tech, cricket big wins for billionaire Ambani in Disney-Reliance tie-up

Reliance's JioCinema is largely free and doesn't disclose user numbers, having started a premium paid offering just last year

Reliance-Disney merger draws Nita Ambani back to business spotlight

Her decision to take the role is a strong signal "that this (media) business is close to the family's heart," said a person familiar with Disney-Reliance deal talks

Reliance, Disney sign $8.5 bn deal to form JV, to merge media ops in India

Reliance, led by Asia's richest man Mukesh Ambani, will inject $1.4 billion in the merged entity, with the company and its affiliates holding a more than 63% stake

Nita Ambani likely to be chair of merged Reliance-Disney media business

The plans could change ahead of an official announcement. Reliance did not respond to a request for comment, while Disney declined to comment

RIL in talks for stake in Tata Play, may buy Disney's 29.8% share

JioCinema may offer entire content suite to Tata Play customers

Walt Disney's stock soars on strong results ahead of face-off with Peltz

The entertainment giant issued an upbeat profit outlook for the year, giving Chief Executive Officer Bob Iger ammunition to deflect proxy challenges at its shareholder meeting this spring

Disney's investment in Epic Games signals company has to 'be there'

Shares of the stock surged on Thursday, the day after its earnings report, gaining more than 10% in what would be their best day in more than three years

Disney wants secrets kept confidential in lawsuit with DeSantis appointees

Disney wants to keep confidential any proprietary information or trade secrets that comes out of its state court fight with Gov. Ron DeSantis' appointees over who controls the governing district at Walt Disney World. The entertainment giant asked a state court judge on Friday for a protective order allowing it to designate documents and depositions as confidential and requiring parties handling them to sign a nondisclosure agreement. The litigation is likely going to involve the disclosure of trade secrets, as well as technical, financial and personal information, which could result in significant harm if they are made public, Disney said in its request. The request was unopposed by the DeSantis appointees. Disney supporters had run the district, which provides municipal services such as firefighting, planning and mosquito control, for more than five decades after the Legislature created it in 1967. But legislation passed by the Republican-controlled Legislature and signed by DeSant

Reliance, Bodhi Tree set for 60% stake in Disney India merger: Report

The valuation of Disney's India unit is sharply lower than the $15-$16 billion estimated when Disney acquired it in 2019