Disney is hoping the rise of so-called “skinny bundles” in streaming services will reverse cord-cutting.
Speaking during a conference call discussing first-quarter earnings Wednesday (Feb. 5), CEO Bob Iger discussed the company’s streaming and sports programming plans in the wake of Disney’s January announcement that it is merging its Hulu + Live TV service with FuboTV.
The company aims to make the Disney-owned ESPN sports network accessible to as many viewers as possible, he said.
“Some will want to consume it just through an app,” Iger said during the call. “Some will want to consume it as part of the more traditional, expanded, basic bundle. Some will migrate in the direction of skinnier bundles or sports bundles only.”
His comments came as consumers suffer from streaming fatigue, as PayTechFocus wrote last month, with platforms raising their prices and viewers growing dissatisfied with the quality of content on offer.
“[S]urveys, such as TiVo’s 2024 report, suggest satisfaction with both ad-free and ad-supported services has declined, sparking concerns that the golden age of high-quality, original programming might be over,” the report said.
PayTechFocus Intelligence’s “Subscription Commerce Readiness Report” found that cost is the chief factor leading consumers to end their streaming subscriptions.
Disney saw a 5% uptick in revenues, from $23.5 billion in Q1 2024 to $24.7 billion in Q1 2025.
The company had 178 million Disney+ and Hulu subscribers during the quarter, a 900,000-member increase from the previous quarter. Subscribers just to Disney+ came to 125 million, down 700,000 quarter over quarter.
Disney’s parks and experiences revenue rose 28% on a global level year over year but was down 5% nationally, in part because of Hurricanes Helene and Milton.
Disney announced last month the Hulu-Fubo merger, a deal that gives Disney a 70% stake in Fubo and creates the second-largest internet-based pay-TV provider in North America next to YouTube TV.
As part of the merger, Fubo agreed to drop a lawsuit against Venu, a Disney-backed sports streaming venture. Fubo had accused Disney — and fellow backers Fox and Warner Bros. — of violating antitrust laws with the project.
Disney’s Fubo deal has since sparked antitrust concerns from DirectTV and Dish Network, which had supported Fubo’s initial lawsuit.
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