Bragar Eagel & Squire, P.C., a nationally recognized shareholder rights law firm, is investigating potential claims against The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS) on behalf of long-term stockholders following a class action complaint that was filed against Disney on May 12, 2023 with a Class Period from December 10, 2020 and November 8, 2022. Our investigation concerns whether the board of directors of Disney have breached their fiduciary duties to the company.
As the Disney class action lawsuit alleges, defendants throughout the Class Period made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (i) Disney+ was suffering decelerating subscriber growth, losses, and cost overruns; (ii) the true costs incurred in connection with Disney+ had been concealed by Disney executives by debuting certain content intended for Disney+ initially on Disney’s legacy distribution channels and then making the shows available on Disney+ thereafter to improperly shift costs out of the Disney+ segment; (iii) Disney had made platform distribution decisions based not on consumer preference, consumer behavior, or the desire to maximize the size of the audience for the content as represented, but based on the desire to hide the full costs of building Disney+’s content library; and (iv) Disney was not on track to achieve even the reduced 2024 Disney+ paid global subscriber and profitability targets, such targets were not achievable, and such estimates lacked a reasonable basis in fact.
On November 8, 2022, Disney reported financial results for the fourth quarter and fiscal year end October 1, 2022, missing analyst estimates by wide margins on both the top and bottom lines. Specifically, Disney’s DTC segment reported a monumental operating loss of $1.47 billion compared to a $630 million loss in the same quarter the prior year while revenue in the segment increased just 8% to $4.9 billion. Disney also reported a decline in its average revenue per Disney+ subscriber, as more customers subscribed through a discounted bundle with Disney’s other services. Notably, the bundled offering made up about 40% of domestic subscribers, confirming that Disney was relying on short-term promotional efforts to boost subscriber growth while impairing Disney+’s long-term profitability. On this news, the price of Disney common stock declined more than 13%.
If you are a long-term stockholder of Disney, have information, would like to learn more about these claims, or have any questions concerning this announcement or your rights or interests with respect to these matters, please contact Brandon Walker or Marion Passmore by email at investigations@bespc.com, by telephone at (212) 355-4648, or by filling out this contact form. There is no cost or obligation to you.
About Bragar Eagel & Squire, P.C.:
Bragar Eagel & Squire, P.C. is a nationally recognized law firm with offices in New York and California. The firm represents individual and institutional investors in commercial, securities, derivative, and other complex litigation in state and federal courts across the country. For more information about the firm, please visit www.bespc.com. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.
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Contacts
Bragar Eagel & Squire, P.C.
Brandon Walker, Esq.
Marion Passmore, Esq.
(212) 355-4648
investigations@bespc.com
www.bespc.com
