Disney (DIS 0.16%) stock fell below $100 for the first time since October 2017 this week as the company has had to delay movie openings, close its theme parks, and curtail other entertainment programs.
Falling revenue everywhere
Under normal circumstances, Disney has a wide range of revenue stream, including film production, theme parks and attractions, hotels and cruises, licenses for consumer products, television networks, and more. While this allows the company significant opportunities for making money, the coronavirus pandemic is affecting all of them.
Image source: Disney.
These are some of the ways COVID-19 is impacting the entertainment giant:
- Delaying the release of "Mulan," which was expected to gross $80 to $100 million in it's opening weekend.
- Delaying all of its third quarter film releases. Last year Disney grossed over $1.5 billion in third quarter film releases.
- Closing all theme parks until at least April.
- Many retail stores shuttered, slashing sales of licensed merchandise.
- Cancelled sporting events that would be shown on its networks.
Disney massed $11 billion in revenue from its films in 2019, with the much-hyped releases of the last Star Wars movie and Frozen 2. 2020 wasn't expected to match that, and this will throw it off even more.
Creating uncertainty
Because the pandemic is affecting so many segments of its business, it's complicating Disney's ability to make predictions about its performance in the coming quarters. The company outlined its challenges in a Securities and Exchanges Commission filing on Thursday, saying, "We have closed our theme parks; suspended our cruises and theatrical shows; delayed theatrical distribution of films both domestically and internationally; and experienced supply chain disruption and ad sales impacts."
Some parts of Disney's model are intact during this time, such as direct streaming through Disney Plus and online merchandise sales.
