Walt Disney (DIS 0.07%) CEO Bob Iger revealed a stunning statistic during the company's first-quarter earnings call on Monday morning. Of the 60 films that have generated at least $1 billion in box office receipts, Disney's studios are responsible for 37 billion-dollar blockbusters. That's more than 60% of all billion-dollar films and four times Disney's nearest competitor.
Image source: Walt Disney.
Zootopia 2 is one of the latest billion-dollar films from Disney, grossing $1.7 billion in ticket sales and cementing its status as the top-grossing animated film of all time. Disney's films generated $6.5 billion in cumulative box office sales in 2025, its third-best year ever.
Disney has a strong lineup for 2026 as well, with Toy Story 5 and Avengers: Doomsday headlining its release schedule. While the company will likely have another great year at the box office, the value of its film franchises extends well beyond ticket sales.
The Disney flywheel in action
Zootopia 2, the latest Avatar movie, and many of Disney's other recent blockbusters aren't available on the Disney+ streaming service yet. However, those movies are still driving viewership. Iger noted that the prior Zootopia and Avatar movies that are available are racking up streams and viewing hours.
These are old movies. The original Zootopia came out in 2016, and the first Avatar movie was released in 2009. Despite their age, the success of the latest iterations of these franchises at the box office is driving viewers to Disney+ and almost certainly contributing to subscriber gains. Disney stopped disclosing subscriber counts, but streaming revenue rose by 11% year over year in the first quarter.
The success of Zootopia 2 also contributed to Disney's parks business. Disney Shanghai has Zootopia Land, and Iger noted that a significant percentage of visitors come to the park solely for Zootopia. The World of Frozen, based on Disney's wildly popular Frozen film franchise, will debut at Disney Paris in March . Frozen 3 is set to be released in 2027 and will no doubt drive visitors to the park.
Disney doesn't just dominate the box office; it parlays its wildly successful film franchises into wins in streaming, consumer products, and experiences. Other media companies do this to a degree, but none do it as well as Disney.
Is it time to buy Disney stock?
Shares of Disney slipped on Monday morning despite a generally solid earnings report. This could be a nice opportunity to buy the stock, although investors will need to be patient. Disney is navigating multiple transitions, including the decline of linear TV and uncertainty over the future of the movie theater business.
NYSE: DIS
Key Data Points
While Disney's results may be bumpy, the company's knack for leveraging its content catalog and IP across its sprawling empire is a great reason to buy the stock despite the challenges it faces. With Disney shares still down nearly 50% from their all-time high, long-term investors should take a serious look.
