Disney stock surged 10% on Friday, on its official unveiling of Disney+, a video streaming service. Disney+ will be available from Nov 12 for $6.99 a month or $69.99 a year. $4 less than Netflix’s most popular plan, this is a price point at which Disney hopes it can undercut Netflix – and other competitors – in what has become an increasingly crowded field.
Wall Street’s reaction to the announcement suggests that old media’s malaise may be slowly lifting. Investors may finally be willing to treat entertainment companies the same as tech companies, i.e. accepting short-term losses in exchange for long-term growth. Disney repriced sharply upwards despite announcing that its new streaming services, Disney+ and ESPN+, will be loss-making for the next half a decade; profitability is not expected till 2023-24.
Technically, the stock has broken out of a huge ascending triangle dating back to early 2016, to all-time highs. Having gapped up so violently, and into untrammelled territory, there is little meaningful to say from a technical perspective, other than to note that the move leaves: (i) the stock technically overbought; and (ii) a huge gap for the stock to eventually close. $120 should now act as solid support.
Wall Street’s reaction to the announcement suggests that old media’s malaise may be slowly lifting. Investors may finally be willing to treat entertainment companies the same as tech companies, i.e. accepting short-term losses in exchange for long-term growth. Disney repriced sharply upwards despite announcing that its new streaming services, Disney+ and ESPN+, will be loss-making for the next half a decade; profitability is not expected till 2023-24.
Technically, the stock has broken out of a huge ascending triangle dating back to early 2016, to all-time highs. Having gapped up so violently, and into untrammelled territory, there is little meaningful to say from a technical perspective, other than to note that the move leaves: (i) the stock technically overbought; and (ii) a huge gap for the stock to eventually close. $120 should now act as solid support.