LONDON: Walt Disney’s streaming service will start cracking down on password-sharing from June, CEO Bob Iger said on Thursday, as the entertainment conglomerate looks to boost subscriber growth and make the business profitable.
Iger also signaled a need for consolidation in the streaming industry and said Disney was “eventually” looking at double-digit margins for the business, in a wide-ranging interview with CNBC.
Streaming rival Netflix’s password-sharing crackdown had helped it add nearly 22 million subscribers in the second half of 2023 and shatter Wall Street expectations.
Iger’s interview came just a day after Disney investors backed him and other company directors in a proxy battle with activist investors, including Nelson Peltz, who argued that the Mouse House had underperformed in the streaming-television era.
“The proxy vote was a decisive, true endorsement of the board,” he said, noting the company was taking the topic of CEO succession — a key concern of shareholders — “very seriously.”
The win strengthened Iger’s hand at a crucial time. Disney is trying to reinvigorate its film and television franchises, make its streaming unit profitable and find partners for building sports network ESPN’s digital future.
Meanwhile, in an interview with CNBC just minutes after Iger’s, Peltz said he hoped that the Disney CEO can keep his promises.
“If they do it, they won’t hear from me again,” Peltz said.
Iger also addressed criticism by billionaire Elon Musk, who backed Peltz and had lashed out against advertisers including Disney with a profanity-laced tirade in November for fleeing social media platform X on concerns over antisemitic content.
“I ignore it,” Iger said of Musk’s criticism.
Disney shares were up about 0.7 percent higher in morning trade. They have risen about 30 percent so far this year, making them the top performer on the blue-chip Dow Jones Industrial Average.
Iger said on Thursday that talks were going on for the strategic partner for ESPN.
Disney to start cracking down on password-sharing from June, CEO Iger says
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Disney to start cracking down on password-sharing from June, CEO Iger says
- Move aims to boost subscriber growth and make the business profitable
MrBeast’s first Saudi-shot video racks up tens of millions of views as Riyadh Season leans into his brand
- ‘100 Pilots Fight for a Private Jet’ amassed around 72m views and tens of thousands of comments within days of release
- Production coincides with ‘Beast Land,’ a theme-park-style experience at Riyadh Season
LONDON: MrBeast’s first video filmed in Saudi Arabia has pulled in tens of millions of views within days of release, coinciding with Riyadh Season 2025’s celebrations themed around the US creator’s extravagant stunts and big-money giveaways.
The YouTuber, whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson, published “100 Pilots Fight for a Private Jet” on Saturday, featuring 100 pilots from different countries competing for a private jet worth about $2.4 million. The episode follows his signature formula of large-scale, elimination-style challenges built around eye-catching prizes.
Within a few days, the video had amassed around 72 million views and tens of thousands of comments, underscoring the continued global pull of MrBeast’s content. Organizers of Riyadh Season have highlighted the collaboration as a sign of the festival’s growing international profile.
Donaldson, who began posting videos in 2012, has become one of the world’s most influential online creators, with more than 450 million subscribers and a business empire spanning sponsorships, consumer brands such as Feastables, and food ventures including MrBeast Burger.
Various estimates value his wealth in the billions of dollars, although figures differ across sources.
His rapid rise has also brought scrutiny. A reality competition project, “The Beast Games,” has faced lawsuits alleging unsafe working conditions, harassment, and withheld pay and prizes, claims that Donaldson has dismissed as being “blown out of proportion.”
Some of his high-profile philanthropic videos, such as funding eye surgeries, hearing treatments, or well-building projects in Africa, have been questioned by observers who argue they blur the line between charity, branding, and spectacle.
Despite the controversy, his popularity remains strong, including in the Middle East. In Riyadh, he has lent his name and concepts to “Beast Land,” a temporary theme-park-style experience running from Nov. 13 to Dec. 27, featuring obstacle courses and game-style challenges reminiscent of his online videos.
The collaboration comes amid a broader push by Riyadh Season to cement the Saudi capital’s status as a major entertainment destination. Last year’s edition attracted more than 20 million visitors from 135 countries, and organizers say they expect greater numbers this year.
