Disney released its earnings this past Thursday, bringing the Q3 earnings season to an end. Here are some highlights from the report:
 

• Revenues increased 6% during the quarter, to USD 22.6 billion from USD 21.2 billion in the prior-year quarter
• Income before income taxes declined 6% YOY to USD 0.9 billion.
• Revenue for the entertainment segment – which includes the traditional TV networks, direct-to-consumer streaming and films – increased 14% YOY.
• Disney ended the quarter with 174 million Disney+ Core and Hulu subscriptions, and more than 120 million Disney+ Core paid subscribers, an increase of 4.4 million over the prior quarter.

In March of this year, Spotify launched a beta version of music videos in 12 selected markets. Just last month, the feature was expanded to 85 additional markets. Now, Spotify is further investing in video and tools for podcasters, describing this initiative as “the biggest update to podcasts on Spotify ever.”

The company’s service, previously known as “Spotify for Podcasters,” is being rebranded and enhanced as “Spotify for Creators.” This updated platform will function as a free, all-in-one solution for podcast hosting and analytics. Key features include a revamped mobile app experience, advanced analytics, a range of new monetization options, and tools for uploading short-form vertical clips to promote episodes, complete with customizable thumbnails.

Spotify has introduced a new monetization initiative for creators, called the Spotify Partner Program. This program offers creators more opportunities to generate revenue from their content, including earnings from ads and video consumption by Spotify Premium subscribers. The initiative will initially launch in the US, UK, Australia, and Canada. Additionally, Premium subscribers in these regions will enjoy uninterrupted video podcast viewing, free from ads.

These new updates are driven by a growth in video viewing on Spotify, with more than 250 million people (around 39% of its current users) having watched a video podcast on the service. Spotify also announced that it now has more than 300 000 video podcasts on the platform. The new features will initially roll out in the US, UK, Australia and Canada. The release is set for January, which is also the point where Spotify Premium subscribers will stop seeing ads when they watch videos on the service.

Mediavision has previously highlighted this trend, as bundling has become increasingly common in the media industry. Music streaming services like Apple Music and YouTube Music both offer bundles that include video streaming. While Spotify does not offer similar bundles currently in the Nordics, its recent investments in video content is a step towards competing in this space. More insights into music services and market competition can be found in Mediavision’s latest analysis of the Swedish audio market, Insikt Ljudmarknad. The Q3 edition of this report was recently published, please contact fredrik.liljeqvist@mediavision.se, for more information on this report.

Warner Bros. Discovery and the National Basketball Association (NBA) have extended their media partnership by 11 years. In the U.S., this agreement grants Warner Bros. Discovery rights to use NBA content across its platforms, including TNT Sports, Bleacher Report, and House of Highlights. The settlement resolves a recent dispute where Warner Bros. Discovery sued the NBA after the league declined the company’s offer for a media broadcast package.

The new agreement also covers broadcasting rights for the Nordic region. Beginning next season, Warner Bros. Discovery will air 100 regular season NBA games, along with the entire playoffs, across all Nordic countries.

– The NBA is not only a fantastic sports league, but also world-class entertainment. We are happy to be able to bring it to Nordic screens, and make it more engaging than ever, says Antti Haajanen, Nordic Sports Manager at Warner Bros. Discovery.

The current broadcasting rights for the NBA in the Nordics are held by TV2 in Denmark, Sanoma in Finland, Schibsted in Norway, and TV4 in Sweden. With the new agreement, the NBA will have a new broadcasting home in all Nordic countries for the next eleven years under Warner Bros. Discovery.

Basketball generally garners relatively low interest in the Nordics. However, the NBA remains the most popular basketball league in the region, with approximately 800,000 individuals aged 15–74 expressing interest in watching NBA games on TV or online. This is presented in Mediavision’s latest Sports Analysis.

Här är ljudmarknadens största utmaningar 2025 och framåt – Dagens Media

Styrkebesked från svenska strömningsmarknaden – Dagens industri

Report: Ad tiers boost streaming subs in Sweden – Advanced Television

Hvod driver tillväxt på streamingmarknaden – Dagens media

Tiktok störst bland unga – det blir konsekvenserna – Expressen

Stadig flere velger strømming med reklame: – Lar seg ikke skremme – Kampanje

Strømming med reklame fortsetter å vokse kraftig i Norge – KOM24

TikTok has over 1 million daily viewers in Sweden – Broadband TV News

Tiktok har over én mio. daglige brugere i Sverige – Mediawatch

Growth in Sweden for podcasts and streaming – Podnews

Report: Continued growth for streamed music in Sweden – Advanced Television

Norge på topp på strømming, men globale aktører løper ifra – Medier24