Rita Ferro: Last News

Todd Spangler NY Digital EditorDisney is anticipating that over the long term, the majority of Disney+ customers will pick the lower-cost, ad-supported plan, which is set to launch later this year.“Based on our Hulu experience, we actually have more AVOD [ad-supported video-on-demand] than SVOD [subscription VOD] subscribers,” Disney CFO Christine McCarthy said, speaking Wednesday at the 9th Annual MoffettNathanson Media and Communications Summit. “We expect about the same percentage for both Disney+ and Hulu, just based on the experience curve we’ve witnessed.”A few years ago, Hulu revealed that 70% of its viewers were on ad-supported plans with the remainder on the pricier ad-free version.Since announcing plans to roll out Disney+ with ads in March, the company has mostly been mum on details about Disney+ with ads, saying only that it will be less expensive than the ad-free version (currently $7.99/month in the U.S.) and will debut first in the U.S.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV EditorNo matter how many awards categories get screen time at this year’s Oscars telecast, one thing will be certain: There will be advertising around them.Disney has sold all the 60 commercial slots it has around its coming broadcast of the event late last week, according to Rita Ferro, president of Disney Advertising Sales, and the company hopes the 2022 version of the program will serve as a “rebuild year” for the spectacle after the coronavirus pandemic severely crimped moviegoing.“We are all coming back to getting social and going out,” says Ferro, in an interview, and Disney’s ABC and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences have agreed to make changes to the show after it has run into strong viewership headwinds in recent years. Executives, she says, have worked to solve the question of “how do we make the show more compelling, more relevant to audiences?” Among the changes: a trio of female hosts — Amy Schumer, Wanda Sykes and Regina Hall — after three years of programs without a designated person to lead the crowd; a new producer, Will Packer; and a decision to award several categories during off-air moments, then edit those presentations in later n a bid to streamline the event, which is often criticized for being too long.

Disney said Friday consumer streaming service, Disney+ will introduce an ad-supported subscription in addition to its option without ads in the U.S. starting in late 2022, with plans to expand internationally in 2023.

Disney has confirmed it will join other media companies in hosting an in-person New York City upfront during the familiar mid-May week long known for broadcast network presentations to ad buyers.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV EditorDisney is shaking up its traditional “upfront” process, planning to host multiple showcases for advertisers that highlight sports, technology and creativity, while moving its annual sales event to a new venue.“Everyone recognizes we understand storytelling, but we are also leading with innovations around data and targeting and really connecting brands with their consumers,” says Rita Ferro, president of Disney Advertising Sales, in an interview.Disney intends to hold its biggest upfront event on Tuesday, May 17, at New York’s Basketball City complex downtown. The venue, says Ferro, will allow the company to discuss its broad media portfolio in a more communal, interactive manner.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV EditorWhile some other TV companies are trying to get advertisers to spend on the programs they may or may not have in the fall, Walt Disney hopes to interest sponsors in what it can do for them no matter what happens in the near future.The company has in recent days been making presentations to advertisers and media buyers that not only talk about opportunities that may arrive should production and live sports resume in coming weeks, but also what Disney has been able to do for clients as the nation has been strangled by the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.“Things are a little bit different now, and you have to show that,” says Rita Ferro, president of Disney Advertising Sales, in an interview.