Walt Disney Co's Customers Performance

ABC produces its own programs and also acquires programming rights from third parties as well as entities that are owned by or affiliated with the Company. ABC derives the majority of its revenues from the sale to advertisers of time in network programs for commercial announcements. The ability to sell time for commercial announcements and the rates received are primarily dependent on the size and nature of the audience that the network can deliver to the advertiser as well as overall advertiser demand for time on network broadcasts. ABC also receives fees for its broadcast feed from affiliated television stations.

Syndicated programming includes the daytime talk shows, Katie and Live! with Kelly and Michael, and the game show, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. The Company also produces news programming including World News with Diane Sawyer, 20/20, Nightline, Good Morning America and This Week with George Stephanopoulos and programming for daytime such as General Hospital, The View and The Chew.

Television Distribution
We distribute the Company’s productions worldwide in pay and syndication television markets, in DVD and Blu-ray format and also online via Company internet sites, Hulu and third-party services.

PARKS AND RESORTS

The businesses in the Parks and Resorts segment generate revenues predominately from the sale of admissions to theme parks; sales of food, beverage and merchandise; charges for room nights at hotels; sales of cruise vacation packages; and sales and rentals of vacation club properties. Significant costs include labor; depreciation; costs of merchandise, food and beverage sold; marketing and sales expense; repairs and maintenance; utilities; information technology; and cost of vacation club units.

The Walt Disney World Resort is marketed through a variety of international, national and local advertising and promotional activities. A number of attractions and restaurants in each of the theme parks are sponsored by other corporations through long-term agreements.

STUDIO ENTERTAINMENT

Theatrical Market
We produce and distribute both live-action films and full-length animated films. During fiscal 2014, we expect to distribute domestically ten of our own produced feature films and four DreamWorks films. As of September 28, 2013, the Company had released domestically approximately 984 full-length live-action features and 95 full-length animated features.
In the domestic theatrical market, we generally distribute and market our filmed products directly. In most major international markets, we distribute our filmed products directly while in other markets our films are distributed by independent distribution companies or joint ventures.
The Company incurs significant marketing and advertising costs before and throughout the theatrical release of a film in an effort to generate public awareness of the film, to increase the public’s intent to view the film and to help generate consumer interest in the subsequent home entertainment and other ancillary markets. These costs are expensed as incurred. Therefore, we typically incur losses on a film in the theatrical markets, including in periods prior to the theatrical release of the film.

Home Entertainment Market
In the domestic market, we distribute home entertainment releases directly under each of our motion picture banners. In the international market, we distribute home entertainment releases under each of our motion picture banners both directly and through independent distribution companies. In addition, we acquire and produce original content for direct-to-video release.
Domestic and international home entertainment distribution typically starts three to six months after the theatrical release in each market. Home entertainment releases may be distributed in both physical (DVD and Blu-ray) and electronic formats. Titles are generally sold to retailers, such as Wal-Mart and Best Buy and physical rental channels, such as Netflix; however, the rental channels may be delayed up to 28 days after the start of home entertainment distribution.

Television Market
Pay-Per-View (PPV)/Video-on-Demand (VOD): Concurrently with, or up to one month after, home entertainment distribution begins, we license titles to PPV/VOD service providers (typically MVPDs) for electronic delivery to consumers for a specified rental period (e.g. 24 hours) at a price comparable to that of physical media rentals.

Pay Television (Pay 1): There are generally three pay television windows. The first window is generally eighteen months in duration and follows the PPV/VOD window. The Company has licensed exclusive domestic pay television rights to substantially all films released under the Walt Disney Pictures, Pixar and Touchstone Pictures banners to the Starz pay television service through calendar year 2015. DreamWorks titles distributed by the Company are licensed to Showtime under a separate agreement.

Free Television (Free 1): The Pay 1 window is followed by a television window that may last up to 84 months. Motion pictures are usually sold in the Free 1 window to major broadcast networks, including ABC, and basic cable services.
Pay Television 2 (Pay 2) and Free Television 2 (Free 2): In the U.S., Free 1 is generally followed by a twelve-month Pay 2 window under our license arrangements with Starz and Showtime, and then by a Free 2 window that generally lasts up to 84 months. Packages of the Company’s feature films have been licensed for broadcast under multi-year agreements within the Free 2 window. The Free 2 window is a syndication window where films are licensed both to basic cable networks, subscription video on demand (SVOD) services and to third-party television station groups.

Pay Television 3 (Pay 3) and Free Television 3 (Free 3): In the U.S., Free 2 is generally followed by a seven-month Pay 3 window under our license arrangements with Starz and Showtime, and then by a Free 3 window. Packages of the Company’s feature films have been licensed for broadcast under multi-year agreements within the Free 3 window. The Free 3 window is a syndication window where films are licensed to basic cable networks and SVOD services.

Following the conclusion of Starz’s exclusive domestic pay television rights at the end of calendar year 2015, Netflix will have exclusive domestic pay television rights for the Pay 1 and Pay 2 windows through calendar year 2018.

International Television: The Company also licenses its theatrical properties outside of the U.S. The typical windowing sequence is consistent with the domestic cycle such that titles premiere on television in PPV/VOD then air in pay TV before airing in free TV. Windowing strategies are developed in response to local market practices and conditions, and the exact sequence and length of each window can vary country by country.

CONSUMER PRODUCTS

The businesses in the Consumer Products segment generate royalty revenue by licensing characters from our film, television and other properties to third parties for use on consumer merchandise, wholesale revenue from publishing children’s books and magazines and comic books, sales of merchandise at our retail stores, fees charged at our English language learning centers and sales of merchandise at internet shopping sites. Significant costs include costs of goods sold and distribution expenses, operating labor and retail occupancy costs.

The Company’s merchandise licensing operations cover a diverse range of product categories, the most significant of which are: toys, apparel, home décor and furnishings, stationery, health and beauty, food, footwear and consumer electronics. The Company licenses characters from its film, television and other properties for use on third-party products in these categories and earns royalties, which are usually based on a fixed percentage of the wholesale or retail selling price of the products. Some of the major properties licensed by the Company include: Mickey and Minnie; the Marvel properties including Spider-Man, The Avengers and Iron Man; Disney Princess; Cars; Disney Jr.; Star Wars; Winnie the Pooh; Monsters University; and Toy Story. The Company also participates in the design of individual products and creates exclusive themed and seasonal promotional campaigns for retailers based on the Companys characters, movies and TV shows.

INTERACTIVE

The businesses in the Interactive segment generate revenue from the sale of multi-platform console games, subscriptions to and micro transactions for online and mobile games, content and handset revenue from our Disney branded mobile phone business in Japan, and online advertising and sponsorships. We also generate fees from licensing our properties to third-party game publishers. Significant costs include cost of goods sold and distribution expenses and product development.

ABC produces its own programs and also acquires programming rights from third parties as well as entities that are owned by or affiliated with the Company. ABC derives the majority of its revenues from the sale to advertisers of time in network programs for commercial announcements. The ability to sell time for commercial announcements and the rates received are primarily dependent on the size and nature of the audience that the network can deliver to the advertiser as well as overall advertiser demand for time on network broadcasts. ABC also receives fees for its broadcast feed from affiliated television stations.

Syndicated programming includes the daytime talk shows, Katie and Live! with Kelly and Michael, and the game show, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. The Company also produces news programming including World News with Diane Sawyer, 20/20, Nightline, Good Morning America and This Week with George Stephanopoulos and programming for daytime such as General Hospital, The View and The Chew.

Television Distribution
We distribute the Company’s productions worldwide in pay and syndication television markets, in DVD and Blu-ray format and also online via Company internet sites, Hulu and third-party services.

PARKS AND RESORTS

The businesses in the Parks and Resorts segment generate revenues predominately from the sale of admissions to theme parks; sales of food, beverage and merchandise; charges for room nights at hotels; sales of cruise vacation packages; and sales and rentals of vacation club properties. Significant costs include labor; depreciation; costs of merchandise, food and beverage sold; marketing and sales expense; repairs and maintenance; utilities; information technology; and cost of vacation club units.

The Walt Disney World Resort is marketed through a variety of international, national and local advertising and promotional activities. A number of attractions and restaurants in each of the theme parks are sponsored by other corporations through long-term agreements.

STUDIO ENTERTAINMENT

Theatrical Market
We produce and distribute both live-action films and full-length animated films. During fiscal 2014, we expect to distribute domestically ten of our own produced feature films and four DreamWorks films. As of September 28, 2013, the Company had released domestically approximately 984 full-length live-action features and 95 full-length animated features.
In the domestic theatrical market, we generally distribute and market our filmed products directly. In most major international markets, we distribute our filmed products directly while in other markets our films are distributed by independent distribution companies or joint ventures.
The Company incurs significant marketing and advertising costs before and throughout the theatrical release of a film in an effort to generate public awareness of the film, to increase the public’s intent to view the film and to help generate consumer interest in the subsequent home entertainment and other ancillary markets. These costs are expensed as incurred. Therefore, we typically incur losses on a film in the theatrical markets, including in periods prior to the theatrical release of the film.

Home Entertainment Market
In the domestic market, we distribute home entertainment releases directly under each of our motion picture banners. In the international market, we distribute home entertainment releases under each of our motion picture banners both directly and through independent distribution companies. In addition, we acquire and produce original content for direct-to-video release.
Domestic and international home entertainment distribution typically starts three to six months after the theatrical release in each market. Home entertainment releases may be distributed in both physical (DVD and Blu-ray) and electronic formats. Titles are generally sold to retailers, such as Wal-Mart and Best Buy and physical rental channels, such as Netflix; however, the rental channels may be delayed up to 28 days after the start of home entertainment distribution.

Television Market
Pay-Per-View (PPV)/Video-on-Demand (VOD): Concurrently with, or up to one month after, home entertainment distribution begins, we license titles to PPV/VOD service providers (typically MVPDs) for electronic delivery to consumers for a specified rental period (e.g. 24 hours) at a price comparable to that of physical media rentals.

Pay Television (Pay 1): There are generally three pay television windows. The first window is generally eighteen months in duration and follows the PPV/VOD window. The Company has licensed exclusive domestic pay television rights to substantially all films released under the Walt Disney Pictures, Pixar and Touchstone Pictures banners to the Starz pay television service through calendar year 2015. DreamWorks titles distributed by the Company are licensed to Showtime under a separate agreement.

Free Television (Free 1): The Pay 1 window is followed by a television window that may last up to 84 months. Motion pictures are usually sold in the Free 1 window to major broadcast networks, including ABC, and basic cable services.
Pay Television 2 (Pay 2) and Free Television 2 (Free 2): In the U.S., Free 1 is generally followed by a twelve-month Pay 2 window under our license arrangements with Starz and Showtime, and then by a Free 2 window that generally lasts up to 84 months. Packages of the Company’s feature films have been licensed for broadcast under multi-year agreements within the Free 2 window. The Free 2 window is a syndication window where films are licensed both to basic cable networks, subscription video on demand (SVOD) services and to third-party television station groups.

Pay Television 3 (Pay 3) and Free Television 3 (Free 3): In the U.S., Free 2 is generally followed by a seven-month Pay 3 window under our license arrangements with Starz and Showtime, and then by a Free 3 window. Packages of the Company’s feature films have been licensed for broadcast under multi-year agreements within the Free 3 window. The Free 3 window is a syndication window where films are licensed to basic cable networks and SVOD services.

Following the conclusion of Starz’s exclusive domestic pay television rights at the end of calendar year 2015, Netflix will have exclusive domestic pay television rights for the Pay 1 and Pay 2 windows through calendar year 2018.

International Television: The Company also licenses its theatrical properties outside of the U.S. The typical windowing sequence is consistent with the domestic cycle such that titles premiere on television in PPV/VOD then air in pay TV before airing in free TV. Windowing strategies are developed in response to local market practices and conditions, and the exact sequence and length of each window can vary country by country.

CONSUMER PRODUCTS

The businesses in the Consumer Products segment generate royalty revenue by licensing characters from our film, television and other properties to third parties for use on consumer merchandise, wholesale revenue from publishing children’s books and magazines and comic books, sales of merchandise at our retail stores, fees charged at our English language learning centers and sales of merchandise at internet shopping sites. Significant costs include costs of goods sold and distribution expenses, operating labor and retail occupancy costs.

The Company’s merchandise licensing operations cover a diverse range of product categories, the most significant of which are: toys, apparel, home décor and furnishings, stationery, health and beauty, food, footwear and consumer electronics. The Company licenses characters from its film, television and other properties for use on third-party products in these categories and earns royalties, which are usually based on a fixed percentage of the wholesale or retail selling price of the products. Some of the major properties licensed by the Company include: Mickey and Minnie; the Marvel properties including Spider-Man, The Avengers and Iron Man; Disney Princess; Cars; Disney Jr.; Star Wars; Winnie the Pooh; Monsters University; and Toy Story. The Company also participates in the design of individual products and creates exclusive themed and seasonal promotional campaigns for retailers based on the Companys characters, movies and TV shows.

INTERACTIVE

The businesses in the Interactive segment generate revenue from the sale of multi-platform console games, subscriptions to and micro transactions for online and mobile games, content and handset revenue from our Disney branded mobile phone business in Japan, and online advertising and sponsorships. We also generate fees from licensing our properties to third-party game publishers. Significant costs include cost of goods sold and distribution expenses and product development.