Walt Disney revenue up 5% in Q1 2025

The Walt Disney Company reported a 5% jump in its revenue in the first quarter of FY2025, to $24.7 billion, compared to $23.5 billion in Q1 of fiscal 2024.

In the financial result for Q1 FY2025, the company said it expects its India business to contribute $73 million to its entertainment segment operating income in fiscal 2025, a sharp decline from $254 million in the previous year. Meanwhile, its sports segment is projected to see a $9 million gain, a significant improvement from the $636 million loss recorded last year.

Additionally, the company reported an equity loss of $33 million from its India joint venture (JV) in Q1, mainly due to purchase accounting adjustments.

“For the full year, we expect an equity loss of roughly $300 million, driven by purchase accounting,” it said.

Its income before taxes saw a significant rise of 27%, reaching $3.7 billion, up from $2.9 billion in the same quarter of the previous fiscal year.  Depreciation and amortization expenses went up from $1,243 million in Q1 2024 to $1,276 million in Q1 2025. The company saw restructuring and impairment charges costing Rs $143 million this quarter.

Additionally, diluted earnings per share (EPS) experienced a substantial 35% increase, climbing to $1.40 from $1.04 in Q1 of fiscal 2024, highlighting improved earnings efficiency.

The company’s CEO Bob Iger said, “Our results this quarter demonstrate Disney’s creative and financial strength as we advanced the strategic initiatives set in motion over the past two years.”

“In fiscal Q1, we saw outstanding box office performance from our studios, which had the top three movies of 2024. We further improved the profitability of our Entertainment DTC streaming businesses. We took an important step to advance ESPN’s digital strategy by adding an ESPN tile on Disney+. Additionally, our Experiences segment demonstrated its enduring appeal as we continue investing strategically across the globe.

“Overall, this quarter proved to be a strong start to the fiscal year, and we remain confident in our strategy for continued growth,” he said.