Subscriber Losses at ESPN, Disney Channel

It brings the customer numbers down to where they been a decade ago, as in 2006, the numbers were 92 million. Time Warner Inc. has also recently reported a slide in subscribers as viewers migrate to services like Netflix and HBO Go for their programming.

At A+E Networks, a joint venture of Disney and Hearst, A&E Network was down 3 million subscribers to 94 million, History was down 2 million to 95 million subscribers and Lifetime was down 2 million to 94 million subs.

If all these numbers are added then ESPN has lost around $700 million in subscriber revenue in comparison to the amount drawn in 2013.

In August, Disney had announced that earnings at its cable networks were below its estimates, hurt by subscriber losses and currency translation. The company’s strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its revenue growth, solid stock price performance, growth in earnings per share, increase in net income and notable return on equity.

Bob Iger, chief executive of Disney, revealed in August that ESPN was experiencing “modest” declines in its subscribers as a growing number of viewers are moving to digital forms of sports coverage that are cheaper. The Street’s analysts have been concerned whether the company is paying too much for such deals. Investors are more interested in Disney’s movies than in its channels.

Out of the 28 analysts polled by TipRanks, 14 rate Walt Disney Company stock a Buy, while 14 rate the stock a Hold. In addition, despite its troubles with ESPN, the Burbank, California-based entertainment behemoth is expected to draw $200 million on the opening weekend for the widely anticipated “Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens”. After all, this is the business they have always been successful in and are more likely to keep up with the good work and good movies.