Disney CEO Josh D'Amaro outlines his vision for Disney+ and AI in a new memo to employees after a strong quarter

Jade GAO / AFP via Getty Images

Disney CEO Josh D'Amaro congratulated employees after a strong quarter — and outlined his plans for Disney+ and AI.

Visit freshyourfeel.org for more information.

"Our performance reflects the strength of our businesses, the enduring power of our stories and brands, and, most importantly, the extraordinary work you do every day," D'Amaro said in a memo viewed by Business Insider.

D'Amaro shared his vision for Disney+ with staffers, which involves building a "super app" that he hopes will eventually include games and merchandise.

"Beyond our films and series, Disney+ will continue to evolve, bringing together games, merchandise, and other experiences, while offering increased personalization, exclusivity, and benefits for subscribers," D'Amaro wrote in his memo.

A supercharged Disney+ would "deepen engagement, improve the value proposition, lower churn, and — most importantly — increase lifetime fan value," D'Amaro wrote. These changes are expected to start next spring, he said.

D'Amaro also talked about his AI strategy, saying Disney is "leveraging AI to bring the most innovative tools to our storytellers."

The CEO reiterated that "AI isn't simply about efficiency — it's about enhancing a creative process that will always be human-centered, artist-driven, and creator-led."

Read the full memo from D'Amaro below:

Dear Fellow Employees & Cast Members,Today, we reported our Q3 results, and I want to share a few highlights that you helped make possible. Our performance reflects the strength of our businesses, the enduring power of our stories and brands, and, most importantly, the extraordinary work you do every day.During my first five months as CEO, I've been focused on ensuring that we execute as one company around a unified strategy. And what we're seeing this quarter is proof that coordinating our franchises, sharing data and technology, and building seamless fan experiences works. Disney's fundamental advantage is the depth of our fan relationships, and that translates directly to growth in our business.Today, we find ourselves in an environment where consumers have more options than ever for their time, and yet, our results show they keep choosing to spend their time with Disney. This success reflects our continued execution across three strategic priorities: First, investing in creative excellence and world-class IP. Second, leveraging technology to accelerate growth and drive returns. And third, deepening our direct relationships with fans by creating a more connected Disney experience. Anchoring these strategic priorities is our One Disney operating model, which will allow us to fully capture the value of our portfolio for both fans and shareholders.This quarter at Disney Experiences, we grew global guests 4% year-over-year, with particular strength at Walt Disney World, while also benefitting from additional capacity at Disney Cruise Line. Forward bookings at our domestic parks and cruise line remain healthy, and we are investing to sustain that growth and, over the lifetime of these projects, deliver strong growth returns. The pipeline includes major attractions at every site, including Villains Land in Orlando and the Avengers Campus expansion in Anaheim, amongst others in the U.S., and our previously announced cruise ship expansion.At our studios, the strength of our franchise IP was evident in the financial and cultural impact of Toy Story 5, which recently surpassed $1 billion at the global box office. The five Toy Story films have delivered over $4 billion in global box office and over 2 billion hours streamed on Disney+. Across all retailers, Toy Story generates more than $1 billion annually in global sales and reaches fans across every Disney park and cruise ship, including four immersive lands, 19 attractions, and two hotels. That's the Disney flywheel in action: one powerful and enduring story, told across theaters, streaming, retail, and physical experiences. That integration creates a structure no one else has been able to replicate.Of course, I'd be remiss not to acknowledge and congratulate everyone on this past weekend's record-breaking opening for Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Congratulations to Sony, Kevin Feige, and the Marvel Studios team — it's an unbelievable result, and it's one more example that audiences will turn out in force for great theatrical experiences. Sixty-five years after his debut, Spider-Man remains one of the most popular characters, through consumer products, parks, and streaming. And this weekend, it's a great reminder of just how much strength this franchise still has. And it goes without saying that the success of Spider-Man bodes well for our upcoming and highly anticipated Avengers: Doomsday film.Turning to streaming, Entertainment SVOD continued to perform well in the quarter, and we passed an important milestone in app unification, allowing Hulu standalone and bundle subscribers to link profiles and manage subscriptions on Disney+. Our long-term streaming strategy rests on two pillars: make the core streaming experience the best in the marketplace and connect our businesses into a single digital ecosystem. Beyond our films and series, Disney+ will continue to evolve, bringing together games, merchandise, and other experiences, while offering increased personalization, exclusivity, and benefits for subscribers. All of this is designed to deepen engagement, improve the value proposition, lower churn, and — most importantly — increase lifetime fan value. We expect to introduce elements of this expanded ecosystem beginning in Spring of 2027.That same strategy also extends to Sports, where ESPN gives us another powerful way to deepen our relationship with fans. This quarter, the unique passion of sports fandom drove over 100% growth in NBA Finals and NHL postseason viewership across ESPN and ABC versus the prior season, making this the most viewed fiscal Q3 on ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPN on ABC since 2016.Underpinning all of this work is our deep commitment to embracing emerging technology. Our company was founded on the convergence of creativity and breakthrough technology — and continuing that tradition is a priority for me and this leadership team. That's why we're leveraging AI to bring the most innovative tools to our storytellers. As I've said before, AI isn't simply about efficiency — it's about enhancing a creative process that will always be human-centered, artist-driven, and creator-led.To sum it all up, there is real clarity of purpose across our company. We know who we are: storytellers with an unmatched ability to reach fans across every format and geography. When we combine that strength with speed, discipline, and innovation, there is no limit to what we can achieve.Thank you for everything you are doing to move Disney forward. I am proud of what we accomplished this quarter, and even more excited about what we will build together. I look forward to seeing many of you next week in Anaheim for D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, where we will unveil more of the exciting things we have in the works from across the company.Josh

Read the original article on Business Insider

Read full story at source