A massive data breach at Disney has exposed sensitive information, including financial details on Disney+ streaming revenue.
“Over a terabyte of data”
According to files obtained by The Wall Street Journal, hackers gained access to over 4 million Slack messages, 18,800 spreadsheets, and 13,000 PDFs, shedding light on the company’s operations, strategies, and financial performance.
The leaked data, released by a hacking group called Nullbulge, appears to originate from a single employee’s access to public and private Slack channels within the company. It isn’t official data of the sort Disney discloses to Wall Street and might not reflect final financial performance for a given period, the Journal stated.
Disney+ streaming revenue
Among the leaked information are detailed spreadsheets revealing the revenue generated by Disney+. The data suggests that Disney’s popular streaming service generated more than $2.4 billion in revenue in the March quarter. That amounts to about 43% of revenue the company reports for its direct-to-consumer entertainment business, which also includes Hulu… This information is of particular interest given Disney’s pursuit of Comcast’s stake in the streaming service and the ongoing discussions regarding its valuation.
The leak also sheds light on the financial performance of Disney’s Genie+ premium park pass, which was launched in 2021. According to the leaked documents, Genie+ generated over $724 million in pretax revenue at Walt Disney World alone between October 2021 and June 2024.
No impact on operations or financial performance
In addition to financial data, the leaked files contain personally identifiable information of Disney employees and customers, including passport numbers, visa details, and contact information. This raises serious privacy concerns.
Last month, Disney told investors in a regulatory filing that it is investigating the unauthorized release of “over a terabyte of data” from one of its communications systems. The company said the incident hadn’t had a material impact on its operations or financial performance and doesn’t expect that it will.
