In February the Walt Disney Company (Disney) reported their earnings for the First Quarter of their Fiscal Year of 2026.  In that report they announced that “The experiences unit, which includes Disney’s parks, cruises and consumer products, carried the December quarter, generating $10 billion in revenue and 72% of the company’s quarterly operating profit of nearly $5 billion.” (Emphasis added by Funeral Director Daily).

 

Current CEO Bob Iger, who will be retiring at the end of the year, also made this comment, “In the ‌world that changes as much as it does, in some form or another trying to preserve the status quo was a mistake, and I’m certain that my successor will not do that. . . ”

 

When he talks about preserving the “status quo” I think that comment is aimed at the TV Channels group of Disney.  As you may know, Disney owns the ABC channel, ESPN channel, and many others.  The report mentions that “Disney also stopped disclosing revenue and operating income for its TV channels” . . .saying it was “no longer relevant in a world where entertainment is distributed broadly”.

 

The company also made this comment about their services that directly compete with the TV Channel group, “Disney’s streaming services, which include Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN, reported a 72% spike in operating income to $450 million. Revenue ‌rose to $4.4 billion, up 13% from a year ago. 

 

Related — Article titled “Disney shares slump as theme parks see fewer International visitors“.  Yahoo Finance

 

Funeral Director Daily take:  I don’t think that the company is Disney matters to my take on this issue.  Disney simply is a company with many revenue sources and a company that is continuously evolving their product offerings to  appease the consumer’s changing appetite.

 

I take two points from this report and correlate them to funeral services or Death Care.  First of all, CEO Bob Iger’s quote “In the ‌world that changes as much as it does, in some form or another trying to preserve the status quo was a mistake, and I’m certain that my successor will not do that. . . ” hits home for me when I look at some traditional funeral homes and their operations today.

 

I think it is a statement that I would argue says to us “We can’t do things like we’ve always done and expect to be successful”.  Continuing on that point with the thought process of Disney’s TV Channel unit, we don’ want to be part of a business that our consumers believe is “no longer relevant” in a world of more and more options for Death Care disposition.

 

Death Care providers also need to continue to provide a recipe of services that appeals to that consumer appetite.  And, if we know that traditional burials will continue to decline, what will that appetite consist of?

 

That’s where my second thought or point of the article comes in.  Disney’s “Experiences Unit generated 72% of the company’s quarterly operating profit”.  Can we conclude by that that the American consumer is looking for “Experiences” and will pay for “Experiences”?

 

If that is true, I don’t think that families see charges for “Use of Facilities”, or “Basic Services of Funeral Director and Staff”, or “Embalming”, or “Transfer of Remains to the Funeral Home” as “Experiences” that they are willing to pay for.

 

For what it is worth. . . .I think more American consumers than we think are looking for “Experiences” or “Celebrations” surrounding the death of a loved one or have other ideas about memorialization concerning the expenditures around the death of a loved one.  It is my opinion that we need to start moving in that direction with our nomenclature and offerings and the much-delayed review of the FTC Funeral Rule may be one place to start.

 

And, don’t just take my word for it. . .. Here’s part of Carriage Service’s CEO and Chairman Carlos Quezada’s opening statement in Carriage’s latest Earnings Call.  Quezada capsulated what Carriage is doing in part by saying, “In closing, we’re building a best-in-class death care company defined by premier experiences, a high-performance culture,  . . . . .”

 

I’m suggesting that as merchants of Death Care it would be wise to give your client families an unmatched experience in your care of them . . . . or somebody else probably will for the next family member.  The same old, same old treatment will probably no longer resonate with today’s new consumers.

 

More news from the world of Death Care:  

• Fohn Funeral Services expands burial services and support resources for Southwest Missouri families.  Hattiesburg American  USA Today Network
• A child buried in a Phillipsburg wheat field in the 1840’s is finally getting a grave marker.  LehighValleyLive.com (PA)

 

Enter your e-mail below to join the 3,201 others who receive Funeral Director Daily articles daily

“A servant’s attitude guided by Christ leads to a significant life”