Taylor Swift Just Started a New 2 P.M. Countdown—Here's What She Could be Announcing
Is another The Life of a Showgirl alternate cover coming? Will we finally get Taylor Swift's first single from her new album? At 2 P.M. ET today, Swift will tell us.
The singer quietly launched her second countdown of the week on her site this morning, set in glittery turquoise. The URL of the site is store.taylorswift.com/password, just like last time.
On August 18, Swift posted a purple countdown that led to her announcing a limited-edition vinyl collection for her album, called 'The Shiny Bug' collection. The records were available for just 48 hours.
Ahead of that reveal, fans theorized that she could be announcing 'Actually Romantic' as her first single or even that she's playing the Super Bowl halftime show next year.
Given this countdown's timing—and the industry standard of artists releasing new music at midnight on Fridays—there's a good chance Swift could be announcing a single will come out tonight.
Swift has stayed out of the public eye this week, but she spoke on New Heights just days ago about why she loves setting Easter eggs for fans. That desire to connect with them could be fueling her multiple countdowns.
The singer discussed her methodology, saying, 'The art of the Easter egg is that there's do's and don'ts, right? I'm never going to plant an Easter egg that ties back to my personal life. It's always going to be towards music...'
'Something I'm coming up with, something I have coming up, a plan I have coming together,' she continued. 'Something that you don't know I'm saying for a specific reason that you'll hear later and you'll go back and be like, 'Oh my god.' I think my favorite one of those was I was given an honorary doctorate from NYU, and I made the commencement speech. And I put so many lyrical Easter eggs in that speech that when the Midnights album came out after that, the fans were like, 'The whole speech was an Easter egg.' And for me, that's really fun, because they find it fun.'
This post will continue to be updated.
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I'd start with the Disney bundle at $29.99, you get all of the ESPN plus Disney plus and Hulu. FABER: For one year free, yeah. PITARO: For one year, exactly. FABER: Yeah. PITARO: We're also -- we announced a bundle with NFL Plus Premium that includes RedZone. We announced a bundle with Fox One. So, the sports fan will have a variety of options and ways to put together their own bundles. FABER: Right, and more of that to come, you know, the bundle with -- is that -- is this the end or potentially will you be bundling with some of the other providers and those who own obviously the license for other sports? PITARO: Nothing to announce today, but of course, if it makes business sense for us, if we think it makes sense for the sports fan, we will have those conversations, but nothing beyond the Disney bundle, the NFL Plus Premium bundle and the Fox bundle to announce today. FABER: You know, but Jimmy, I'm trying to -- in terms of understanding, if we're going to measure it as Bob said on the whole, and you've said it as well, you can't just lose people from the cable bundle who then go to the ESPN. You've got to get people who never had cable, I guess, to some extent. PITARO: Yeah. FABER: Is that the audience here? I know it was sort of when Venu was up, at least as a thought, that was the thought, it's going to be people who are never, you know, never cord, so to speak. Is that who you're going after? PITARO: That is definitely the strategy. The marketing is focusing on people that are on the sidelines, people who have cut the cord or people who have never subscribed in the first place. I will also tell you, and this is a really important point, we are adding value to the traditional ecosystem, the pay TV ecosystem, as a part of -- today's announcements. And what I mean by that is, if you are a subscriber to traditional paid television whether it is Charter or Comcast or DirectTV you will through authentication within the ESPN App get access to all of our new features and functionality, which is a ton of value for the sports fan and a ton of value for our partners. FABER: So, do you have an expectation, though, that, you know, that there are going to be people falling off the bundle as a result of this? PITARO: Look, we don't know, like, I don't have a crystal ball. We don't know what the impact will be. Again, just going back, our mission is to serve the sports fan. We know that the trends are heading towards – they've been heading towards digital and streaming for many, many years. And we -- Bob and I decided a couple years ago that it's time. It's time to be present. You know, if our mission is truly to be everywhere for the sports fan, we need to be present, direct to consumer. And we decided at the same time, we're not just going to flip the switch. FABER: Right. PITARO: What I mean by that is we are not just going to make our services available direct to consumer. We're also going to significantly enhance the fan experience within our ESPN app. FABER: Yeah, and I want to talk a bit about that. But, you know, Bob, when it comes to sort of the bundle, and we were referencing it 10 years ago, of course, as well, does this quicken the pace of cord cutting overall, in your opinion? IGER: Not necessarily, but as Jimmy said, I don't think we really know yet. I also want to point out, as I pointed out on earnings, that we manage our television assets as one business, not as individual businesses, meaning we don't manage the linear business and the digital business separately. We manage it as one. It's one group of executives. It's essentially one bottom line, because we want to be agnostic when it comes to how people watch or consume our product, whether you're watching ABC programming or Disney Channel programming or ESPN programming or FX programming. You can watch it on a linear service, if that's what really is of interest to you, or you can watch it through digital apps. Obviously, the Disney+ app, now that we'll have Hulu and all those other brands, as well as ESPN, is an incredible product for television viewers. And we manage, again, we're going to manage these things as one business, and this is a huge step in terms of what ESPN is doing to do just that. We've done it with our other television assets. Now, we're doing it with ESPN. And so, you know, we don't know. We've seen, obviously, significant progression in terms of loss of subs on the linear side, as something you know – FABER: It hasn't gotten any better, Bob, as you well know. Yeah, I mean, we keep thinking we're going to be at a bottom, and now I see this. For those who perhaps have been waiting, you could imagine that, well, now I can get what I need from sports, or I can put something together, and now I'm done with the bundle. I would think it certainly doesn't do anything to stem what has been the continued losses for that, right? IGER: No, it doesn't. It doesn't do anything to stem it. We didn't think that we could. That one entity, one company could do that. But I think – I also want to point out, as you know, that a number of other companies are exiting their linear business completely, meaning they're selling off the channels that serve the linear television ecosystem. We're doing the opposite, actually. We're combining them which gives us the ability to aggregate both subscription fees and advertising on both sides, and essentially end up with a business that's actually larger and more impactful than it would be if we were to separate them completely. FABER: Yeah. IGER: And so, again, you know, we've watched the continued decline of television viewing or subscriptions on linear television, and that's why we've pivoted so effectively in the digital direction, and this is a gigantic step for us in that regard. FABER: Understood. You know, I want to maybe come to both of you, perhaps, on this. I'll start with you, though, Jimmy. I mean, $33 billion is going to be spent on sports rights, I believe, this year by streamers and by everybody, and it's only going to go up, one would imagine. I mean, if you want to watch all the NFL games, or at least have access to them, I think you have to spend about 1,000 bucks just to have access to the various streaming services because of certain games that are exclusive. Does the consumer, at some point, get priced out here? PITARO: Well, just on NFL, since you raised it, the traditional ecosystem, whether it's Comcast or Charter or a digital MVPD, still has a ton of value, as I said before. On top of that, you would have to be a member of Amazon Prime, Netflix. So, I hear you. I don't know about the $1,000, if you were a subscriber – FABER: Even Peacock's got one exclusive game, Jimmy. PITARO: That's right. FABER: If you don't want to miss that one, you got to spend another 11 bucks for that one. PITARO: You're 100% right. FABER: Yeah. PITARO: But my point there is that there still is value, and again, we are adding value to that customer, the customer that is very happy, you know, in the pay TV bundle. FABER: Right. PITARO: Our goal, David, is to drive everyone to the ESPN app. That is the enhanced experience. That is, as Bob has said, the preeminent sports destination. And so, whether you subscribe directly to ESPN or subscribe to us through an MVPD or a digital MVPD, we want to drive you to the app. And through authentication, you will get access to a much better sports experience than you see anywhere else within the industry. FABER: Yeah. But, you know, and I hear Jimmy, Bob, but I also keep thinking about the price of sports rights, which obviously you guys know better than anybody, just keep going up. I mean, the UFC just went to Paramount for twice what you guys were paying. You're competing against Amazon. You're competing against Apple. You're competing against Alphabet and Netflix. I guess I just wonder, do you see yourself being able to do that over the long term? IGER: ESPN's in a very unique position, as you know. No one has as many rights as ESPN does. No one has as much engagement from sports fans as ESPN does. I think, I look at it the other way. They're competing with us. We're the envy – they envy us and the position that we're in. And we have, I think, an enviable position when it comes to television sports. There's always been competition for sports, particularly the most valuable, at least led by the NFL and obviously the NBA. You know, I've lived that for decades, actually, in my career, and that's only going to continue. And I think it reflects the value that sports delivers to television viewers and to advertisers as well. And, you know, it's a fact of life, but I think if I were the rest of the industry, I'd envy the position that ESPN is in. And obviously with the steps that we're taking, whether it's this step in terms of going in the digital direction or whether it's the new rights that we've licensed or whether it's the deal that we made with the NFL, we intend to hold our position. And actually, I should say, we intend to grow our position when it comes to television sports. FABER: Right. I mean, you are an enviable – IGER: And believe it, we've got the – we believe, by the way, that we've got the ecosystem. We've got the ability to afford it, to monetize it better than anyone else, not just on one platform, but on multiple platforms in multiple directions. It's a great position to be in. FABER: You may need to, and that may be why you're in an enviable position. But, you know, that said, you're renting this content. It's not like when you produce a movie and it's forever a Disney movie, Bob. I mean, at some point, you've got potentially irrational actors. I don't know if they are, but if they want to spend at Amazon, whatever they want, they can just do it. Is that not a long-term threat? I see Jimmy's shaking his head here. I don't know. I'll go to you. You want to answer that one first? PITARO: Well, look, there's not a lot to acquire over the next several years. You mentioned the UFC deal. As you know, we just did a fantastic deal with WWE. Feel great about that. FABER: You must've been shaking your head, though, at that UFC deal, what was paid by Paramount. PITARO: It's great for the UFC. They did a fantastic job. By the way, David, we take a ton of pride in what we've done for the UFC in terms of growing that sport over the years, and I also want to be clear, we're going to continue to cover mixed martial arts and the UFC. But my broader point is there's not a lot to acquire over the next five, seven years. I would also want to make the point that, and I get this question all the time, how did you feel when Amazon came in and acquired Thursday Night Football? My response is always, how is that bad for the Walt Disney Company and for ESPN? If Amazon is now promoting the game of football, promoting the NFL, bringing new fans in, maybe younger fans, isn't that better for us? Doesn't that mean that more people are going to be tuning in and watching Monday Night Football in this rising tide? That is really my feeling. Yes, the competition is fierce. It's probably never been fiercer. There's not a lot to acquire over the next five to seven years, and we have the best rights portfolio we've ever had in our 46-year history. FABER: Right. PITARO: We feel great about our prospects, especially in this direct-to-consumer world. FABER: Bob, on that note, though, I mean, you and I sat together – IGER: Hey, David – FABER: All right, go ahead, yes. IGER: Well, I was going to say, I started in television sports – I hate to say this – 50 years ago, working at ABC Sports, and I remember when HBO came in, mostly into boxing. I remember when Fox didn't have any sports. Fox didn't exist, and ultimately they started a network and got into the NFL, and I could name countless examples of new entrants into the space over that period of time, and everybody said, oh boy, the sky is falling, that's the end of your position. And I think Jimmy just made a very, very important point, is look where ESPN is today, with all of the competition that has emerged over the years. I actually think they're in the best position they've ever been in, and now with the use of this great technology, they have the ability to engage with sports fans on a higher level and in a better way. And so – FABER: Yeah. IGER: -- look, we're not, you know, we don't want to -- we don't in any way want to dismiss competition at all, because we're mindful of it, but I think we're positioned extremely well. FABER: I wanted to go to pricing, because $29.99 is where you're starting. Bob, you and I sat together, I think it was the fall of 2019, I might have it wrong in terms of exactly when, when you launched Disney+. And it was $6.99, and now it's $15.99 for no ads. So, I do wonder, what kind of trajectory on pricing do you see here for this product? IGER: We don't really know, David, it's too early. We think what we're going out with, particularly with what we call the trio bundle with Disney+ and with Hulu, for $29.99 is just an incredible value to consumers. We really haven't predicted or projected what the pricing will be or what the pricing can be. Our goal today is to launch this successfully, which we're doing, and to obviously put in front of consumers a product we think they will really love, and we'll take it from there. FABER: Right, so -- all right, we'll see. Because that's a percentage increase from $6.99 to $15.99 is obviously not insignificant. And sports rights only going up. IGER: Well, I think you have to look at the market, David. FABER: Yeah. IGER: You have to look at the market too over that period of time. You know, we launched in 2019, you're right, we sat down in 2019, and the goal was accessibility. We also started modestly in terms of the amount of programming that Disney+ had at that time, and we think we priced it smartly. We've had the ability, as we've increased programming significantly on Disney+, to raise prices, but the market has also raised its prices as well, and we haven't done anything unusual in that regard. FABER: Yeah. Jimmy, I wonder about international, because when I think about the NFL, they're making efforts, obviously, to have games in different parts of the world, the NBA, certainly. PITARO: Yeah. FABER: Scale is clearly very important here for ESPN. You know, the more the better. How do you -- how do you view that as an opportunity? PITARO: Yeah, it's a great question. What we're doing today is domestic. FABER: Right. PITARO: It's U.S.-focused. As we think about the future, it's really Disney+. So, as you know, there is a tile on, an ESPN-branded tile on Disney+ in the U.S. and in select areas outside of the U.S. We expect that that will continue, and we will get the ESPN-branded environment in more countries as we move forward. And, you know, we've always been really smart about how we acquire rights. We have a fantastic strategy team that -- that works with our partners, our colleagues around the globe, to identify the best rights for ESPN, and that includes ESPN within the Disney+ environment. But we don't have any plans on expanding the ESPN app beyond where we are today. Really, the focus is on expanding the ESPN-branded environment within -- within Disney+. FABER: Right. Now, as somebody who's a Knicks and Mets fan, for example, I need to get MSG and SNY here in the -- the local New York area. Adds a lot of expense, potentially. It keeps me in the bundle to some extent. But what about the RSNs, and how you might think about strategically incorporating some of their programming? Is that a possibility, certainly, when it comes to Major League Baseball, for example? PITARO: Yes, it's a definite possibility. We have recognized the challenges in those businesses with that business model, and I have said repeatedly, internally and externally, that we want to be part of the solution. Just to back up, ESPN is the front door, right? It's the starting point for sports fans. And so, is there a world where we would want a sports fan like you going to the ESPN app to access your in-market games? Of course there is. That's very consistent with our strategy. Nothing to announce here today, but I will tell you that the conversations that we've had with Major League Baseball have been very productive and very healthy. FABER: Are you and Manfred on better terms now than you might have been a while back when you decided not to renew, or you decided to pull? PITARO: The commissioner and I have always been on good terms. We've known each other for -- for a long time, and I think, I don't want to speak for the commissioner, but -- but we see the opportunity to stay in business together. FABER: So, you could reach a new deal with MLB? PITARO: Well, we could. Nothing to report today, but we are having healthy conversations as I sit here right now. FABER: Bob, you know, we haven't even talked about betting, and that was kind of an important component, seemingly, of the platform. How are you viewing that in terms of what's going to be offered to those who like to bet, not to mention fantasy and things of that nature? And are you happy with Penn Gaming as your partner, or will that change? IGER: Well, that's really a question I think Jimmy should handle, David, if that's all right, since the betting component of our digital offering is really through ESPN. So, Jimmy, why don't you take that one? FABER: Yeah, you're right. I was poorly asked. I should have turned to Jimmy on that one, but I wanted to keep you involved, Bob. I feel like you're getting lonely out there. What about betting? PITARO: No problem. So --so, let's go back to the product enhancements. On the connected television, for example, with the new ESPN app, when you squeeze back the video player, there will be several tabs that are contextually relevant. So, there will be stats, there will be key plays, which is giving you the ability to catch up to live, there will be fantasy commerce, and, yes, betting. And if you are logged in, and you've made a connection between the ESPN app and the ESPN bet accounts, or apps, but you've connected your accounts, then what you will see is the bets that you have placed within that betting tab. And just as important as that is we will provide contextual relevance. So, if you're watching the New York Giants playing on Monday Night Football, we will surface contextually relevant bets through ESPN Bet and Penn Entertainment. Just to be clear, I think you know this, we are not a book. FABER: Right. PITARO: We have partnered with Penn. And -- and look, it's still early innings on that partnership. We've really been gearing up for this moment in time where we launched this enhanced app with this betting tab and the betting integration. FABER: So, you're just going to get a sense now for how it really is working. PITARO: Exactly, and that's not a surprise to anyone internally or at Penn. We've all known that we've been moving towards this moment in time. And so, I think after football season this year, we'll have a much better idea of how we're performing. FABER: OK, so Penn stays for now at least as your partner, obviously. PITARO: Yeah, I mean, yes, it's been reported. FABER: Because there's been some talk that they might, yeah, they might not. PITARO: That's right, it's been reported that there's a mutual opt-out next summer. You know, we're focused on delivering for the upcoming season. FABER: All right, Bob, I do have one I think you would want to take. We've talked about football season. The NFL recently took a 10% ownership position in ESPN. I don't know if the deal's closed, but any prospect for future investments similar to that? Or are you kind of done when it comes to selling percentage ownership of ESPN? IGER: Yeah, the deal is not closed. It also has to go through a regulatory process. And that's what we're focused on right now. No comment at all about, you know, whether there's more to come or not. We're -- we targeted obviously the NFL in terms of our first partner for obvious reasons, given the value of their properties. And we're really thrilled that we were able to negotiate that deal and announce it just a couple of weeks ago. And now we're focused on going through the process, the regulatory process, and ultimately integration. FABER: What was the benefit to that deal? Why would you want the NFL to own 10%? I know obviously you're giving -- you know, they're getting something -- you're getting something in return as well, certainly but why do that deal? IGER: Well, as we discussed actually back I think a couple of years ago in Sun Valley, when I talked about the possibility of bringing partners in for ESPN, we were actually looking for partners that would bring real strategic value to our growth efforts, mostly in the digital direction. And when you look at the content that we're able to license, thanks to this partnership, we believe that this is a big and important step in terms of obviously our migration into the direct-to-consumer -- into the direct-to-consumer space. Again, it's just a great partnership from a content perspective. If you look at what the NFL offers as a network and we -- and the ability to integrate that programming with ESPN, for instance, we think that that will greatly enhance the value of the very app that we're talking about today. FABER: Yeah. Guys, before we end here, I did want to come to some controversy, at least, Jimmy. Let me ask you, the Spike Lee, Colin Kaepernick documentary that apparently was shelved or has been shelved, given the current political climate, there are those who believe, well, that timing is kind of strange. Was it perhaps a result of your not wanting to anger the Trump administration that you're no longer pursuing that? PITARO: No, absolutely not. We made that decision many months prior to the NFL announcements. I think what happened, David, is Spike was, I believe, on the red carpet and was asked this question somewhat out of the blue, and that's why it became news. But, there were creative differences. We made the decision in partnership with Colin and Spike to not move forward many months before any NFL announcement, and it had nothing to do with the recent deals. FABER: So, it was done completely separate, even before sort of political considerations might have been something that occurred. PITARO: Correct. FABER: All right, so what am I getting in the morning when I look at my app now? And, you know, you're talking about a sports center that what is going to be AI delivered to me. Tell me that the Mets lost again last night. What do I get? PITARO: Well, so look, we've led in personalization for many, many years. We've been prioritizing digital at ESPN for decades. What you're going to see, in addition to everything I just mentioned on the squeeze back experience within a connected TV environment, is also, yes, a personalized sports center. So, right content to the right user at the right time. Quick story, yesterday Bob texted me, hey, Yankees hit nine home runs again, and I said -- I said, I know, I woke up yesterday, and of course I was in the test environment for the ESPN app, and I woke up, fired up my sports center for you, personalized sports center, and the first thing I got was a recap of the Yankees game, and I saw those nine -- those nine home runs. FABER: Right. PITARO: So -- so this is -- look, I'm a huge sports fan, this is a product that I've been craving for a long time, and the team's been hard at work on it. I want to be clear, we're launching in beta, yes, it is AI powered, AI driven, and we could not be more excited about it, but as Bob said, this is -- this is the first inning of -- of these enhancements, and it's the first inning for a sports center for you. We're going to see what's working, see what's not, we're going to take fan feedback as we always do, we're going to learn from it, and we're going to make the product even better. FABER: All right. Well, I only want my highlights when my team wins. Can it do that for me? PITARO: Yeah, it's funny that you say that. There's something being considered internally that gets at what you're describing. Maybe next time we get together, I'll give you the update on that. FABER: Yeah, Bob, you know, it's funny, it's a separate conversation, perhaps another interview, but AI, when I hear that, obviously you're dealing with and navigating that as well. I think there were some reports you were at the White House recently because you're obviously trying to protect your own IP while you obviously move into this future. Was there a meeting at the White House about this? And if so, what were you discussing? IGER: We did have a meeting at the White House with the president's AI team, and we were largely talking about issues related to intellectual property protection. But we also made a point of saying that Disney believes that AI will be an important part of our future. We're already using AI in every one of our businesses, and we believe that it will, over time, become an important part or important component of how our company operates. But it's also critical that as we migrate into a new world when it comes to technology, that we continue to respect the creative community and also that we continue to be mindful of the impact it could have on our intellectual property, which you know is essentially the core of our company and what we do and who we are. FABER: Yeah. And finally, Bob, just because time goes by, I mean, I mentioned the 10 years since that first conference call. You remember it well. Here we are with the launch of ESPN and this product. Where do you think we'll be, if you can even take me out, 10 years from now when we're talking about this? IGER: I know where I'll be, David. I'll be happily retired. You know, it's an interesting world. We've seen more change happening quicker than at any time during our lives and at any time certainly during our careers. It's interesting, I think back 10 years ago, I guess I just did see a world that was going to migrate in a digital direction, and we began to prepare for that as a company, making announcements in 2016 and '17 and launching Disney+ in '19 and doing this today, and that will continue. I think it's hard to project right now 10 years ahead. Things are changing too profoundly and too fast to do that. One thing I can predict is that change is inevitable and will continue, and that's us, and I think it makes it just harder to be predictive about it. FABER: Yeah. I'll assume you will be retired in 10 years. I'm not sure I'd want to take the under-over, but yeah, 10 years sounds. Guys, very much appreciated. Jimmy, thank you for being here. PITARO: Thank you, David. FABER: Bob, thank you as well for this interesting conversation. Jimmy Pitaro, Bob Iger.
