Wall Street expects “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” to take in at least $1.5 billion worldwide. Some analysts predict $2 billion or more. Tim Nollen of Macquarie Securities has estimated that mountains of related merchandise could generate an additional $5 billion in revenue over the next year. The exuberant expectations have, in effect, shifted the conversation about Disney in an unusual way, analysts say, toward a movie’s potential to deliver otherworldly riches and away from the challenges buffeting the broader cable and broadcast television businesses, including the cracks in ESPN’s once-impregnable armor.
Source: Disney’s ‘Star Wars’ Attracts Investors in Midst of ESPN Woes – The New York Times