CNBC

Disney's ESPN is at a crossroads.For more than 40 years, the world's largest all-sports network has grown annual revenue by increasing cable subscription fees. ESPN first charged pay-TV distributors less than $1 per month per subscriber in the 1980s. In 2023, ESPN's monthly carriage fee was $9.42 per subscriber, according to data from S&P Global Market Intelligence.That business model is eroding. Since 2013, tens of millions of Americans have canceled their cable TV subscriptions, raising questions about ESPN's future…

In the final weeks of 2024, it seems fitting that CNBC is interviewing two prominent executives at Apple, given how often the company has been in the media spotlight recently discussing whether or not consumers can buy Apple’s latest watches in the U.S. But the CNBC interview didn’t focus on lawsuits or possible partnership agreements. Instead, CNBC talked with Johny Srouji, senior vice president of hardware technologies for Apple, and John Ternus, senior vice president of hardware engineering for Apple, mostly about…

Disney CEO Bob Iger—who over the summer described the demands of striking WGA and SAG-AFTRA workers as “not realistic,” then pulled back on that harsh statement by pushing to end the strikes quickly (as backed up by Warner Bros. Discovery’s David Zaslav)—has addressed some of his company’s most pressing matters as 2024 approaches.“Even AI Rappers are Harassed by Police” | AI UnlockedOne of the things that immediately began to circulate online was Iger’s controversial take on the state of Disney films during today’s…

Nearly all Americans are cutting back on their spending in some way, according to a new CNBC and Morning Consult survey.The survey found 92% of Americans are pulling back, further evidence of what retailers like Walmart, Target, Home Depot and Best Buy called out as cautious consumer spending shifts during the first quarter.Shoppers continue to report inflation squeezing their finances, with concerns particularly heightened among middle-income Americans. Of the survey respondents, 92% of middle-income Americans — or those…

Millionaire investors are adding to their mountains of cash, betting on higher interest rates and weak stock markets in 2023, according to the CNBC Millionaire Survey.More than a third of millionaire investors, 34%, report keeping more of their money in cash, according to the survey, which surveys households with $1 million or more in investible assets. They now have 24% of their portfolio in cash, up substantially from the 14% they held in cash a year ago, according to the survey.Of the survey respondents, 28% said they…

Tesla CEO Elon Musk sat down for a sprawling interview with CNBC anchor David Faber on Tuesday following Tesla's 2023 annual shareholder meeting in Austin, Texas.During the course of their approximately hour long conversation, Musk reflected on:How he has managed a takeover of Twitter so far and what lies ahead. Among other things, he said Twitter's Community Notes feature has cost Twitter $40 million in business when two big clients reduced spending after their ads received community notes accusing them of false…

Founders: Robert Falck (CEO), Linnéa Kornehed-Falck, Filip LiljaLaunched: 2016Headquarters: Stockholm, SwedenFunding: $652.3 millionValuation: N/AKey technologies: Artificial intelligence, autonomous vehicles, machine learningIndustry: AutomotivePrevious appearances on Disruptor 50 List: 0Just as electric vehicles are gaining popularity among consumers, so too are they catching on in the commercial trucking realm. In a quest to reduce carbon footprints and curb air pollution, the transport industry is in the early stages…

Founder: Tony Atti (CEO), Patrick McCann, Matthew TrevithickLaunched: 2009Headquarters: Durham, North CarolinaFunding: $250 millionValuation: $650 millionKey technologies: Autonomous vehiclesIndustry: LogisticsPrevious appearances on Disruptor 50 List: 3 (No. 17 in 2019)Phononic is a solid-state cooling company pioneering solutions to replace energy-guzzling cold storage with efficient, environmentally friendly supply chain technology.It started out going after the compressors, heat sinks and fans in refrigerator…

Founders: Gene Berdichevsky (CEO), Gleb Yushin, Alex JacobsLaunched: 2011Headquarters: Alameda, CaliforniaFunding: $930 millionValuation: N/AKey technologies: NanotechnologyIndustry: AutomotivePrevious appearances on Disruptor 50 List: 1 (No. 34 in 2021)As the electric vehicle fast becomes the future for major automakers, critical elements including lithium are poised to be the equivalent of new oils.Elon Musk has been saying for years that if there's any business a smart entrepreneur should get into, it's lithium…

Founders: Praveen Penmetsa (CEO), Mark Schwager, Zachary Omohundro, Carlo MondaviLaunched: 2018Headquarters: Livermore, CaliforniaFunding: $116.4 millionValuation: $271 millionKey technologies: Autonomous vehicles, roboticsIndustry: AgriculturePrevious appearances on Disruptor 50 List: 1 (No. 20 in 2022)Agriculture has been difficult to disrupt, and decarbonize. As the producer of the world's first-ever fully electric, driver-optional smart tractor, Monarch Tractor's goal is to bring sustainability to farming's workhorse.…