Webtoon shares jump more than 25% on digital comics Disney deal


Webtoon Entertainment Inc. signage through the preliminary public providing occasion outdoors the Nasdaq MarketSite in New York, US, on Thursday, June 27, 2024.

Michael Nagle | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Webtoon Entertainment shares surged on Tuesday after signing a deal to create a digital comedian platform for Disney, and agreeing to promote the media conglomerate a 2% fairness stake.

Webtoon briefly jumped more than 36% in early buying and selling, reaching a brand new 52-week excessive and on monitor for its second-largest one-day advance since going public final yr.

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Webtoon Entertainment, 1-day

Disney and Webtoon agreed Monday to create a digital platform for the studio’s Marvel and Star Wars brands. More than 35,000 comics tied to Disney properties — together with Pixar and twentieth Century Studios — can be out there on one service with a single subscription for the primary time, the businesses stated.

A ‘most well-liked vacation spot’

Deutsche Bank analyst Benjamin Black described Monday’s deal as a “material expansion” from a partnership first introduced in August. Disney may help diversify Webtoon’s income by creating a gentle stream of recurring revenue.

The deal can also assist enhance curiosity from different mental property (IP) house owners trying to observe Disney’s lead, Block stated.

“The new agreement further validates Webtoon’s platform as the preferred destination for major IP distribution,” Black wrote to purchasers.

Morgan Stanley analyst Matthew Cost was skeptical of the quick impression of the deal on Webtoon’s near-term earnings. In reality, he pointed to the necessity to make investments so as to construct out the brand new platform.

One of Webtoon’s targets is to broaden its English-speaking consumer base, the biggest income alternative for the corporate, Cost stated.

Including Tuesday’s rally, Webtoon shares have now more than doubled up to now three months.