SBUX Starbucks Corporation

By Suzanne Vranica 

Walt Disney Co. has dramatically slashed its advertising spending on Facebook Inc., according to people familiar with the situation, the latest setback for the tech giant as it faces a boycott from companies upset with its handling of hate speech and divisive content.

Disney was Facebook's top U.S. advertiser for the first six months of 2020, research firm Pathmatics Inc. estimates. It joins hundreds of other companies that have paused spending, including Unilever PLC, Starbucks Corp., Ford Motor Co., Verizon Communication Inc. and many small marketers.

Civil-rights groups including the Anti-Defamation League and NAACP called on advertisers to pull ad spending for July, arguing Facebook hasn't made enough progress enforcing its policies on hate speech and misinformation.

Some brands paused spending for longer stretches; the time frame for Disney's pullback wasn't clear. Unlike many other companies, Disney didn't make a public announcement that it was cutting back on Facebook, but instead shifted advertising plans quietly.

The entertainment giant, which is concerned about Facebook's enforcement of its policies surrounding objectionable content, has paused advertising of its streaming-video service Disney+, the people familiar with the situation said. Disney has promoted the service heavily this year and it makes up a substantial portion of the company's spending on marketing.

In the first half of this year, Disney spent an estimated $210 million on Facebook ads for Disney+ in the U.S., according to Pathmatics. Disney was the biggest ad spender during that period. Last year, it was the No. 2 Facebook advertiser in the U.S.

Disney also paused spending on Facebook-owned Instagram for its sister streaming service Hulu, a person familiar with matter said. Hulu spent $16 million on Instagram from April 15 to June 30, Pathmatics said.

Other divisions of Disney are also re-examining their advertising on Facebook. Ads for ABC and Disney-owned cable networks such as Freeform have all but vanished from the site. While there are fewer shows to market during the summer, a person familiar with the matter said, it is unlikely that ads will return when new episodes need to be promoted, unless the social platform polices itself better.

Disney representatives had no immediate comment.

"We know we have more work to do," Facebook said in a statement, adding that it would work with civil-rights groups, a leading ad trade group and other experts "to develop even more tools, technology and policies to continue this fight."

Write to Suzanne Vranica at suzanne.vranica@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

July 18, 2020 16:25 ET (20:25 GMT)

Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX)
Gráfico Histórico do Ativo
De Mar 2024 até Abr 2024

Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX)
Gráfico Histórico do Ativo
De Abr 2023 até Abr 2024