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Analyst

Sean Diffley

Morgan Stanley · covers Communication Services

Period: Reporting periods mapped to calendar 2026 Q1 – 2026 Q3 (3 quarters).

Questions
44on tracked calls
Challenge rate
2%1 of 44 questions
Companies
14questioned at least once
Reporting periods
3with questions

These figures cover the whole profile: every tracked question, all reporting periods.

How to read these numbers

Challenge rate is the share of questions that pushed back, pressed for specifics or questioned management’s assumptions. It describes how questions were asked on the calls tracked here; it does not measure whether any view turned out to be right. See how we grade analysts on earnings-call questions.

Rounding. Rates are rounded to whole percentages, so a small share can show as 0% even when some questions were challenging. The count beside each rate is exact; “none of N questions” means no question was challenging.

No questions recorded. “—” means there is nothing to calculate: no questions were recorded for that period on the calls tracked here. It does not mean there was no activity.

Fewer than 3 questions. A company-level rate is withheld when fewer than 3 questions were recorded for that company; the questions are still counted everywhere else.

Small samples. Profiles with fewer than 10 questions are marked Limited sample.

Reporting periods. Questions are grouped by the calendar quarter each company’s fiscal reporting period maps to, not by the date of the call. Periods without a calendar mapping are listed separately under their fiscal label.

Questions asked

Grouped by company, most questions first. Open a company to read its questions, newest reporting period first.

Showing 44 of 44 questions from 14 companies

NFLXNetflix, Inc.6 questions · 3 reporting periods · 0 of 6 challenging
NFLX company page →

Calendar 2026 Q3

What have you learned about churn and engagement following the most recent round of price increases

PricingSubscriber GrowthTranscript · FY2026 Q3 →
Show response

Peters said member response matched prior price changes, churn improved, and growth mixes ARM/ads in mature markets with members in newer ones.

How should we think about the mix of self-produced versus licensed content on a go-forward basis?

Competitive DynamicsProduct LaunchTranscript · FY2026 Q3 →
Show response

Sarandos said originals stay the anchor while licensing complements them, citing the Disney Ice Age deal and Netflix's largest Globo license in Brazil.

Do you see the potential to build more buzz by going to theaters first, or is it very much a project-by-project decision

Product LaunchCompetitive DynamicsTranscript · FY2026 Q3 →
Show response

Sarandos said about 30 films go to theaters this year with bespoke windows, 45-day wide releases for Narnia and Charlie, and box office reporting.

Calendar 2026 Q2

What have been the early learnings from the Inter deal, and how should we think about potential cost savings

Cloud & AICost PressureTranscript · FY2026 Q2 →
Show response

Sarandos said GenAI is used across roughly 300 titles and any savings likely reinvested into more content.

Has there been any change in the receptivity to price hikes this cycle

Show response

Peters said price changes are performing consistent with prior cycles and Netflix prices behind delivered value.

Calendar 2026 Q1

What have been your biggest learnings from the Warner Brothers experience

M&ACapital AllocationTranscript · FY2026 Q1 →
Show response

Sarandos detailed learnings: built M&A muscle, tested investment discipline by walking away when cost exceeded value. No change to capital allocation philosophy.

VZVerizon Communications Inc.5 questions · 3 reporting periods · 0 of 5 challenging
VZ company page →

Calendar 2026 Q3

where you see fixed wireless fitting into the broader equation in the next three to five years

Product LaunchSubscriber GrowthTranscript · FY2026 Q3 →
Show response

Schulman explained the segmented FWA approach, a millimeter wave 1 gig product rolling out from Q4, a 50 million-65 million premise target, and reaffirmed 8 million-9 million FWA by 2028.

Do you guys have enough spectrum to scale where you want to be in this business?

Capex InvestmentRegulation PolicyTranscript · FY2026 Q3 →
Show response

Schulman said millimeter wave offloads C-band and improves the spectrum position, but would not say whether Verizon will bid in the upper C-band auction.

Calendar 2026 Q2

Can you elaborate on which parts of your new go-to-market strategy are resonating most and with which cohorts?

Competitive DynamicsDemandTranscript · FY2026 Q2 →
Show response

Schulman gave specific 40-day launch metrics against internal forecast, plus churn, base migration and ARPA color, and framed the shift away from subsidies.

Calendar 2026 Q1

one on CapEx. Can you elaborate on investing in wireless versus fiber?

Show response

The CapEx allocation and spectrum acquisition questions went largely unanswered. Schulman pivoted to discussing AI infrastructure opportunity with hyperscalers and potential for multibillions in revenues, without addressing the wireless vs fiber split or spectrum interest.

any tangible examples of AI use cases that are being implemented at Verizon?

Cloud & AIInnovation & R&DCost PressureTranscript · FY2026 Q1 →
Show response

Schulman gave extensive detail on 4-layer AI tech stack, partnerships with Google, Anthropic, Sierra, and ElevenLabs. Voice agents in customer service, 85% autonomous network issue resolution, bill-of-material reduced from 1 million combinations to 20 kits, over $200 million energy savings.

OMCOmnicom Group4 questions · 2 reporting periods · 0 of 4 challenging
OMC company page →

Calendar 2026 Q3

how aggressive the pitches are, any concessions on pricing we should be thinking about

Competitive DynamicsPricingTranscript · FY2026 Q3 →
Show response

Wren called pitch activity healthy and said most reviews have cleared, but did not address pricing concessions directly.

maybe this AWS deal, just talk about what exactly that looks like. Can that be incremental to numbers?

Cloud & AIRevenue GrowthTranscript · FY2026 Q3 →
Show response

Yuvienco said the deal sets up a dedicated unit for AWS-centric cloud AI solutions, without sizing any revenue contribution.

Calendar 2026 Q2

I think you said advertising was down high-singles Maybe just anything you'd call out from a vertical perspective there.

Competitive DynamicsRevenue GrowthTranscript · FY2026 Q2 →
Show response

Angelastro explained internal reorganization and brand elimination as the driver but gave no vertical-level detail as asked.

You're obviously growing in excess of GDP but there's a lot of crosscurrents out there with oil and rates.

MacroeconomicDemandTranscript · FY2026 Q2 →
Show response

Wren gave cautiously optimistic and said clients have digested tariffs, Ukraine and the Middle East versus months ago. Answered.

SPOTSpotify Technology S.A.4 questions · 2 reporting periods · 0 of 4 challenging
SPOT company page →

Calendar 2026 Q3

early learnings in markets like India and Indonesia, where you are adding some friction to the ad-supported tier

Subscriber GrowthGeographic ExpansionTranscript · FY2026 Q3 →
Show response

Alex called the sign-up, ad-load and client changes business positive and pitched India's opportunity, but gave no conversion data.

started selling your own internal software tools to other companies as you are becoming an R&D operating system

Innovation & R&DCloud & AITranscript · FY2026 Q3 →
Show response

Gustav framed it as a way to amortize agentic development costs over more developers and declined to size it.

approaching capital allocation with free cash flow ramping, and is there room to increase the buyback cadence further

Capital AllocationTranscript · FY2026 Q3 →
Show response

Management restated the organic-first hierarchy and the 2.2 million shares bought, without committing to a faster buyback pace.

Calendar 2026 Q1

How should we think about the conversion of free-to-paid sub in 2026 relative to prior years

Subscriber GrowthDemandTranscript · FY2026 Q1 →
Show response

Alex reframed the free tier as the leading indicator: a thriving free tier drives retention, conversion and lifetime value; Gustav noted marketing spans many features.

TAT&T4 questions · 3 reporting periods · 0 of 4 challenging
T company page →

Calendar 2026 Q3

Do you see this as a deflationary force in the industry and a catalyst for switching?

Cloud & AICompetitive DynamicsTranscript · FY2026 Q3 →
Show response

Stankey said the agent impact is still unclear, agents need customer authorization and standard verification, and he expects some new-customer gains and some down-buying.

Then on CapEx, I think it came down by about $1 billion for 2027 and 2028. You kept the free cash flow guide the same.

Capex InvestmentCapital AllocationTranscript · FY2026 Q3 →
Show response

Desroches split the cut between Mexico capex and build efficiencies, offset by losing $400 million-$500 million of Mexico cash flow, device working capital and interest.

Calendar 2026 Q2

I was hoping you could elaborate on the traction you're seeing with some of your new plans, like Build-A-Plan

Show response

Stankey credited plan recalibration and value-segment focus for a three-year high in new account adds and framed fiber pricing across a value-to-premium continuum; addressed rural satellite qualitatively without quantifying.

Calendar 2026 Q1

I was curious how you assess and plan for the perceived threat from satellite more on the fiber and broadband side

Competitive DynamicsInnovation & R&DTranscript · FY2026 Q1 →
Show response

Stankey sees LEO as complementary, expects 3+ constellations serving U.S. including AST SpaceMobile, SpaceX, and Amazon. Plans wholesale relationships. Emphasized satellite works well outdoors but poorly indoors, and fiber's lowest marginal cost advantage is durable.

TMUST-Mobile US, Inc.4 questions · 3 reporting periods · 0 of 4 challenging
TMUS company page →

Calendar 2026 Q3

It seems like others are focusing more on 1 and 2 lines where you guys have dominated historically.

Competitive DynamicsPricingTranscript · FY2026 Q3 →
Show response

Srini framed competition as a volume-value balance, pointed to T-Mix and flagged more Q4 variability, without addressing 1-2 line pricing directly.

given the share price, is it possible you could step up the pace buybacks here?

Capital AllocationTranscript · FY2026 Q3 →
Show response

Osvaldik cited $10.3 billion of buybacks so far this year but signaled more of the 2027-2028 capital envelope will go to spectrum, not buybacks.

Calendar 2026 Q2

how you're thinking about volume versus price growth this year? And any comments on the competitive backdrop

PricingCompetitive DynamicsTranscript · FY2026 Q2 →
Show response

Management said the volume/price balance is managed through CLV, and disclosed ex-M&A postpaid ARPA grew 3.7% versus the 2% reported figure.

Calendar 2026 Q1

I was hoping you could further elaborate on the inference at the edge opportunity, which you referenced

Cloud & AIInnovation & R&DTranscript · FY2026 Q1 →
Show response

Srini described fallow compute from AI network buildout enabling low-latency edge inference for robotics/automation. Dr. Saw highlighted 5G Advanced as the differentiating architecture with multiyear lead.

Show 8 more companies
CMCSAComcast3 questions · 2 reporting periods · 0 of 3 challenging
CMCSA company page →

Calendar 2026 Q3

would you ever consider doing a wholesale partnership with a satellite player leveraging your CBRS spectrum and Wi-Fi

Competitive DynamicsM&ATranscript · FY2026 Q3 →
Show response

Croney cited the existing Starlink enterprise partnership and openness to deals but did not address a wholesale satellite arrangement directly.

do you think the rise of AI agents like Muse could potentially impact the connectivity sector?

Cloud & AIPricingCompetitive DynamicsTranscript · FY2026 Q3 →
Show response

Armstrong argued rising usage and product differentiation protect connectivity in an agentic world, and Croney detailed AI agent deployments.

Calendar 2026 Q1

I was curious if you could compare and contrast the fixed wireless learnings versus the satellite learnings

Competitive DynamicsRegulation PolicyTranscript · FY2026 Q1 →
Show response

Steve emphasized network superiority over capacity-constrained FWA and satellite, focusing on price, value, WiFi reliability, and customer experience as competitive levers regardless of competitor type.

DISThe Walt Disney Company3 questions · 2 reporting periods · 1 of 3 challenging
DIS company page →

Calendar 2026 Q2

How is AI being used in filmmaking at Disney today? How can we think about cost savings across different film types?

Cloud & AIInnovation & R&DTranscript · FY2026 Q3 →
Show response

Josh said AI is used across studios, streaming personalization, advertising, ESPN and Experiences to gain efficiency and velocity while keeping the creative process human-centered and artist-driven.

Calendar 2026 Q1

can you unpack the international visitation and Epic-related headwinds that you are seeing

ChallengingDemandCompetitive DynamicsTranscript · FY2026 Q2 →
Show response

Hugh confirmed headwinds impacted Q2 attendance (down 1%) and segment OI but noted domestic attendance would have grown excluding international visitation. Expects improvement in Q3.

What are your 3 biggest priorities going forward? What are the biggest synergies between the businesses today?

Capital AllocationInnovation & R&DTranscript · FY2026 Q2 →
Show response

Josh outlined four priorities: best-in-class content, streaming growth, ESPN DTC build, and turbocharging experiences. Signaled next phase of growth around IP leverage, connected fan experience, and technology.

FOXFox Corporation (Class B)3 questions · 2 reporting periods · 0 of 3 challenging
FOX company page →

Calendar 2026 Q2

First on political, any thoughts on how ad revs are shaping up into this cycle relative to prior?

DemandRevenue GrowthTranscript · FY2026 Q4 →
Show response

Management directly sized the political opportunity with industry and historical figures, framing a record midterm cycle ahead and a buyback continuing through the Roku deal.

Calendar 2026 Q1

how should we think about the financial impact across the company

Revenue GrowthCompetitive DynamicsTranscript · FY2026 Q3 →
Show response

Steve framed the World Cup as roughly 50-50 between Q4 FY2026 and Q1 FY2027, EBITDA accretive on an overall company basis with revenue weighted toward broadcast. Cable side will see less revenue and will not be EBITDA accretive.

I was hoping you could parse out national versus local trends and any category call-outs

Revenue GrowthDemandTranscript · FY2026 Q3 →
Show response

Lachlan highlighted strong ad trends across all platforms, low option take-ups, healthy scatter prices, no cancellations, and growth in pharmaceutical, tech, and finance categories. Also noted record political revenue for an off year with estimates of $11 billion midterm ad market.

SKYDSkydance Corporation2 questions · 2 reporting periods · 0 of 2 challenging
SKYD company page →

Calendar 2026 Q2

how do you envision AI and interactivity across the company, and how can you nurture intellectual property

Cloud & AIInnovation & R&DTranscript · FY2026 Q2 →
Show response

Asked how AI fits the company and IP; Ellison framed AI as a creative and efficiency tool while defending premium handcrafted storytelling.

Calendar 2026 Q1

I was hoping you could comment on business transformation early learnings as you converge your tech stacks between Paramount Plus and Pluto

Innovation & R&DCloud & AITranscript · FY2026 Q1 →
Show response

David highlighted speed of execution. Andy described BET+/Pluto/P+ convergence with summer rollout, including short-form video, AI-driven artwork, and mobile-optimized live stats. Dennis noted 80% of engineering using code-assisted tech and Oracle Fusion ERP milestone.

TKOTKO Group Holdings2 questions · 1 reporting period · 0 of 2 challenging
TKO company page →

Calendar 2026 Q1

as PSKY and WBD potentially combined, what that could mean for UFC and Zuffa in terms of HBO+, Paramount+ and a Combat Sports super app?

Subscriber GrowthCompetitive DynamicsTranscript · FY2026 Q1 →
Show response

Shapiro expressed excitement about potential PSKY-WBD combination for broader distribution but noted he cannot comment on specifics until the deal closes.

I was curious if you could elaborate on some color and texture on what new deals are looking like and conversations are looking like?

Geographic ExpansionRevenue GrowthTranscript · FY2026 Q1 →
Show response

Shapiro confirmed Middle East partners are committed, no consumer pullback globally, and FIP guidance stands. Schleimer added details on Baku multiyear renewal and Philadelphia and Serbia deals.

WBDWarner Bros. Discovery2 questions · 1 reporting period · 0 of 2 challenging
WBD company page →

Calendar 2026 Q2

How would you describe the demand environment right now from other streamers?

DemandCompetitive DynamicsTranscript · FY2026 Q2 →
Show response

Gunnar described a healthy licensing marketplace with demand even for decade-old shows and high margins, framing the Studio as a library-driven licensing business, while noting more content is now used internally, deferring some external profit.

just comment on the underlying ad market. Any categories you'd call out as weak?

DemandMacroeconomicTranscript · FY2026 Q2 →
Show response

Gunnar gave a market-by-market read: U.S. ad trends roughly consistent with earlier in the year and viewership strong in news and sports, while international was weaker than Q1 with consumer caution; visibility into the rest of the year is limited.

CHTRCharter Communications1 question · 1 reporting period · 0 of 1 challenging
CHTR company page →

Calendar 2026 Q1

I was curious your assessment on the potential for further cable M&A from a regulatory standpoint.

M&ARegulation PolicyTranscript · FY2026 Q1 →
Show response

Chris confirmed appetite for more cable M&A at right price and conditions, noting cable operators are regional competitors against national/global competitors. Environment more competitive than 5-10 years ago. Operating strategy proven to benefit customers and employees. Nothing being pursued today beyond Cox.

ROKURoku, Inc.1 question · 1 reporting period · 0 of 1 challenging
ROKU company page →

Calendar 2026 Q1

I was hoping you could talk about what you are seeing with your third-party DSP strategy and Amazon in particular.

Competitive DynamicsRevenue GrowthTranscript · FY2026 Q1 →
Show response

Charlie directly stated third-party programmatic is now the majority of video delivery and ramping.

Challenge rate by company

Every company this analyst questioned, most questions first. A company-level rate is shown from 3 questions; below that it is withheld.

CompanyQuestionsChallenge rate
NFLX Netflix, Inc.60%none of 6 questions
VZ Verizon Communications Inc.50%none of 5 questions
OMC Omnicom Group40%none of 4 questions
SPOT Spotify Technology S.A.40%none of 4 questions
T AT&T40%none of 4 questions
TMUS T-Mobile US, Inc.40%none of 4 questions
CMCSA Comcast30%none of 3 questions
DIS The Walt Disney Company333%1 of 3 questions
FOX Fox Corporation (Class B)30%none of 3 questions
SKYD Skydance Corporation2—Rate withheld: fewer than 3 questions
  • NFLX
    Netflix, Inc. · 6 questions
    0%none of 6 questions
  • VZ
    Verizon Communications Inc. · 5 questions
    0%none of 5 questions
  • OMC
    Omnicom Group · 4 questions
    0%none of 4 questions
  • SPOT
    Spotify Technology S.A. · 4 questions
    0%none of 4 questions
  • T
    AT&T · 4 questions
    0%none of 4 questions
  • TMUS
    T-Mobile US, Inc. · 4 questions
    0%none of 4 questions
  • CMCSA
    Comcast · 3 questions
    0%none of 3 questions
  • DIS
    The Walt Disney Company · 3 questions
    33%1 of 3 questions
  • FOX
    Fox Corporation (Class B) · 3 questions
    0%none of 3 questions
  • SKYD
    Skydance Corporation · 2 questions
    —rate withheld: under 3 questions
Show all 14 companies
CompanyQuestionsChallenge rate
TKO TKO Group Holdings2—Rate withheld: fewer than 3 questions
WBD Warner Bros. Discovery2—Rate withheld: fewer than 3 questions
CHTR Charter Communications1—Rate withheld: fewer than 3 questions
ROKU Roku, Inc.1—Rate withheld: fewer than 3 questions
  • TKO
    TKO Group Holdings · 2 questions
    —rate withheld: under 3 questions
  • WBD
    Warner Bros. Discovery · 2 questions
    —rate withheld: under 3 questions
  • CHTR
    Charter Communications · 1 question
    —rate withheld: under 3 questions
  • ROKU
    Roku, Inc. · 1 question
    —rate withheld: under 3 questions

Activity by reporting period

Questions recorded for each calendar quarter that companies’ reporting periods map to (not the call date), with the challenge rate for that period. Periods inside the range with no questions are shown as “No questions recorded”.

Questions by calendar reporting period
Calendar periodQuestionsChallenge rateCompanies
2026 Q1166%1 of 16 questions12
2026 Q2120%none of 12 questions9
2026 Q3160%none of 16 questions7
  1. 2026 Q116 questions · challenge rate 6% (1 of 16 questions) · 12 companies
  2. 2026 Q212 questions · challenge rate 0% (none of 12 questions) · 9 companies
  3. 2026 Q316 questions · challenge rate 0% (none of 16 questions) · 7 companies

Topics

Topics tagged on this analyst’s questions.

  • Competitive Dynamics17
  • Demand10
  • Cloud & AI10
  • Innovation & R&D8
  • Revenue Growth7
  • Pricing7
  • Subscriber Growth5
  • Capital Allocation5
  • M&A3
  • Product Launch3
Show all 15 topics
  • Capex Investment3
  • Regulation Policy3
  • Geographic Expansion2
  • Cost Pressure2
  • Macroeconomic2