Disney-OpenAI $1B Sora deal collapses; D'Amaro Q2 tech/AI ramps
Key Questions
What caused the Disney-OpenAI Sora deal to collapse?
The deal collapsed after OpenAI discontinued Sora in April 2026 due to high operational costs of $15M per day and a pivot to GPT-5.5. This led to Disney's exit along with related lawsuits.
How does the Sora shutdown affect projects like Critterz?
The shutdown stranded AI film projects such as Critterz, preventing their presentation at the Cannes market without the primary text-to-video model. This infrastructure collapse directly halted production and market plans.
What changes are occurring in OpenAI's cloud partnerships?
OpenAI has restructured its partnership with Microsoft to expand its AWS collaboration, reducing exclusive reliance on Microsoft. It will still primarily depend on Microsoft for core infrastructure.
What are OpenAI's Q2 2027 financial projections?
OpenAI projects $25.2B in revenue for Q2 2027, reflecting 7% growth, with streaming revenue up 13%. These figures come amid the Sora cancellation and partnership shifts.
What is the status of OpenAI's planned 2026 IPO?
The IPO faces significant headwinds from mounting lawsuits and the fallout from the Sora shutdown. Legal challenges are creating uncertainty for the 2026 timeline.
THR confirms Disney exit post-Sora Apr 2026 shutdown ($15M/day costs, GPT-5.5 pivot), lawsuits; OpenAI AWS restructure; Q2 2027 $25.2B rev +7%, streaming +13%. Sora cancellation strands projects like Critterz at Cannes.