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Disney profit expected to increase

CHICAGO (MarketWatch) -- Walt Disney Co. is expected to report a greater fiscal third-quarter profit after the market closes Tuesday, given solid business at the theme parks as well as box-office results from "The Avengers."

The entertainment giant (DIS) , a component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average, is estimated to report a profit of 93 cents a share on revenue of $11.32 billion, according to a FactSet poll of analysts.

A year earlier, Disney posted earnings of 78 cents a share on $10.68 billion in revenue, excluding items.

Disney's theme parks were a major driver of revenue improvement in the March period, and should be again in the period ended June 30, analysts predicted. "Theme parks should again be a bright spot," Tuna Amobi of S&P Capital IQ wrote in a note.

Tony Wible of Janney Capital Markets commented that both pricing and attendance volume are on the rise, as the company is also set to "benefit from park expansion initiatives" at parks such as California Adventure.

At the movie studios, "The Avengers" will lift results. The action flick has grossed nearly $617 million in the United States and $1.46 billion worldwide since its May 4 debut. Dollars will continue to pile up as the title spurs product tie-ins and is released on DVD and Blu-ray next month.

Disney's television-network results could be partially hampered by revenue deferrals at ESPN, Amobi predicted, along with increased rights fees for NBA telecasts. Analysts will be listening for updates on the climate for TV-ad sales at ABC and its owned and operated stations.