UniversalParksBlog News for April 26th, 2026
Comcast just reported its quarterly earnings, and theme park fans are in for a surprise.
While the perception has been that Universal Studios is struggling, the numbers say otherwise.
Universal
We’ll discuss the good news in UniversalParksBlog News for April 24th, 2026.
Why You Should Care about Comcast
(Jeff Fusco/Comcast via AP Images)
As a reminder, Comcast acquired NBCUniversal in 2011.
So, Comcast has been the corporate overlord of Universal Studios for 15 years now.
Image: Associated Press
To Comcast’s credit, it anticipated the explosive growth of theme parks.
Well, I should say this particular theme park business. The industry as a whole is in decline.
However, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter has anchored Universal Studios.
Comcast recognized this and correctly chose to augment Potter with more.
Universal
The most recent example of these improvements is Universal Epic Universe.
Comcast invested billions into adding a third theme park at Universal Orlando Resort.
Photo: Universal
The idea all along has been to entice vacationers to spend more time at the resort.
With Epic approaching its one-year anniversary, Comcast has a better idea of its success.
Photo: Facebook/Universal Orlando
But I’m getting ahead of myself. Before we discuss Universal, we must talk shop.
The performance of Comcast’s other divisions directly impacts the parks.
Photo: Universal
When Comcast struggles financially, it cuts corners everywhere, including Universal.
That’s why I’ve side-eyed Peacock since its inception, and it just keeps getting worse.
Photo: Deadline
At this point, Comcast’s Peacock is the only major streaming service that’s not profitable.
During the most recent quarter, Peacock lost another $432 million.
Photo: billboard.com
This seems like a good time to mention that Peacock had The Olympics AND the Super Bowl.
So, there’s just no excuse for this kind of performance. It’s atrocious.
Photo: Yahoo Sports
Comcast also relies heavily on broadband subscribers for its revenue stream.
The earnings report included this gem that tells the whole story:
Photo: NFL
“Broadband subscriber losses improved by more than 100,000 year-over-year.”
They’re still losing business, but they’ve cut the losses by a solid amount. Yay!
Photo:insudeuniversal.net
Seriously, Comcast is in transition right now, but there’s good news for theme park fans.
About Universal Studios
Universal
Let’s start with the financial highlight and then work our way backward:
“Theme Parks EBITDA Increased 33% to $551 Million, Fueled by the Opening of Epic Universe…”
Attractions Magazine
This is Comcast’s final quarter comparing a non-Epic year to one with Epic open.
As such, we’re still not getting apples-to-apples comparisons yet. That’ll start next time.
NBC
The theme parks division increased its revenue by 24 percent to $2.33 billion.
Meanwhile, the EBITDA improved from $413 million a year ago to $551 million this time.
Attraction Insight
Overall, Universal Studios attributed its better revenue to the opening of Epic Universe.
So, without the new theme park opening, we don’t know how well Universal would have done.
That’s why next month will normalize expectations from now on.
For the time being, we’re still reading the tea leaves a bit, but the news seems good.
Comcast
During the earnings call, Comcast executives flatly stated there’s cause for concern.
“(Our) international parks faced pressure from China-related travel and macro conditions in Beijing.”
Comcast
On the bright side, Epic has done the one thing Comcast had wanted.
Per-capita spending has increased at Universal Orlando since Epic opened.
Photo: NY Times
I’m not sure just how much CEO Michael Cavanagh is paying attention to the daily details, though.
The exec also said, “This year, we opened Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift in Universal Hollywood.”
Image: Universal
That…hasn’t happened yet. We don’t even have an exact date right now, just summer 2026.
Comcast also revealed that the EBITDA is a bit misleading. It’s really seven percent.
Image: Universal
That’s because last year’s comparison includes the final costs to open Epic.
In other words, the numbers are up, but they’re not as great as they may sound.
Universal Kids Resort
Comcast does sound excited about the future, though, highlighting new projects.
Universal Kids Resort opens in a few months, and the England park remains on track.
Universal Studios Miscellany
I want to direct your attention toward this story about One Piece.
The Hollywood Reporter found the interactive stunt show so impressive that it researched the process.
Image: Universal
The 2026 version of Fan Fest Nights just started yesterday.
So, that will be the subject of the next issue of UniversalParksBlog News.
Image: Universal
For the time being, here are a few videos:
This Scooby Doo one delights me:
And here’s Forbidden Forest: Search for the Hippogriff, which I mentioned last time:
Early reviews are decidedly positive, although I reiterate my sadness that Star Trek isn’t back.
At the box office, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is already the number one film of 2026.
So, there’s cause for optimism that we’ll get SMG park experiences someday.
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Feature Photo: Universal
