Austin Wuennenberg, 21, was killed July 5 when his train and another monorail train collided.

OVERVIEW: The Burbank, Calif.-based company is expected to have been battered across all of its business segments as the recession takes its toll.

The advertising slump is expected to hurt its ABC and ESPN networks, and theme park visitors are forecast to have spent less despite showing up in similar numbers as last year to take advantage of package discounts.

The movie studio will likely see a profit dip due to slowing DVD sales. Major releases in the quarter included its Pixar division's "Up" and "Hannah Montana: The Movie."

Its consumer products division is seen hurting slightly as the company's April 2008 move to take back control of Disney ( DIS) Stores is no longer giving it a boost.

The company announced in late June that it had reached a deal with the Hong Kong government to expand its park there at a cost of about $465 million. In July, a bus accident and monorail collision, which killed a driver, marred operations at the Walt Disney World theme parks in Orlando, Fla.

BY THE NUMBERS: Analysts, on average, expect Disney to post an 18 percent decline in earnings per share to 51 cents, with revenue down 4 percent to $8.83 billion.

ANALYST TAKE: Bernstein Research analyst Michael Nathanson expects Disney to beat expectations based on its history of doing so.

"Under CEO Bob Iger, Disney has been a `beat' machine with upside surprises in 12 of the last 14 quarters," he wrote in a July 8 analyst note.

He upgraded the stock a week later, predicting a broad-based recovery in fiscal 2010. Nathanson estimates Disney will earn 57 cents per share in the third quarter on revenue of $8.86 billion.

WHAT'S AHEAD: Iger will likely discuss the company's performance during the "upfront" ad-selling season when advertisers book large chunks of TV air time. Competitor Viacom Inc. ( VIA) reported a 6 percent drop in domestic ad revenue in the quarter, while Time Warner ( TWX) Inc. experienced a 3 percent drop.

ESPN already beams European matches to audiences across Asia and the Americas. But in a signal of its broader global ambitions, the sportscaster recently bought the rights to show 46 English Premier League games this season to British viewers—the first time it has cracked a major domestic market in Europe.

To serve its new audience, ESPN is launching a British channel set to go live in August. In addition to this year's games, the broadcaster will show 23 matches per year from 2010 to 2013 in a deal that reportedly cost nearly $400 million. The channel will be carried on British cable and satellite providers, including market-leader BSkyB (BSY), which is 40% owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. (NWS). ESPN also plans to screen games in Britain from the German, Portuguese, Russian, Dutch, and U.S. soccer leagues.

Cracking the European Market

By expanding its footprint to Britain—where soccer was born—ESPN is taking a major step toward furthering its international presence. The network already counts 200 million households outside the U.S., more than twice its presence in its home market, but until now it hasn't had much success in Europe because it shows mainly American sports. Analysts figure that gaining broadcast rights to the world's favorite game should help win over more of Europe's half a billion soccer-mad fans. But it also may pit the network against News Corp., which already has a strong presence in many European countries, particularly Italy and Britain.

"In the next three to five years, we could well see a commercial battle between ESPN and News Corp. over [soccer] rights," says Simon Chadwick, director of the Center for the International Business of Sport at Coventry University in Britain. "ESPN will become more strategically aggressive as it gains experience with this new market."

The fact that Bristol (Conn.)-based ESPN has targeted soccer underscores how important the sport is to its future growth. While Major League Baseball and the NBA still draw high U.S. ratings, international viewership of American sports has remained anemic. ESPN won't comment on its specific plans, but hints that more European expansion could be in the offing. "If [more soccer] rights become available, and they make commercial sense, we will look to invest," says a company spokesman.

A Global Following

It's no surprise that soccer—known outside the U.S. as football—is a massive draw. The English Premier League, for instance, is the world's most lucrative sports franchise, broadcast to more than 600 million homes in over 200 countries, according to consultants at Deloitte. FIFA, the sport's governing body, says the monthlong 2006 World Cup held in Germany pulled in an aggregated global TV audience of 26.2 billion viewers.

With its new British soccer coverage, ESPN now will be able to tap into the fanatical local and global following for clubs such as Manchester United and Arsenal. Thanks to its agreement with BSkyB, ESPN's reach will jump to nearly 10 million British households, or about one-third of the market. The deal also will give ESPN a secure revenue stream it would have had a tough time establishing on its own, says Richard Broughton, a senior analyst at media researcher Screen Digest in London. "There would be little chance of success without Sky," he says.

But while the relationship should be mutually beneficial in the short term, tensions between Disney and News Corp. could arise as they compete for future soccer rights. The biggest bone of contention is likely to be the English Premier League (EPL), which will soon start negotiating its post-2013 global broadcasting rights. BSkyB is currently the dominant rights-holder for EPL games, but with its deep pockets and expanding global presence, ESPN could mount a big challenge. If the tussle turns ugly, it could also threaten an existing joint venture between the companies in Asia called ESPNStar Sports. "Disney has the scale and expertise to compete," says Coventry University's Chadwick. "With two really big hitters targeting the market, tensions will obviously arise."

A Chance to Prove Itself

To fully capitalize on global soccer mania, experts say ESPN also must master how to market itself to non-U.S. audiences. The new British TV deal will be an important proving ground. ESPN already has signed up former BBC presenter Ray Stubbs to front its coverage. Other moves, such as beefing up its own broadcasting equipment, instead of hiring gear from others, could save costs if and when ESPN expands its soccer coverage across Europe and further afield.

With Mark McLeod's whereabouts unknown, Disney bigwigs fear for the safety of their 16-year-old franchise darling.

Studio execs are so concerned that McLeod could harm the starlet they alerted Los Angeles cops of his arrest and release in Georgia, TMZ.com reported.

In March, McLeod professed to the Daily News that he is Cyrus "No. 1 fan" while waiting to see her at a Midtown book signing.

He said he first saw her in concert in Orlando last year and since then "I've kinda been watching everything she does."

McLeod of Appling, Ga., showed a far more sinister side June 22 when he was arrested in Tybee Island, Ga., near where Cyrus was filming her upcoming movie, "The Last Song."

Cursing at cops, McLeod allegedly tried to head-butt one officer as he was being handcuffed.

"F--- you and your rules!" he screamed as he tussled with police. "I will \[expletive\] be with Miley!"

He told cops he had "thousands of pictures and letters to Miley on his computer," and had mailed her diamond rings.

"McLeod stated that Cyrus' responses came in the form of 'secret messages' on her television show directed only to him," the police report says.

He was charged with misdemeanor disorderly conduct and obstruction and released a day later due to jail overcrowding. "If we had heard something about this guy supposedly being a stalker ... he wouldn't have been released," Chatham County, Ga., Sheriff Al St. Lawrence told WSAV-TV in Georgia.

Tybee Island cops were apparently unaware that a court order had been issued in Los Angeles barring him from coming near Cyrus.

The suspect was ordered to appear in Georgia on Sept. 1. Cyrus' spokeswoman did not return calls for comment.

During his arrest, McLeod boasted to Tybee Island cop Warren Millikan that he and the actress "great friends."

"Nobody will ever be able to keep us apart," McLeod told cops, according to the police report.

Repeating what he told The News, he claimed he became Cyrus' most devoted fan when he saw her in concert for the first time.

Our eyes met at her concert and we both knew," McLeod told Millikan, adding that Cyrus had accepted his marriage proposal and that her father, Country singer Billy Ray Cyrus, had given him his blessing.

"I walked straight thru security and up to her bus," Millikan claimed. "Billy Ray was standing there. He shook my hand and said you're a good man we've been praying for."

McLeod even dissed Cyrus' ex-boyfriend Nick Jonas of the Jonas Brothers, saying, "Miley is only with the Jonas brother for the press."

ESPN is also in talks to wholesale its new channel to remaining pay TV providers Top up TV and BT's (BT.L) BT Vision, said the report, citing a source close to negotiations.

The report said subscribers to Virgin's premium package XL would receive ESPN content for free with the rest having to pay either 10 pounds ($16.37) a month or 8 pounds if they have a subscription with BSky's (BSY.L) Sky Sports.

ESPN picked up the rights to the English Premier League after the collapse of Setanta in the UK last month. [ID:nLM528683]

Aerosmith members Tom Hamilton (from left), Joey Kramer, Steven Tyler, Joe Perry and Brad Whitford officially opened the ride on July 29, 1999.

Sentinel writer Jim Abbott interviewed the rockers that day. Among their quotes:

+ "I don't think Walt Disney had this, or us, in mind when he was drawing pants on the mouse," Tyler said. "But a roller coaster is so radical -- and rock 'n' roll being the Devil's music, it is a perfect match." (Jim notes that Tyler is joking.)

+ "We're Imagineers," Perry said. "We have hard hats that say that on them."

+ And Jim reports: Tyler said the ride was like putting ``your head between your legs'' and kissing part of your anatomy goodbye. (``He meant to say `tush,'' ' Hamilton corrected.)

Calendar writer Jamie Anderson reviewed where to sit: "In the front, you are overwhelmed with scenery and are the first to experience the fast turns, flips and drops. The events come as more of a surprise and the adrenaline increases and you rise and fall, finally gliding to a halt.

"However, being at the back of the coaster is the best seat in the 'limo.' You are able to see the folks in front of you turn upside down, so you know your doom before it hits. You're also able to see the surroundings more and have a better grasp of where you are -- even when upside-down."

Months later, Commander Coconut paid a visit. For reasons clear only to the Commander, he refers to Aerosmith as "Aeroschmidt." Roll with it.

G-Force is available on Wii™, Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system, PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system, Nintendo DS™ and Windows-based PC.

G-Force is the first game for next-generation systems to fully feature three-dimensional game play. On the Xbox 360 and PLAYSTATION 3 system versions, players can turn on the 3-D features at any point throughout the game to experience the special 3-D features while wearing 3-D glasses. Every G-Force game for those two systems comes with two pairs of special 3-D glasses.

G-Force is a fast-paced action-platform game featuring a unique team of specially trained guinea pigs that use high-tech gadgets and specialized talents to complete a dangerous secret mission. Players control Darwin, the G-Force team leader, and housefly surveillance commando Mooch. Darwin and Mooch enlist the rest of G-Force team to use their unique high-tech gadgets and stealth mastery to save the world from a robot army of evil household appliances, including waffle irons, water coolers and vacuum cleaners. G-Force features innovative gameplay with a unique sense of scale and puzzle solving that requires players to manipulate environments and enemies to complete their mission.

“The G-Force video game not only goes beyond the film, it delivers a fantastic experience for gamers of any age with high-quality graphics, inventive gadgets and dynamic gameplay,” said Craig Relyea, senior vice president of global marketing, Disney Interactive Studios. “The revolutionary 3-D technology adds an innovative element that provides even greater immersion and excitement for players.”

G-Force includes unique weapons, enemies and stories that extend the experience from the film.

Published by Disney Interactive Studios, the G-Force game forconsoles and Windows PC was developed by Eurocom. The Nintendo DS and PSP system versions were developed by Keen Games.

Popular actors Jon Favreau (“Hurley”), Bill Nighy (“Leonard Saber”) and Sam Rockwell (“Darwin”) reprise their roles from the motion picture, and help bring to life the characters and story in the G-Force video game with their voiceover acting.

G-Force is available for Xbox 360, Wii, and PLAYSTATION 3 system for $49.99. Nintendo DS, PlayStation 2 system and PSP system versions are available for $29.99 and the Windows-based PC version is available for $19.99. G-Force is rated E10+ for Everyone 10 and Older by the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB).

In addition, G-Force: The Mobile Game is also available on most major wireless carriers. G-Force: The Mobile Game is an action-strategy game featuring core members of G-Force team. In this prequel to the movie, you and your teammates conduct a series of training missions by following clues, solving puzzles, and destroying enemy targets in preparation for real-life situations. G-Force: The MobileGame will be available for iPhone, iPod Touch and Java/Brew platforms, and has a suggested retail price of $6.99 (prices may vary by carrier).

About the “G-FORCE” film

Producer Jerry Bruckheimer brings his first 3-D film to the big screen with G-FORCE, a comedy adventure about the latest evolution of a covert government program to train animals to work in espionage. Armed with the latest high-tech spy equipment, these highly trained guinea pigs discover that the fate of the world is in their paws. Tapped for the G-FORCE are guinea pigs Darwin (voice of SAM ROCKWELL), the squad leader determined to succeed at all costs; Blaster (voice of TRACY MORGAN), an outrageous weapons expert with tons of attitude and a love for all things extreme; and Juarez (voice of PENELOPE CRUZ), a sexy martial arts pro; plus the literal fly-on-the-wall reconnaissance expert, Mooch, and a star-nosed mole, Speckles (voice of NICOLAS CAGE), the computer and information specialist. Along the way, the G-FORCE encounters myriad other members of the animal kingdom, including pet shop layabout Hurley (voice of JON FAVREAU) and the rabidly territorial hamster Bucky (voice of STEVE BUSCEMI).

Directed by Academy Award^®-winning visual effects master Hoyt H. Yeatman Jr. — G-FORCE takes audiences on a high-octane thrill ride, proving once and for all that the world needs bigger heroes.

About Disney Interactive Studios

“They’ve been sentenced to prison for criminal activities but haven’t stopped carrying out those activities,” Monique Wadstad, the lawyer for Disney, Universal, Warner Bros and Columbia Pictures told English-language Swedish media.

Pirate Bay administrators Fredrik Neij, Gottfrid Svartholm Warg and Peter Sunde were found guilty in April of facilitating copyright infringement, along with Carl Lundström, who was accused of funding the five-year-old operation.

The April verdicts were on appeal amid allegations the judge who presided over the case was biased because he was a member of pro-copyright groups. That appeal was rejected, however, and the operators are expected to appeal the case on a host of other grounds, including contentions that the verdicts are unjustified because the site does not host copyrighted material and only points to it.

The defendants remain free, pending resolution of the appeals.

That said, it’s unclear whether an injunction is necessary.

The Disney-owned network is building up its live soccer content in Britain after already securing rights to show some Premier League matches.

The first live MLS match will be on Aug. 8 when England midfielder David Beckham's Los Angeles Galaxy plays New England.

ESPN also announced Tuesday it has won the rights to show German, Portuguese, Russian and Dutch league soccer. ESPN has been picking up rights previously held by Setanta after the network collapsed in Britain due to financial problems.

The new release stars secret-agent guinea pigs with all sorts of special talents.

The president of the Critter Connection guinea pig rescue isn't as happy about the new movie as children. Cindy Kuester thinks the film will have parents rushing out to buy the pets, with many of them giving them to pet rescues a few weeks later.

Kuester says it's happened before, like when Disney re-released "101 Dalmatians."

"Everyone ran out and got the different cute little puppies then got tired of them. That's what happens when they get tired of them, the novelty wears off and they turn to the rescue groups for help," she said.

Kerri Wilson took her daughter Kaylee to see 'G-Force' on opening night.

"She's been counting down the days to see the movie. She's really excited about it," Wilson said.

She will not be getting her daughter a new pet, no matter how much she likes the movie.

“Harry Potter” had $30 million in ticket revenue for Time Warner Inc. in its second weekend, down 61 percent from the previous three-day weekend, researcher Hollywood.com Box-Office, in Los Angeles, said yesterday in an e-mailed statement. “The Ugly Truth,” from Sony Corp., opened in third place with $27 million and the horror film “Orphan,” also from Time Warner’s Warner Bros., earned $12.8 million for fourth place in its first weekend.

“Harry Potter” slid as PG-rated “G-Force” siphoned the family audience, said Jeff Bock, senior box office analyst for Los Angeles-based Exhibitor Relations. The Potter movie, dinged by reviews that weren’t as good as for previous installments in the franchise, will remain a good earner for Time Warner and won’t hurt future ‘Harry Potter’ movies, he said.

“When all is said and done,‘Harry Potter’ will probably be in the top three movies for the summer,” Bock said yesterday in an interview. “Don’t feel too bad for ‘Harry Potter.’”

“G-Force” exceeded analysts’ expectations and shows Disney is “on a roll” with three movies in the top dozen, Paul Dergarabedian, president of Hollywood.com Box-Office, said in a statement.

“A great marketing campaign and a premise that had people scratching their heads” propelled the guinea pig drama into first place, Dergarabedian said.

In “G-Force,” a group of government-trained guinea pigs tries to stop a diabolical billionaire from taking over the world. The cast of actors providing voices includes Sam Rockwell, Tracy Morgan and Penelope Cruz.

More Potter Movies

In “Half-Blood Prince,” Harry and his friends Hermione and Ron are menaced by the growing power of the evil Voldemort and his Death Eater allies. The film includes the death of a major character and big changes for the trio.

Warner Bros. plans two more movies based on the Potter series’ seventh book, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.” The first five grossed $1.4 billion in the U.S. and Canada and $4.48 billion worldwide, according to Box Office Mojo, a researcher in Sherman Oaks, California, that tracks receipts.

“Orphan” stars Peter Sarsgaard and Vera Farmiga as a young couple devastated by the recent loss of their unborn child. The two decide to adopt, and are terrorized by Esther, played by Isabelle Fuhrman.

In the romantic comedy “The Ugly Truth,” Katherine Heigl and Gerard Butler star as co-workers at a morning show who butt heads when it comes to what makes men and women tick.

Cartoon Dinosaurs

News Corp.’s “Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs” earned $8.2 million for fifth place, falling from second last weekend. The film, the third in an animated series about prehistoric animals, earned $171.3 million since its July 1 release, Hollywood.com said.

“Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen,” fell to sixth place from third, earning $8 million for Viacom Inc.’s Paramount Pictures. The film, a sequel to the 2007 film, stars Shia LaBeouf and has taken in $379 million since being released June 24, according to Hollywood.com.

Sacha Baron Cohen’s “Bruno” earned $2.7 million for 10th place. The film, in which Baron Cohen takes on the persona of a gay Austrian fashion commentator, has collected $56.5 million for General Electric Co.’s Universal Pictures since its July 10 release.

Weekend sales for the top dozen films fell 18.9 percent to $141 million from a year earlier, when “The Dark Knight” was in its second week, Hollywood.com Box-Office said. Year-to-date receipts rose 8 percent to $6.22 billion, compared with a year earlier, Hollywood.com said. Attendance is up 4.1 percent this year.