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Disney has been providing family entertainment for over 100 years. However, with the rise of cable television, home theaters, and internet access, there is now a lot more competition for viewers. This new technology also allows for an endless amount of content to be easily accessible in homes around the world.
So, how has Disney managed to stay successful in this changing market? The answer is that Disney has created and acquired different divisions to cater to the current market by producing more mature content than they were previously known for.
In this article, we will explore the various companies that are owned by Disney and their net worths.
Investigating the Disney Brand
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Disney is a well-known leader in the entertainment industry in America. It is a multinational entertainment company based at the Walt Disney Studios complex in California. The company started as an animation studio and has been providing family entertainment ever since.
The company's vision is centered around creating a "Garden of Earth" while providing wholesome family entertainment. Disney also owns a film studio known as Walt Disney Studios. This studio includes Pixar Animation Studios, Lucasfilm Animation, Walt Disney Pictures, Marvel Studios, 20th Studios, Walt Disney Animation Studios, and Searchlight Pictures.
In addition to its classic animated movies and cartoons, such as Spiderman, Batman, Dr. Strange, Wonder Woman, and fairy tales, Disney also creates cutting-edge theme park attractions. The company also offers sports updates and popular TV shows.
Disney is beloved by kids and teenagers, as well as fans of Marvel superheroes. However, you may not be aware that the company also produces makeup, skincare, hair care, clothing, accessories, and home goods.
Another lesser-known aspect of Disney is its membership club, which was once only available to those affiliated with the Mickey Mouse Club or those willing to pay a yearly fee of $25,000.
A Brief History of Disney
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Before discussing the present and future of Disney, it's important to take a look at its past. The company did not simply appear overnight. Like any other dynasty, it has its own origin story and history.
Disney was founded on October 16, 1923 by brothers Roy O. Disney and Walter Elias Disney, under the name Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio. On October 16, 1929, it became a corporation. The company has also been known as The Walt Disney Studio and Disney Productions before being renamed the Walt Disney Company in 1986.
Walter Elias Disney began his career working as an animator for a newspaper company, drawing animation frames for commercial advertisements. While this may have been a challenging task at the time, today we have the help of software such as MakeStoryboard which allows for easy animation creation within minutes.
Walt Disney was not just an animator, but also a film producer and entrepreneur.
With years of hard work and determination, he moved to Hollywood in 1923 and created his animation studio with his brother Roy. Like any start-up business, the studio faced its own challenges, both socially and financially, but they persevered to achieve their dream of building an empire of family entertainment.
Before branching out into live-action film production, television, and theme parks, the Walt Disney Studio had already established itself as a leading company in the American animation industry.
Read More: When did Disney World Open? All You Need to Know About the Opening of Disney
Other Key Players in Disney
While the company was initially started by Walt and Roy, it truly became a success in 1955 with the opening of Disneyland to the public. Since Walt's passing in 1966, the Walt Disney Company is now primarily owned by three groups of shareholders: the descendants of Roy and Walt, and two companies - Berkshire Hathaway and Cadbury.
What Companies Does Disney Own?
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Disney is a well-known and respected name in history. However, not everyone is aware that it is also a conglomerate with a global presence, operating and owning various businesses including hotels, theme parks, television networks, and resorts.
The Walt Disney Company directly and indirectly owns over 200 companies, which include movie and music studios, music labels, TV channels, news networks, and video games.
You may already be aware that Disney owns Lucasfilm and Marvel, but did you know that in addition to making movies, theme parks, and TV shows, it also owns retail stores, cruise lines, and a sports network?
This may come as a surprise, but The Walt Disney Company has a diverse range of businesses. It also owns several main business units, including divisions in broadcasting, streaming media, publishing, and international operations.
The number of companies owned by Disney is so extensive that it's easy to lose track! However, let's take a look at some of the most well-known ones in the industry.
Below is a list of companies owned by Disney that may not be immediately obvious, as they do not have Disney or its logo prominently displayed in their name.
Television and Entertainment Channels Owned by Disney
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Disney owns and operates a variety of business units, including major television broadcasting and cable television networks as well as entertainment channels. This includes:
- American Broadcasting Company (ABC)
- Freeform
- National Geographic Channel
- ESPN (Disney owns 80% stake)
- A&E (50% equity holding with Hearst Corporation)
- The History Channel (50% equity holding with Hearst Corporation)
- Lifetime (50% equity holding with Hearst Corporation)
- Fusion TV
- NBC Universal
- Disney Junior
- Disney Radio
- Disney Channel
- ABC Family
Disney offers direct-to-consumer streaming services through the following platforms:
- Disney+
- Starz+
- ESPN+
- Hulu
- Hotstar
- ABC+ and more
- Walt Disney World Resort
- Magic Kingdom Park
- Disney's Blizzard Beach Water Park
- Disneyland Resort
- Disneyland Paris
- Fantasy Land
- Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
- Mermaid Lagoon
- American Waterfront
- Mickey's Toontown
- Avengers Campus
- Arendelle - World of Frozen
- Image of Adventureland
- Adventureland
- Image of Liberty Square
- Liberty Square
- Image of American Waterfront
- Shanghai Disneyland Park
- Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park
- Disney Magic
- Disney Wonder
- Disney Fantasy
- Disney Dream
But Disney doesn't just produce TV shows and movies, they also own several movie studios around the world, including:
- Pixar Animation Studios
- Marvel Entertainment Inc
- The Muppets Studio LLC
- Caravan Pictures in Hollywood
- Core Publishing
- Walt Disney Studios
- Vice Media (10% stake)
- Lucasfilm Ltd
- Hollywood Records, and many others.
- Disney stores
- Carl Arts
- Publishing divisions
- Merchandising
- Music, and theater divisions
Disney's iconic mascot, the cartoon character Mickey Mouse, was created in 1928 by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks.
So, How Big is Disney?
As previously stated, Disney is a large company with multiple international divisions. For anyone who has watched their movies, watched their TV shows, or visited one of their theme parks, it's clear that this company is massive.
One of the most well-known theme parks, Disney World, attracts over 20 million visitors annually. It has remained the number one theme park for several years. Disney's success can be attributed to its creativity and innovation, its ability to appeal to its audiences, and the many interactive attractions that are so popular with children.
Disney’s Worth in Numbers
In 2005, The Walt Disney Company decided to go public at a share price of $34 per share. A year later, the share price increased to $42 per share, and later to $105 per share.
The success of the company has been so great that many people are now wondering about Disney's valuation and worth.
As of September 30, 2016, Disney's market capitalization was more than $152 billion, based on its stock valuation.
Additionally, to accurately determine the value of Disney, we must take into account the amount of revenue the company has generated since its inception. In 2021, its total revenue exceeded $67 billion, a significant increase from the previous year. Additionally, about 12% of Disney's revenue is generated from consumer products, including toys, clothing, and home goods.
As of 2021, Disney's net income was approximately $2.02 billion.
A Brief History of Walt Disney Television
In 1954, Disney entered the television industry. Its first show, Disneyland, aired on the ABC network on September 9th of the same year, with General Electric as its sponsor.
The show ran for about an hour and was used to showcase new and popular attractions at Disneyland, such as Tomorrowland and Autopia.
In 1996, Disney created its own television company, named Walt Disney Television, due to the immense popularity of the Disneyland show. Walt Disney Television aired TV series such as Zorro, Davy Crockett, Duck Tales, Zootopia, and more.
Walt Disney Company [Division - Latin America]
This company has a global reach and influence, making it one of the most popular and influential brands diversifying into schools, businesses, and governments worldwide.
One of the unique characteristics of this company is that it creates content that is tailored to specific countries' customs and cultures. This is done to cater to the diverse culture of Latin America, where the Disney Channel programs are broadcast 24/7 in three different languages (English, Portuguese, and Spanish).
It also offers other services such as advertising and radio broadcasting, sales of toys, and household goods, as well as regional studios in Chile, Mexico, and Argentina that create programs specifically designed to appeal to audiences in those regions.
The Walt Disney Company [Division - Asia Pacific]
When it comes to the entertainment industry in the Asia Pacific region, the Walt Disney Company dominates as the largest company operating in the areas of studio entertainment, parks & resorts, interactive media, and consumer products.
However, this division of Disney in the Asia Pacific was established in 1995. It is a subsidiary company that manages the corporation's marketing, promotion, distribution, and sales of almost all Disney media products in the Chinese and Asian regions.
Film Franchises Owned by Disney
There are hundreds of subsidiary companies under the Walt Disney Company, but it's worth noting that the company also has a presence in many other businesses in addition to those they fully own.
When it comes to well-known brands and film franchises, companies owned by Disney have a variety of characters and brands that are prominent in the media. Here are just a few examples:
- Obi-wan Kenobi and the Jedi Knights
- The Indiana Jones Franchise
- The Marvel Cinematic Universe (Though not the X-Men yet!)
- Grey’s Anatomy (and other popular ABC shows)
- Our all-time favorite Disney prince and princesses (such as Aurora, Cinderella, Mulan, Aladdin, Snow White, Frozen, and The Lion King)
- The Muppets Show
- The Chronicles of Narnia Franchise
- The Pirates of the Caribbean
- Toy Story, The Incredibles, Cars, and other Pixar films
- Winnie the Pooh Franchise
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