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The Walt Disney Company

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The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company.jpg
Founded 1923 (as Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio)
1929 (as Walt Disney Productions)
1986 (as The Walt Disney Company)
President Robert Iger
Notable Works ABC, Disney Channel, ABC Studios, Walt Disney Television Animation

"Disney" redirects here. For the film producer and entrepreneur, see Walt Disney.

The Walt Disney Company (commonly referred to as Disney) is one of the worlds largest media and entertainment corporations.

Contents

History

The company was founded in 1923 as a small animation studio, Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, by Walt and Roy Disney. In 1929 it was re-incorperated as Walt Disney Productions, and in 1986 the name changed to the current.

The Wonderful World of Disney, premiering in 1954, was the first TV series produced by Disney (although a hand full of TV specials predates it). At the time, Disney was a significantly smaller company, and no specific television arm was needed - thus all early Disney TV productions were produced by the parent company itself, then named Walt Disney Productions.

During the 1980s, Disney expanded its business, which, among other things, included TV production subsidiaries: Walt Disney Television (established in 1983), Walt Disney Television Animation (1984) and Touchstone Television (1985), as well as a cable network: Disney Channel (1983).

In the 1990s the expansion continued, including the purchase of national TV network ABC (alongside ESPN, A&E, Lifetime and their sister networks) in 1996.

Today Disney has grown to be one of the largest companies in the US television industry. Major television related acquirings made by Disney during the last decade include: Fox Family (later renamed ABC Family) and Saban Entertainment (including Marvel Productions) in 2001; The Muppets and other related productions in 2004 (forming The Muppets Studio); Pixar Animations Studios in 2006; Marvel Entertainment (including Marvel Studios and Marvel Animation) in 2009; Lucasfilm Ltd. (including Lucasfilm Television and Lucasfilm Animition) in 2012; and selected assets of 21st Century Fox (including 20th Century Fox Television and 20th Television) in 2019.

Current US television assets

Networks

Live-action production companies

Animation studios

Syndication companies

Additional US television assets

Defunct assets

Acquired catalogs

Sold assets