The Walt Disney Company is an American multination conglomerate with a business interest that centers on mass media and entertainment, as well as an operation that spans across North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Japan.
With expansive subsidiaries and affiliates, specifically a diverse line of products and service, the conglomerate has structured itself into four business segments: Media Networks, Parks and Resorts, Studio Entertainment, and Consumer Products and Interactive Media. Below are further details of the conglomerate structure of The Walt Disney Company:
1. Media Networks: This business segment is involved in television production and content distribution, radio production, broadcast and cable, publishing, as well as digital media. The Disney Channel, ABC Television Group, and ESPN Inc. are under this segment. Considering all of the media brands and subsidiaries under this segment, The Walt Disney Company is undeniably a media conglomerate with a strong foothold in the American media scene.
2. Parks and Resorts: This business segment includes all businesses concerned with family travel and leisure. The idea behind this segment is to build and operate travel destinations and landmarks that feature immersive storytelling. This segment currently operates five high-end vacation destinations, 11 theme parks, and three resorts located in various parts of the world. This segment also includes the Disney Cruise Line that currently operates four cruise line ships, the Disney Vacation Club, Aulani Resort and Spa, and Walt Disney Imagineering.
3. Studio Entertainment: This business segment includes businesses involved in music, movie, and stage play productions. Specific companies or subsidiaries under this segment include The Pixar Animation Studios, Marvel Studios, Touchstone Pictures, Lucasfilm, and Disney Nature. The Disney on Ice, Disney on Broadway, and Disney Live theatrical presentations also fall under this segment, especially under the core business Disney Theatrical Group.
4. Consumer Products and Interactive Media: This business segment is involved in the production and distribution of merchandises such as toys and apparels, as well as in the publication of books. This segment also includes the Disney Store —a chain of retail stores located in North America, Europe, and Japan. To capitalize on the digital age, the conglomerate also launched the Disney Interactive segment in 2008 to handle all businesses concerning the digital platform, including interactive media and interactive games.
As a diversified and multinational mass media conglomerate, The Walt Disney Company is undeniably one of the largest media empires in the world. Producing creative contents has always been at the center of its business and the conglomerate has endeavored in promoting this further by fostering innovation and utilizing the latest technology, and expanding into new markets around the globe.
