The Walt Disney Company has come a long way from its humble beginnings with a lovable mouse. In 2016, it was considered the most powerful brand in the world as measured by the Brand Strength Index (BSI), barely edging out LEGO for the top spot. It was also 24th among the top 25 most valuable brands, with a value of $31,674 million.
When you think Disney, you probably picture charming cartoon characters, glittering princesses, and expansive theme parks. However, this only scratches the surface of what Disney has a hand in. Most are no stranger to the highly-publicized acquisition of Lucas Films and the Star Wars brand, but Disney goes beyond this as well. Here are some things you probably didn’t know Disney was involved with.
1. A&E Networks
Disney owns a piece of The History Channel
Image: Kevin Dooley, Flickr (license)
A&E Networks is owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company and Hearst Corporation. A&E is responsible for several top networks including Lifetime and The History Channel. The A&E channel itself has programming such as Bates Motel, Married at First Sight, and Intervention. The History Channel hosts hits like American Pickers and Detroit Steel, while Lifetime features everything from Project Runway to Little Women. The connection between Disney and these networks is rarely publicized, making it an interesting discovery for most.
2. Hulu
Disney has a 30% stake in Hulu
Image: Garrett Heath, Flickr (license)
Disney doesn’t own Hulu, but it holds a 30 percent stake in the company and recently negotiated a licensing deal that has the two tied closely together. In 2017, you’ll see a major Disney presence on the streaming service with films like Lilo & Stitch, Tarzan, The Emperor’s New Groove, and The Princess and the Frog joining the offerings.
3. ABC
Capital Cities/ABC was acquired by Disney in 1996, later becoming the Disney-ABC Television Group, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company’s Disney Media Networks division. ABC’s programming includes a wealth of well-known hits including Modern Family, The Goldbergs, Scandal, Grey’s Anatomy, Fresh Off the Boat, Shark Tank, and The Bachelor.
Visit Disney’s Hollywood Studios and you’ll see posters and billboards for many of the latest hits. The park is also home to a counter service restaurant called the ABC Commissary. In keeping with the overall theme of this park as a working film and television studio, the Commissary is themed around an art deco cafeteria, to make you feel like a star of decades past, grabbing a quick meal between takes.
4. Touchstone Pictures
Splash is commemorated in a fountain at Disney World
Image: AESanfacon, Flickr (license)
Touchstone Pictures, founded in 1984, was Disney’s first attempt at reaching beyond its traditional family friendly fare. It was established by then-CEO Ron W. Miller. Touchstone got off to a tremendous start with its first film, Splash. Disney’s Hollywood Studios features an oft-overlooked fountain featuring the mermaid from the film as a nod to this achievement.
Disney’s first R-rated film, Down and Out in Beverly Hills, was also released under the Touchstone label. Other Touchstone favorites, Sister Act, Pretty Woman, and Good Morning, Vietnam are seen in the finale film on The Great Movie Ride at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
Another Touchstone success, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, is so heavily promoted in Disney’s merchandise locations that many fans have forgotten it wasn’t released as a Disney film.
5. Hollywood Pictures
Thought Hollywood Pictures went defunct in 2007, it had a successful run under former chief Michael Eisner. This was another one of Disney’s forays into adult entertainment, pushing the bounds of what is traditionally considered Disney fare. Its films included The Sixth Sense, Nixon, Dangerous Minds, While You Were Sleeping, Tombstone, and The Hand That Rocks the Cradle. There’s a small nod to one of these in the script for the Great Movie Ride, where the line reads “I see dead people.”
6. ESPN
Disney’s ESPN Club is evidence of their partnership
Image: ckramer, Flickr (license)
ESPN is owned by a joint venture between The Walt Disney Company and Hearst Corporation. You’ll find evidence of connection throughout the Walt Disney World property. The Boardwalk is home to the ESPN Club where you can dine amid almost 100 video monitors showing the latest sports. The Walt Disney World Resort is also home to the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex featuring 230 acres of athletic facilities that host thousands of events annually, including the Atlanta Braves Spring Training.
7. Hollywood Records
Demi Lovato is among the artists on Disney labels
Image: Neon Tommy, Flickr (license)
Hollywood Records is a label maintained under the Disney Music Group. Predictably, the record company features many Disney Channel stars turned recording professionals, such as Zendaya, Demi Lovato, Olivia Holt, and R5. The label also works with Shawn Hook of “Sound of Your Heart” fame, and The Young Wild, an alternative/indie group.
8. Caravan Pictures
The Sixth Sense has Disney connections
Image: jdxyw, Flickr (license)
Caravan Pictures was a short-lived production company founded within Walt Disney Studios in 1992. During its seven-year run, it produced several films you’re probably familiar with, though you may not associate them with Disney, including Angels in the Outfield, While You Were Sleeping, G.I. Jane, and Six Days, Seven Nights.
9. Maker Studios
Maker Studios is Disney’s foray into YouTube territory
Image: Rego Korosi, Flickr (license)
Maker Studios is a more recent Disney acquisition, purchased for $500 million in 2014. The company is a global digital media brand that produces videos for prominent YouTube channels. When Disney purchased the company, the act was seen as a major endorsement for the power of digital content. However, since the acquisition, production by Maker Studios has declined rapidly. At the end of 2016, Disney merged Maker with Content & Media, attempting to find the right place in the company for this new side of media marketing.
While this offers a well-rounded look at all Disney is doing, it’s far from a comprehensive list of all that The Walt Disney Company is involved in. The next time you spot a great film, addictive television show, or hot new music artist, it’s probably worth asking whether Disney has something to do with it. Increasingly, the answer is a resounding a yes.
