# The Walt Disney Company **Source:** https://geo.sig.ai/brands/the-walt-disney-company **Vertical:** Entertainment **Subcategory:** Entertainment Conglomerate **Tier:** Leader **Website:** thewaltdisneycompany.com **Last Updated:** 2026-04-14 ## Summary Global entertainment giant with $91.4B FY2024 revenue; Disney+ profitable 2024 with 235M+ streaming subscribers; ESPN DTC launch planned fall 2025; Experiences at record levels; Peltz proxy battle won. ## Company Overview The Walt Disney Company is one of the world's largest entertainment and media conglomerates, founded on October 16, 1923 by brothers Walt and Roy Oliver Disney in Los Angeles, California, now headquartered in Burbank, California and trading on NYSE (DIS). Operating across Entertainment, Sports, and Experiences segments, Disney reported approximately $91.4 billion in revenues for fiscal year 2024 (ending September 28) under CEO Bob Iger, who returned to lead the company in November 2022 following the departure of Bob Chapek and is contractually committed through 2026 to stabilize the company and establish a succession plan. The company's Entertainment segment includes Disney+, Hulu (100% owned after buying Comcast's 33% stake for $8.61 billion in February 2024), ABC, FX, National Geographic, Star+, and Disney Channels, plus theatrical film production from Disney, Pixar, Marvel Studios, and Lucasfilm (Star Wars). Disney's streaming transformation—moving from linear television dependency to direct-to-consumer streaming—reached a critical milestone in 2024 when Disney+ achieved its first full-year profitability, vindicating Iger's decision to absorb years of streaming investment losses that challenged the company through 2020-2023. The combined Disney+/Hulu streaming bundle surpassed 235 million paid subscribers globally by FY2024, establishing Disney as the second-largest global streaming platform behind Netflix. ESPN's transition to a direct-to-consumer product—expected to launch as a standalone streaming service in fall 2025—represents the most significant strategic event for Disney's sports business since ESPN's cable launch in 1979, as declining linear TV subscribers necessitate a streaming future that could unlock ESPN's global sports rights value without cable distribution dependency. In 2025-2026, Disney's Experiences segment—encompassing Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Shanghai Disney, Hong Kong Disneyland, Disneyland Paris, Disney Cruise Line, and consumer products—continues to perform at record levels, with per-capita guest spending and hotel occupancy at historic highs. Disney defeated activist investor Nelson Peltz's Trian Fund proxy challenge in April 2024, receiving shareholder validation for Iger's direction. The company's franchise engine—Marvel Cinematic Universe (requiring creative recalibration after mixed Phase 5 box office), Star Wars, Pixar, and Disney Animation—remains the most valuable IP portfolio in global entertainment, powering theme park attendance, merchandise, and streaming content that competitors cannot replicate. Competition from Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Apple TV+ for streaming subscribers and talent drives ongoing content investment. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is The Walt Disney Company? The Walt Disney Company is the world's premier entertainment conglomerate operating theme parks, film studios, television networks, streaming services, and consumer products businesses. Founded in 1923 by Walt and Roy Disney, the company generates $94.54 billion annual revenue across Disney Experiences (theme parks generating $34B), entertainment studios (Marvel, Pixar, Lucasfilm, 20th Century), streaming platforms (Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+), and consumer products (licensing $63B globally). ### Who owns The Walt Disney Company? Disney is a publicly traded company (NYSE: DIS) with no single majority owner. Major institutional shareholders include Vanguard Group, BlackRock, and State Street Corporation. Disney family descendants maintain minority stakes but do not hold operational management positions. Bob Iger serves as CEO with James Gorman as Board Chairman, while professional management operates the company on behalf of public shareholders. ### How much revenue does Disney generate? Disney generated $94.54 billion in fiscal 2024 revenue, ranking #46 on the Fortune 500 list. Revenue breakdown: Disney Experiences (theme parks/resorts) contributed $34 billion (37% of total revenue and 59% of operating income), streaming services generated over $10 billion, film studios earned $5.46 billion at global box office, and consumer products licensing produced $63 billion in retail sales. ### How many employees does Disney have? Disney employed 231,000 total employees globally as of 2025, including 177,080 full-time and 37,280 part-time workers. The workforce decreased slightly from 233,000 in 2024 due to cost restructuring efforts targeting $7.5 billion in savings. Employees work across theme parks, film production studios, cruise ships, television networks, streaming operations, and corporate headquarters. ### Where is Disney headquarters located? Disney's corporate headquarters is located at 500 South Buena Vista Street in Burbank, California, on a 51-acre studio lot. The campus houses Walt Disney Studios film production facilities, animation studios, ABC television network offices, Marvel Studios, and corporate leadership including CEO Bob Iger. Disney also maintains significant offices in Orlando (Walt Disney World), Bristol (ESPN), New York, Chicago, San Francisco, and Seattle. ### What are Disney's major acquisitions? Disney's transformative acquisitions under CEO Bob Iger include Pixar Animation Studios ($7.4B, 2006) for Toy Story and animation talent; Marvel Entertainment ($4B, 2009) gaining Marvel Cinematic Universe; Lucasfilm ($4.05B, 2012) acquiring Star Wars and Indiana Jones; and 21st Century Fox ($71.3B, 2019) obtaining 20th Century Studios, FX, National Geographic, international distribution, and Hulu controlling stake. ### Is Disney+ profitable? Yes, Disney's combined streaming business (Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+) achieved profitability in fiscal 2024 and generated $1.33 billion operating income for fiscal 2025, up from $143 million in fiscal 2024. This represents a major turnaround after cumulative losses exceeding $11 billion from Disney+'s November 2019 launch through 2023, validating Bob Iger's strategic streaming investment. ### What happened with Disney and Florida Governor DeSantis? Disney engaged in political conflict with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis after the company opposed the "Parental Rights in Education Act" ("Don't Say Gay" bill). DeSantis retaliated by dissolving Disney's Reedy Creek Improvement District special tax status in April 2022. Disney sued Florida, and both parties reached settlement in March 2024 with a $17 billion Walt Disney World development plan, ending all litigation. ### Who will replace Bob Iger as CEO? Disney will name Bob Iger's successor in early 2026 according to company guidance. Board Chairman James Gorman leads the succession planning committee. Internal candidates include Dana Walden (Co-Chairman, Disney Entertainment), Alan Bergman (Co-Chairman, Disney Entertainment), Josh D'Amaro (Chairman, Disney Experiences), and Jimmy Pitaro (Chairman, ESPN). Iger's current contract extends through 2026. ### How did Disney perform at the 2024 box office? Disney became the first studio to surpass $5 billion global box office since 2019, earning $5.46 billion worldwide in 2024. Top performers included Inside Out 2 ($1.7B, #1 animated film of all time), Deadpool & Wolverine ($1.34B, #1 R-rated film globally), and Moana 2. Disney was responsible for three of the four highest-grossing films of 2024. ### What theme parks does Disney operate? Disney operates 12 theme parks across six resort destinations: Walt Disney World (Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom) and Disneyland in United States; Tokyo Disney Resort in Japan; Disneyland Paris in France; Hong Kong Disneyland; and Shanghai Disney Resort in China. A seventh destination, Disneyland Abu Dhabi, was announced for Yas Island in 2025. ### What is Disney's consumer products business? Disney is the #1 global licensor with $63 billion in licensed merchandise retail sales annually (2024), working with brands across 100+ product categories in 180 countries. The business licenses characters and franchises including Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and National Geographic for toys, apparel, home goods, video games, books, and other consumer products sold globally. ## Tags b2c, media, global, public, fortune500, gaming --- *Data from geo.sig.ai Brand Intelligence Database. Updated 2026-04-14.*