Disney doesn’t own Sony and there is no plan from both companies about owning each other. However, there is a multi-year “content licensing agreement” has been signed between Disney and Sony. According to the agreement, all the new Sony theatrical releases (including films) from 2022 will be released on Disney-owned platforms. This agreement also gives Disney the rights to many of Sony’s older films including the famous Spider-Man titles.
Key Takeaways
- The Walt Disney Company is mostly known as Disney and it is an American multinational
- The Sony Group Corporation is mostly known as Sony and it is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation
- There has been a “content licensing agreement” between Disney and Sony and according to the agreement, new Sony theatrical releases will be released on Disney-owned platforms
- The Walt Disney Company owns lots of companies including ABC Entertainment Group, ESPN, Touchstone Pictures, Marvel, Lucasfilm, FX Networks, etc.
Disney is a world-famous American multinational mass media and entertainment company and its main mission is to entertain, inform, and inspire people through the power of entertainment. Since its establishment, Disney has acquired corporate divisions to market more mature content than its family-oriented brands. On the other hand, Sony owns the largest music entertainment business as well as the largest video game console and video game publishing business in the world. Recently, there is some news about Disney and Sony, and many people saying that Disney has owned/acquired Sony!
What Companies Does Disney Own?
Disney owns lots of companies. So if you are wondering what companies Disney owns then you can check the below list.
- ABC Entertainment Group
- ABC Television Network
- ABC Entertainment
- ABC Television Studios
- ABC Digital
- ABC News
- Times Square Studios (division)
- ESPN (80% stake)
- ESPN and HD
- ESPN2 and HD
- ESPN on ABC – formerly ABC Sports
- ESPN Classic
- ESPNews and HD
- ESPN Deportes
- ESPN Films
- ESPNU
- ESPN Now
- ESPN Plus
- ESPN Original Entertainment
- ESPN Pay-Per-View
- ESPN Regional Television
- ESPN Internation
- ESPN Radio
- Mobile ESPN
- ESPN3
- ESPN The Magazine
- ESPN Books (an imprint of Disney’s Hyperion Books)
- ESPN Home Entertainment
- ESPN Outdoors
- ESPN Digital Center
- Touchstone Pictures
- Marvel
- Lucasfilm
- A&E (50% equity holding with Hearst Corporation)
- The History Channel (50% equity holding with Hearst Corporation)
- Lifetime (50% equity holding with Hearst Corporation)
- Pixar
- Hollywood Records
- Vice Media (10% stake)
- Core Publishing
- National Geographic Networks
- National Geographic TV
- Nat Geo Wild
- Nat Geo Mundo
- FX Networks
- FX
- FX on Hulu
- FXX
- FX Movie Channel
- FX Entertainment
- FX Productions
Apart from owning companies, Disney also has some brands. Over the years; Disney has acquired many valuable properties and turned them into some valuable brands. For example:
1. Star Wars
2. The Muppets
3. The Marvel Cinematic Universe (excluding the X-Men)
4. Disney Princesses/Princes such as characters from Cinderella, Mulan, Frozen, Aladdin, and The Lion King
5. The Chronicles of Narnia Franchise
6. The Pirates of the Caribbean Franchise
7. Pixar films such as Toy Story, The Incredibles, and Cars
8. The Winnie the Pooh Franchise
9. The Indiana Jones Franchise
10. Grey’s Anatomy and other popular ABC shows
FAQs About Does Disney Own Sony
1. Who Owns Sony?
Sony Corporation owns Sony. Sony has four major operating segments and they are –
1. Sony Electronics
2. Sony Music Entertainment
3. Sony Pictures Entertainment
4. Sony Financial Services
O, Sony is owned by the Japanese Sony Group Corporation, managed by Sony’s American subsidiary, Sony Corporation of America.
2. Why Can’t Disney Buy Sony?
Well, the chance of Sony buying Disney is more than the chance of Disney buying Sony. This is because, Sony is a much, much bigger company than Disney, and they also have more resources than Disney. Moreover, Sony has more financial assets so it is quite impossible for Disney to buy the whole Sony Corporation.
3. Are Disney And Sony Back Together?
Yes, Disney and Sony are back together. There is an agreement between Disney and Sony that Disney would make another Spider-Man film for Sony. The expected release date of the new Spider-Man movie is July 16, 2021.
4. Can Disney Buyback Spiderman?
We all know that Spider-Man is Marvel’s one of the most recognizable heroes with numerous feature films and merchandise. But do you know, Sony owns the film rights to Spider-Man? So, all the revenues from the Spider-man movie go to Sony’s pocket. Disney is in no hurry to buy the film rights of Spider-man because they earn lots of revenue from the merchandising. Moreover, Disney is more than happy to keep creative control over one of the most popular characters Spider-Man.
5. What’s Sony’s Net Worth In 2021?
Sony is a Japanese multinational consumer electronics company and its net worth is estimated at about $95 Billion. In 2019, Sony’s net worth was about $45 billion. So, in two years, Sony Corporation’s net worth is doubled!
References: 1 https://ifilmthings.com/disney-owns/
References: 2 https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/factcheck/2021/08/29/fact-check-sony-group-not-disney-owns-spider-man-film-rights/8229550002/
Last Updated on October 26, 2022 by Magalie D.
Magalie D. is a Diploma holder in Public Administration & Management from McGill University of Canada. She shares management tips here in MGTBlog when she has nothing to do and gets some free time after working in a multinational company at Toronto.
