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
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
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
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 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.
Comments
I'm pretty sure that most of those relationships are common knowledge. At a minimum, none are a secret.
I was a little disappointed in the article, as I wouldn't consider most of these relationships "secret" at all. In other news, it'd be interesting to see articles in the future detailing the history between Disney and some of these outside companies (ABC, Touchstone, etc). Go a little more into the details, it could make for an interesting read!