Disney has been a well-known and reputable entertainment company since 1923 and is steadily growing to this day.
However, their rapid expansion may prove detrimental to other corporations such as Sony and Warner Bros. These two businesses have competed with Disney in both film and television for years and have held firm to their standings and presence due to their own streaming services.
Disney’s launch of Disney+ in 2019, which encompasses most of Disney’s movies and television shows, as well as those from the companies they own, has put them at an equal level.
This release has skyrocketed Disney’s watch rate, with nearly 130 million subscribers on Disney+, and due to the platform’s accessibility and price range of only $6.99 a month, Disney’s reach will spread even further.
This is in comparison to Warner Bros’ HBO Max, another popular streaming service. With less than 74 million users by the end of 2021, it could not even measure up to Disney+.
This means that Disney has already secured a massive advantage in the industry of film, which, when combined with their monopoly on theme parks, makes them a capitalist superpower.
These revenue streams are what Disney is most recognized for and provide more than a quarter of its annual profit.
Disney’s 12 parks spread worldwide are the most visited theme parks in the world. Disney World alone brings in more than 58 million people annually.
Disney’s only competitor in terms of theme parks is Universal Studios, which has access to Dreamworks, Illumination, and even Harry Potter.
Nevertheless, Disney’s rapid takeover and purchase of many well-known and popular companies, such as Pixar, Lucasfilms, Marvel, and most recently Fox, have allowed it to grow and become, undoubtedly, the leading powerhouse in both entertainment and film.Â
Some will argue that the growth of Disney, an organization that’s sparked joy and fulfilled the dreams of families across the globe, is not a bad thing, and their continued development will allow more creativity and happiness to be spread throughout their productions.
However, if Disney continues on this path, interest from the public in other companies will start to fray and disappear due to their expanding influence and popularity.
This has already begun to show in the Oscars for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, with Disney’s animated films taking the prize more than any other studio, a staggering amount considering the 200 animation studios around the world.
With their increasing attention from the public as well as their profitable theme parks and streaming services, Disney is a corporation that will unavoidably attain a monopoly in both business and media.
This monopoly will not only discourage competition from creating better, high-quality products but will also allow Disney to abuse their price ranges, being the only contender in their category.
In short, we must stop and remember that other animation studios other than Disney exist in order to stop the impending disaster of Disney’s takeover of the entertainment industry.
