There’s been a lot of consolidation in the media industry in recent years, leaving just six big media companies in charge of most of mass media consumption and distribution. Some estimates claim as much as 90% of U.S. media is controlled by just six companies.
Image Source: Getty Images
Big six listed
The big six media companies right now
- Comcast (CMCSA 2.25%)
- Walt Disney (DIS 1.8%)
- AT&T (T 0.76%)
- Paramount Global (PARA 6.31%)
- Sony (SONY -0.52%)
- Fox (FOX 3.46%)
1. Comcast
1. Comcast
Comcast is a sprawling media and telecommunications business. It owns the largest pay-TV and home internet service provider in the U.S. (Xfinity) and the largest pay-TV provider in Europe (Sky). It houses several broadcast and cable networks and several live-action and animated film studios.
Additionally, it operates the Peaco*ck ad-supported, subscription video-on-demand service and a sports entertainment company, Comcast Spectacor, that concentrates on the Philadelphia market. There are also four Universal Studios theme parks around the world under Comcast’s purview.
Comcast’s vertical integration of production and distribution gives it an impressively strong position in the media industry.
Source: Getty Images
2. Walt Disney
2. Walt Disney
Walt Disney is home to some of the best-known characters and brands around the world. It owns Pixar, Marvel, and Lucasfilm, among other film studios. Its TV properties include the ABC broadcast network, ESPN, and several other cable networks. And it’s quickly become a leader in streaming with Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+, and Star. The company also operates 14 theme parks, cruise lines, and resorts.
Disney’s unique intellectual property and brands allow it to create hit after hit at the movie theaters and command premium prices for its streaming content.
Image Source: Getty Images
3. AT&T
3. AT&T
AT&T is in the midst of unwinding its massive acquisitions from the last decade: DirecTV and Time Warner (now WarnerMedia). For now, it still holds on to WarnerMedia, which controls several cable networks, including HBO, and film studios, including DC Comics and New Line Cinemas.
Discovery (NASDAQ:DISCK) (NASDAQ:DISC.A) has agreed to acquire WarnerMedia from AT&T, with an expected close date in the spring of 2022. The combined media company will include all of WarnerMedia’s film, television, and streaming assets as well as Discovery’s U.S. cable networks and its trove of international television programming. Discovery also brings its streaming service, Discovery+, to the table, complementing HBO Max and the forthcoming CNN+ from WarnerMedia.
4. Paramount Global
4. Paramount Global
Paramount Global, formerly ViacomCBS, is the result of the re-merging of Viacom and CBS, and it’s purely a media company. The company owns the CBS broadcast network and studios, Showtime, and several U.S. and international cable networks. It’s the home of Paramount Pictures studios, the publisher Simon & Schuster, and the streaming video services Pluto TV and Paramount+.
Owning CBS, the most-watched network in the U.S., and CBS and Paramount studios with their strong content creation capabilities gives Paramount a strong hand in producing very popular content.
5. Sony
5. Sony
Sony is a massive Japanese conglomerate with operations ranging from consumer electronics to image sensors to (of course) media. Its Sony Entertainment subsidiary includes film and television studios Sony Pictures, Columbia, and TriStar, among others. It controls some popular anime properties, including A-1 studios and the Crunchyroll streaming service. Sony also owns Sony Music Entertainment, one of the big three record labels.
Sony’s media business is home to several popular franchises, including Men in Black, Spiderman, and Ghostbusters, and music libraries from artists, including Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, and Taylor Swift.
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6. Fox
6. Fox
Fox is what remains following Disney’s 2019 acquisition of the film studio 21st Century Fox. Fox includes its broadcast FOX network and 28 local affiliate stations. Its cable networks include Fox News and the Fox Sports national networks (not the regional networks). It also operates the Tubi ad-supported streaming service.
Fox’s focus on news, sports, and live entertainment gives it greater exposure than its competitors to those content markets and keeps consumers subscribed to the cable bundle.
Adam Levy has positions in Walt Disney. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Walt Disney. The Motley Fool recommends Comcast. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
FAQs
By 2011, 90% of the United States's media was controlled by six media conglomerates: GE/Comcast (NBC, Universal), News Corp (Fox News, Wall Street Journal, New York Post), Disney (ABC, ESPN, Pixar), Viacom (MTV, BET, Paramount Pictures), Time Warner (CNN, HBO, Warner Bros.), and CBS (Showtime, NFL.com).
What are the top 6 conglomerates? ›
By 2011, 90% of the United States's media was controlled by six media conglomerates: GE/Comcast (NBC, Universal), News Corp (Fox News, Wall Street Journal, New York Post), Disney (ABC, ESPN, Pixar), Viacom (MTV, BET, Paramount Pictures), Time Warner (CNN, HBO, Warner Bros.), and CBS (Showtime, NFL.com).
Which 6 conglomerates make up 90% of broadcast media in modern times? ›
The Big 6 Companies
- Comcast.
- The Walt Disney Company.
- News Corporation (ex Ceo Robert Murdoch)
- Paramount Global ( ViacomCBS owned by National Amusem*nts)
- AT&T.
- Sony.
Just 37 years ago, there were 50 companies in charge of most American media. Now, 90% of the media in the United States is controlled by just six corporations: AT&T, CBS, Comcast, Disney, Newscorp and Viacom.
Who are the big five media conglomerates? ›
Globally, large media conglomerates include Bertelsmann, National Amusem*nts (Paramount Global), Sony Group Corporation, News Corp, Comcast, The Walt Disney Company, Warner Bros.
What is the 6th largest company in the world? ›
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- #5 Apple Inc. ( AAPL)
- #6 Exxon Mobil Corp. ( XOM)
- #7 Shell PLC (SHEL)
- #8 CVS Health Corp. ( CVS)
- #9 UnitedHealth Group Inc. ( UNH)
- #10 Volkswagen AG (VWAGY)
- Biggest Companies FAQs.
- The Bottom Line.
Largest conglomerate companies by Market Cap
| # | Name | C. |
|---|
| 1 | International Holding Company 1IHC.AE | 🇦🇪 |
| 2 | Reliance Industries 2RELIANCE.NS | 🇮🇳 |
| 3 | Danaher 3DHR | 🇺🇸 |
| 4 | General Electric 4GE | 🇺🇸 |
57 more rowsThe biggest media conglomerates in America are AT&T, Comcast, The Walt Disney Company, National Amusem*nts (which includes Viacom Inc. and CBS), News Corp and Fox Corporation (which are both owned in part by the Murdochs), Sony, and Hearst Communications.
Who owns the most media in the world? ›
Who Owns the Majority of Media Companies? The media conglomerate that owns the most media companies is National Amusem*nts. Within its organization are Viacom, CBS, Nickelodeon, and other outlets. Closely following are Disney and Comcast, which also own many media outlets.
What is the largest news media conglomerate in the world? ›
The top 10 media companies include Comcast, Thomson Reuters, and Nespers.
- Comcast. Headquarters: Philadelphia. Market Cap: $186.70 billion. ...
- Thomson Reuters. Headquarters: Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Market Cap: $58.53 billion. ...
- Naspers. Headquarters: Cape Town, South Africa. Market Cap: $32.54 billion4. ...
- Warner Bros. Discovery.
The Big Six media conglomerates—General Electric, Time Warner, Sony, Disney, News Corporation, and Viacom—ruled the industry.
Who owns the most TV stations in US? ›
Nexstar owns America's largest local broadcasting group comprised of top network affiliates, with over 200 owned or partner stations in 117 U.S. markets reaching 220 million people.
Is Disney a media conglomerate? ›
The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (/ˈdɪzni/ DIZ-nee), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate that is headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California.
What are the top 5 media company? ›
Which are the best media stocks in India right now?
- #1 SUN TV.
- #2 ZEE ENTERTAINMENT.
- #3 SAREGAMA.
- #4 TV18 BROADCAST.
- #5 TIPS IND.
But while it may seem like you have limitless options, most of the media you consume is owned by one of six companies. These six media companies are known as The Big 6. While independent media outlets still exist (and there are a lot of them), the major outlets are almost all owned by these six conglomerates.
Who owns which streaming services? ›
Over 100 million subscribers
| Service | Parent |
|---|
| Netflix | Netflix, Inc. |
| Disney+, Hulu & ESPN+ | The Walt Disney Company Hearst Communications, Inc. (20% ESPN+) |
| Amazon Prime Video & MGM+ | Amazon.com, Inc. |
| iQIYI | Baidu, Inc. |
2 more rowsA conglomerate is the combination of two or more business entities engaged in either entirely different or similar businesses that fall under one corporate group, usually involving a parent company and many subsidiaries. Often, a conglomerate is a multi-industry company and is often large and multinational.
What are conglomerates in the US? ›
Conglomerates are large parent companies made up of smaller independent entities that may operate across multiple industries. Each of a conglomerate's subsidiary businesses runs independently of the other business divisions; but, the subsidiaries' managers report to the senior management of the parent company.
Is Netflix owned by a conglomerate? ›
Currently, Netflix is owned by a mix of insiders, such as co-founder Reed Hastings and Chief Legal Officer David Hyman, as well as some of the biggest asset management companies in the world, such as BlackRock and the Vanguard Group.
Which company is the best example of conglomerate? ›
Walt Disney Company acquiring the American Broadcasting Company is a great illustration of a mixed conglomerate merger. It is also a great example of how two firms, when merged, can grow and succeed faster together.
