The document discusses the history and operations of The Walt Disney Company and Marvel Entertainment. Disney was founded in 1923 and is currently the second largest media company in the world. It operates five main business segments: media networks, parks and resorts, studio entertainment, consumer products, and interactive media. Marvel was originally a publishing company founded in 1939 called Timely Comics and became known for superhero titles created in the 1960s. In 2009, Disney acquired Marvel Entertainment for $4.24 billion, gaining ownership of Marvel Studios known for the highly successful Marvel Cinematic Universe films.

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Founded in 1923 by Walt Disney and is, as
of May 2019, the second largest media
company in the world with a market value
of $242.21 billion.
It operates five main segments of business:
1. Media Networks (everything within TV, radio, and
cable networks, and related operations).
2. Parks and Resorts (theme parks, hotels, resorts,
sports complex, dining and entertainment facilities,
and water sports establishments).
3. Studio Entertainment (live action and animated
pictures for distribution in the U.S. through subsidiaries
and worldwide through partner companies).
4. Consumer Products (licensing and retailing of trade
names, characters, and properties, plus educational
books and magazines).
5. Interactive Media (produces online and mobile games,
and gaming consoles).

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Originally created as a publishing company
before becoming one of the leading producers
of cinematic entertainment.
Marvel started in 1939 as Timely Comics, and by the
early 1950s had generally become known as Atlas
Comics. The Marvel era began in 1961, the year that
the company launched The Fantastic Four and other
superhero titles created by Steve Ditko, Stan Lee, Jack
Kirby and many others. The Marvel brand had been
used over the years, but solidified as the company's
only brand within a couple of years.

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Perhaps the most iconic part of the purchase is that of
Marvel Studios, known for the production of the Marvel
Cinematic Universe films – the highest-grossing film
franchise of all time, having grossed over $22 billion at the
global box office.
Marvel Studios has released 23 films since 2008 within the
Marvel Cinematic Universe, from Iron Man (2008)
to Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019). These films all
share continuity with each other, along with the One-
Shots produced by the studio and the television
shows produced by Marvel Television. Marvel Studios is
also developing television series which will air on Disney+.
It is not just the audio/moving image sector that Disney
have utilised with Marvel, as they have also taken
advantage of its strong history in the publishing sector
whilst also creating content in the interactive sector.
On August 31, 2009, The
Walt Disney Company announced a deal
to acquire Marvel Entertainment for $4.24
(£2.5) billion.

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• You are going to be working in pairs to conduct some research (don’t use Wikipedia) and create a PowerPoint
presentation to deliver to the group and then include on your blog.
• You need to research:
• Disney’s practice across the three media sectors (publishing, audio/moving image, and interactive) in the past (before
purchasing Marvel).
• Marvel’s practice across the three media sectors in the past (before being purchased by Disney).
• Disney’s practice across the three media sectors in the present (since purchasing Marvel).
• You have got this lesson and the next to conduct your research and put together your presentations before you
will be presenting in the following lesson.
• Extension task: can you predict what might happen in the next ten years (you could look at Disney’s acquisition
of Fox, for example).