The Big Five
- Universal Pictures (21.77%)
- Walt Disney Studios (21.26%)
- Warner Bros. (15.73%)
- Sony Pictures (11.26%)
- Paramount Pictures (9.55%)
https://wyomingllcattorney.com/Blog/Mergers-and-Acquisitions-of-Major-Film-Studios
Genuinely shocked that Disney did so well by itself for 80 years before feeling the need to start buying others. But, then again, Disney was also run by animators and movie makers until Bob Eiger took the reins. Even Eisner loved movies and didn’t want to buy their way into a market - they actually tried out lots of new things on their own brand like new theme parks, cruises, hospitality, etc.
It’s the difference between a maker and a business guy. Eisner started as a movie loving producer who became a suit while Bob Eiger was a suit who wanted to make money with movies.
Columbia Pictures was acquired by The Coca-Cola Company
huh?
In the 80s, lots of companies were run by folks who thought “this business can’t grow in this market that it’s lived its entire life. Let’s jump into other markets!” So there were LOTS of mergers and acquisitions - things like a soda company buying a movie studio in 1982 for $750M because it was the style at the time. There was no grand strategy other than “people drink sodas while watching movies.” It was cocaine fueled decisions using other people’s money and discovering that liability stopped at the job - you could end entire industries in America and get away with it if it made money.
Remember that time Pepsi owned the 6th largest navy in the world?
Sony bought Alamo Drafthouse?! If they change ONE FUCKING THING.
Yup, and I promptly left Texas for Oregon this summer. Granted, it was because of the fascist state government criminalizing me and my kids for being trans, but still…
There was a time when movie studios couldn’t own the theaters. We have learned nothing.
