Disney Media is a division of The Walt Disney Company, an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate. The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney, was founded on October 16, 1923, by brothers Walt and Roy O. Disney. It is headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. As of fiscal year 2025, The Walt Disney Company reported revenues of US$94.4 billion and employed 231,000 individuals. Disney is a public company traded on the NYSE under the ticker symbol DIS.
Disney Media encompasses various operations related to the distribution of content. This includes Disney Media Distribution (DMD), which is responsible for the international distribution of The Walt Disney Company's branded and non-branded filmed entertainment to various platforms globally. DMD distributes over 30,000 hours of content to more than 1,300 broadcasters across 240 territories, including feature films, scripted and reality series, and children's programming. Additionally, Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution (DMED), formed in 2020, manages Disney's streaming services (such as Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+), advertising sales, and linear and syndicated television networks.
The company's patent litigation posture is that of an operating company defending against patent infringement claims. Disney Media, as part of The Walt Disney Company and its subsidiaries, has been named as a defendant in a single tracked case in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware.
The notable case, Adeia Technologies Inc. v. The Walt Disney Company et al., filed on November 7, 2024, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware, names Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution LLC, along with other Disney entities like Hulu, LLC, and ESPN, Inc., as defendants. Adeia Technologies Inc., a U.S. patent licensing firm, alleges infringement of nine patents related to media streaming and content delivery technology. Adeia is also asserting patents against Disney entities in Europe, including two lawsuits in the Unified Patent Court and one in Germany.