The Walt Disney Company Disney Media Networks, and Walt Disney Direct-to-Consumer and International. Disney also owns and operates the ABC broadcast network; cable television networks such as Disney Channel, ESPN, A&E Networks, and Freeform; publishing, merchandising, music, and theater divisions; and Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, a group of 14 theme parks around the world. The company has been a component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average since 1991. Mickey Mouse was created in 1928 and is the signature mascot and emblem for Disney and one of the world's most recognizable characters. On December 14, 2017, Disney announced an agreement to acquire 21st Century
The Walt Disney Company its joint venture with Hearst Communications for A+E Networks, and ESPN Inc. It is the only division with two leaders or "co-chairs": the presidents of ESPN and Disney-ABC Television Group. Walt Disney dropped his Chairman title in 1960 to focus more on the creative aspects of the company, becoming the "executive producer in charge of all production." After a four-year vacancy, Roy O. Disney assumed the Chairmanship. Disney ranked No. 55 in the 2018 Fortune 500 list of the largest United States corporations by total revenue. The Walt Disney Company The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Walt Disney or