Disney tops media brand value rankings
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Michelle Clancy
| 19 February 2018

With a brand value of $32.6 billion, entertainment giant Disney remains the most valuable media brand this year, despite a 5% brand value decrease since 2017.

According to Brand Finance’s annual rankings, Disney has maintained its leading position through its measured focus on brand loyalty, investment in new technologies, and the expansion of its valued partnerships and divisions. Such is the brand’s appeal that with an AAA+ brand rating and a Brand Strength Index (BSI) score of 92.3, it also came out as the strongest brand in the world - not just within the media sector, but across all categories in this year’s Brand Finance Global 500 study.

“Disney has once again waved its magic wand and maintained the title of the most valuable media brand in the world,” said David Haigh, CEO of Brand Finance. “As a well-loved entertainment brand, Disney has a unique ability to use nostalgia to harness childhood memories amongst its customer base. Revisiting old Disney classics like The Jungle Book and Beauty and the Beast with live-action remakes has proved wildly popular at box offices worldwide.”

Nevertheless, with the recent purchase of a majority stake in 21st Century Fox for $52.4 billion, Disney can develop its exceptionally strong brand to deliver more for completely new audiences. The addition of companies like Star India – which reaches hundreds of millions of viewers on the subcontinent, Sky – with presence across the UK, Ireland, Germany, Austria, and Italy, as well as a 60% stake in Hulu and plans to open a new streaming platform, mean that Disney can look to capitalise on this greater international exposure and establish its brand as much more than just a children’s favourite.

Brand Finance added that Disney’s acquisition of Star India could be a game changer in that fast-growing media market. Disney will be able to take advantage of new opportunities, such as access to cricket broadcasting rights and syndicating Disney productions across Star India’s 50-plus TV channels in eight languages and the popular Hotstar streaming service. With over 150 million households, India is the second-largest subscription TV market in Asia, and acquisition of Star India will give Disney a strong edge over competing content providers on the continent. Star’s TV business could also bring in new advertising revenue at a time when US ad spending is growing at a slower pace.

Behind Disney, Fox (valued at $17 billion) and NBC ($14.9 billion) retained second and third place respectively in the Brand Finance Media 25 league table, each growing 8% year on year.

As Chinese brands make waves in many other sectors, the universal appeal of the American lifestyle and the prevalence of the English language make it easier for the US to retain control of media and entertainment, the firm said. US brands fill eight out of the top ten positions and claim 17 spots in the league table overall. Their aggregate brand value accounts for 86% of the total.

“The majority of the most valuable media brands operate in the US but the importance of emerging markets is increasing,” said David Haigh, CEO of Brand Finance. “Chinese and Indian markets grow exponentially and brands which understand that, make the most of that boom. This is precisely why Disney is so far ahead of its competition.”

The report also pointed out that with a 41% growth to a brand value of $2.4 billion, Canal+ is the fastest-growing network brand this year in the Brand Finance Media 25 league table. Its individual subscriber base increased by 2.8 million year-on-year. In August 2017, Canal+ announced a partnership with Bouygues Telecom which will offer subscribers an entry-level package including popular channels and unlimited access to video-on-demand, that is likely to further boost the network’s brand value.