Chances are, if you've bought an album, listened to the radio, purchased a concert ticket, saw a live show, went to a theatre, saw a movie, or watched television, you did it by buying the service from one or more of these multi-national media conglomerates:
Bertelsmann AG
Clear Channel Communications, Inc
Comcast Holdings Corporation
EMI Group
General Electric
InterActiveCorp
National Amusements
The News Corporation Limited
Sony Corporation
Time Warner Inc
Vivendi Universal
The Walt Disney Company
This handful of huge corporations control almost the entire worldwide media, entertainment, and leisure markets. Inspired by The RIAA Family Tree over at Magnetbox, Breakdown has compiled a list of those corporations and their colossal holdings. This list will be updated and improved on from time to time, and it is worth taking a look at now to see precisely how powerful just a few companies really are. (Warning, the number of companies listed is disturbingly long.)
Read on to see the Conglomerate Cheat Sheet...
The Breakdown Industries Conglomerate Cheat Sheet 2004-01-05
- Bertelsmann AG
- arvato AG
- barnesandnoble.com inc.
- BMG Entertainment
- Arista Records
- BMG Music Publishing
- RCA Music Group
- Zomba Records Limited
- Provident Music Group
- CDnow, Inc.
- Gruner + Jahr AG & Co.
- Brown Printing Company
- Lycos Europe N.V.
- MusicNet, Inc.
- Random House, Inc.
- Books on Tape, Inc.
- Fodors LLC
- RTL Group S.A.
- FremantleMedia Ltd.
- Clear Channel Communications, Inc
- Clear Channel Entertainment Inc.
- SFX Sports Group, Inc.
- Clear Channel Outdoor
- Katz Media Group, Inc.
- Comcast Holdings Corporation
- Comcast Cable Communications, Inc.
- E! Entertainment Television, Inc.
- Comcast Spectacor, L.P.
- Global Spectrum LP
- Front Row Marketing Services, LP
- Patron Solutions, LP
- Philadelphia 76ers
- Philadelphia Flyers Hockey Club
- Outdoor Life Network
- EMI Group
- Blue Note Records
- Capitol Records, Inc.
- Caroline Records, Inc.
- EMI Music Publishing
- MusicNet, Inc.
- Priority Records, LLC
- Virgin Records America, Inc.
- General Electric
- CFM International, Inc.
- GE Access
- GE Aircraft Engines
- GE Asset Funding
- GE Capital Commercial Finance
- GE Capital Franchise Finance
- GE Commercial Finance
- GE Consumer Finance
- GE Consumer Products
- GE Engine Services, Inc.
- GE Equipment Management
- GE Equity
- GE Fanuc Automation Americas, Inc.
- GE Financial Assurance Holdings, Inc.
- GE Global Insurance Holding Corp.
- GE Global Research
- GE Industrial Systems
- GE Insurance
- GE Interlogix, Inc.
- GE Medical Systems
- GE Mortgage Insurance
- GE Osmonics
- GE Plastics
- GE Power Systems
- GE Rail Services
- GE SeaCo SRL
- GE Specialty Materials
- GE Supply
- GE Transportation Systems
- Instrumentarium Corporation
- MRA Systems, Inc.
- National Broadcasting Company, Inc.
- A&E Television Networks
- Bravo
- CNBC, Inc.
- MSNBC Cable, L.L.C.
- MSNBC Interactive News, L.L.C.
- Slate Magazine
- Paxson Communications Corporation
- Telemundo Communications Group, Inc.
- InterActiveCorp
- Citysearch
- Entertainment Publications, Inc.
- Evite, Inc.
- Expedia, Inc.
- Classic Custom Vacations, Inc.
- Travelscape.com, Inc.
- Hancock Information Group, Inc.
- Hotels.com
- TravelNow.com, Inc.
- Home Shopping Network
- Interval International
- LendingTree, Inc.
- Precision Response Corporation
- Avaltus, Inc.
- Ticketmaster
- Match.com, Inc.
- TicketWeb, Inc.
- TV Travel Shop Ltd
- National Amusements
- Midway Games Inc.
- Multiplex Cinemas
- Showcase Cinemas
- Viacom Inc.
- BET Holdings, Inc.
- BET Interactive, LLC
- Black Entertainment Television, Inc.
- Blockbuster Inc.
- The CBS Television Network
- Infinity Promotions Group
- SportsLine.com, Inc.
- United Paramount Network
- Famous Players
- MovieTickets.com, Inc.
- Infinity Broadcasting Corporation
- King World Productions, Inc.
- MarketWatch.com, Inc.
- MTV Networks
- Comedy Central
- CTN Networks
- Nickelodeon
- VH1
- Paramount Parks Inc.
- Paramount Pictures Corporation
- Movielink, LLC
- Paramount Classics
- United International Pictures
- Paramount Television Group
- Showtime Networks Inc.
- Simon & Schuster, Inc.
- Viacom Outdoor, Inc.
- WMS Industries Inc.
- The News Corporation Limited
- Fox Entertainment Group, Inc.
- FOX Broadcasting Company
- Fox Filmed Entertainment
- Blue Sky Studios
- Fox Searchlight Pictures
- Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation
- FOX News Network, LLC
- FOX Sports Networks
- Hughes Electronics Corporation
- DIRECTV, Inc.
- Hughes Network Systems, Inc.
- Hughes Software Systems Limited
- PanAmSat Corporation
- Los Angeles Dodgers Inc.
- Twentieth Century Fox Television
- HarperCollins Publishers Inc.
- NDS Group PLC
- News America Marketing
- News International PLC
- STATS, Inc.
- Sony Corporation
- Aiwa Business Center
- Columbia House Company
- Sony Corporation of America
- Sony Electronics, Inc.
- Sony Music Entertainment Inc.
- Columbia Records Group
- Epic Records Group
- Loud Records, Inc.
- Sony/ATV Music Publishing
- Sony Pictures Entertainment
- Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment
- Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group
- Columbia Pictures
- Screen Gems
- Sony Pictures Classics
- Game Show Network
- Movielink, LLC
- Sony Pictures Digital Entertainment
- Sony Online Entertainment, Inc.
- Sony Pictures Imageworks Inc.
- Sony Pictures Television
- Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB
- Symbian Ltd.
- Time Warner Inc
- America Online, Inc.
- America Online Latin America, Inc.
- AOL MovieFone, Inc.
- CompuServe Interactive Services, Inc.
- MapQuest.com, Inc.
- Singingfish Inc
- The Cartoon Network
- Columbia House Company
- Courtroom Television Network LLC
- Home Box Office, Inc.
- HBO Films
- MovieTickets.com, Inc.
- Time Inc.
- IPC Media Limited
- Southern Progress Corporation
- Time Warner Book Group Inc.
- Time4 Media
- Time Life Inc
- Time Warner Cable
- Road Runner LLC
- Time Warner Interactive Video
- Time Warner Telecom Inc.
- Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.
- Castle Rock Entertainment, Inc.
- CNN News Group
- New Line Cinema, Inc.
- Fine Line Features
- Turner Sports, Inc.
- Atlanta National League Baseball Club, Inc.
- Atlanta Thrashers Hockey Club
- Hawks Basketball, Inc.
- Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
- DC Comics Inc.
- Vertigo Comics
- WildStorm Productions
- Movielink, LLC
- Warner Bros. Television
- Warner Independent Pictures
- Warner Music Group
- 143 Records
- The Atlantic Group
- Elektra Entertainment Group
- London-Sire Records
- Maverick Recording Company
- MusicNet, Inc.
- Rhino Records
- Sub Pop Ltd.
- Warner Bros. Publications
- Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
- The WB Television Network
- Vivendi Universal
- Universal Music Group
- Interscope/Geffen
- Island Records
- Def Jam
- MCA Records
- Mercury Nashville
- Motown Records
- Verve Music
- Universal Records
- Vivendi Universal Entertainment (Merging with NBC, Inc.)
- Sega GameWorks L.L.C.
- Universal Parks & Resorts
- Universal Pictures
- Focus Features
- Movielink, LLC
- United International Pictures
- Working Title Films
- Unviersal Studios
- Universal Television
- Newsworld International
- Sci Fi Channel
- Trio
- USA Networks
- Vivendi Universal Games
- Black Label Games
- Blizzard Entertainment
- Fox Interactive
- Knowledge Adventure
- Sierra Entertainment
- Universal Interactive
- The Walt Disney Company
- ABC, Inc.
- ABC Cable Networks Group
- A&E Television Networks
- ESPN, Inc.
- SportsTicker Enterprises, L.P.
- Lifetime Entertainment Services
- ABC Radio Networks, Inc.
- Disney Publishing Worldwide
- Euro Disney S.C.A.
- Mammoth Records
- Mighty Ducks of Anaheim
- Walt Disney Internet Group
- Walt Disney Parks & Resorts
- Walt Disney Studio Entertainment
- Buena Vista Home Entertainment, Inc.
- Buena Vista Motion Picture Group
- Miramax Film Corp.
- Walt Disney Feature Animation