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The editors at Best Communications Degrees decided to research the topic of
10 Most Profitable Media Companies
If you regularly watch TV, read the news, or go to the movies, you have probably been enjoying content from one of these 10 massive media corporations. Learn more about the major corporations behind your favorite sources of entertainment.
10. Washington Post Company
- Revenue: $4.7 billion
- Profit: $278 million
- Primary focus: Education and journalism
- Known for The Washington Post, 5th largest newspaper in America
- Owns Kaplan, Inc., largest diversified education company in the world
- Over 1 million students annually
- Major profit drivers: Television broadcasting
- 13% revenue increase in 2012
- Controversies: Kaplan has been sued multiple times for fraudulent business practices, including false advertisement to students about program accreditation
- Settled lawsuit with the Department of Justice in 2011 for $1.6 million
9. Gannett Co., Inc
- Revenue: $5.4 billion
- Profit: $588.2 million
- Primary focus: Newspaper and television
- Largest US newspaper publisher by total daily circulation
- 85 newspapers with 7.2 million subscribers
- USA Today: top-selling daily newspaper in the US, 2.3 million subscriptions
- Major profit drivers: Digital and television broadcasting
- 6.8% and 7.5% respective revenue increase in 2012
- Controversies: Gannett Co. has been sued multiple times for discriminatory hiring practices by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
8. Clear Channel
- Revenue: $6.82 billion
- Profit: $983.5 million
- Primary focus: Advertising and Radio
- 850+ radio stations with over 110 million weekly listeners
- Close to 1 million advertising displays in 45 countries
- Major profit drivers: Digital radio and advertisement
- 6% revenue increase in 2012
- Controversies: Clear Channel has been accused of censoring political opinions on air
- Removed Dixie Chicks from airplay after remarks critical of George W. Bush
- After September 11, 2001, Clear Channel memorandum suggested elimination of 165 'lyrically questionable' songs
7. CBS
- Revenue: $14.25 billion
- Profit: $1.3 billion
- Primary focus: Television and broadcasting
- CBS is most-watched TV network in America, with 12 million viewers per week
- 4 of the 10 most-watched shows in America are on CBS
- Major profit drivers: Entertainment and cable
- 16% revenue increase in 2012, due to digital content licensing
- Controversies: CBS Super Bowl halftime shows are (in)famous for decency issues
- 2004: Janet Jackson's 'wardrobe malfunction' led to 540,000 FCC complaints
- 2012: M.I.A.'s middle finger flip viewed by over 111 million Super Bowl fans
6. Liberty Media
- Revenue: $10.98 billion
- Profit: $1.89 billion
- Primary focus: Television, sports, and digital radio
- Owns popular Starz and Encore movie channels, with 20.1 million and 33.6 million subscribers respectively
- Holds major stakes in Sirius XM, Barnes & Noble, MacNeil/Lehrer Productions among others
- Major profit drivers: Movie service provider Starz, LLC
- 4% revenue increase in 2012
- Controversies: In 2012, Starz withdrew 1000+ films from Netflix Streaming after pricing dispute
5. Viacom
- Revenue: $14.9 billion
- Profit: $2.13 billion
- Primary focus: Film and cable television
- 160 channels including MTV, Nickelodeon, BET, VH1
- Paramount Pictures produced Titanic, 2nd most popular film of all time
- Over $2.2 billion gross since 1997
- Major profit drivers: Media networks
- 3% revenue increase in 2012
- Controversies: In 2007, Viacom sued YouTube for $1 billion, alleging massive copyright infringement from user-uploaded videos
- Suit was thrown out in 2010
4. News Corporation
- Revenue: $33.4 billion
- Profit: $2.73 billion
- Primary focus: Television (Fox), publishing, film
- 3rd largest global entertainment group
- Fox News Channel is most-watched news network in America, averaging 1.9 million viewers
- Owns Wall Street Journal, with highest circulation in America (2.1 million)
- Major profit drivers: Cable and film
- 16% revenue increase in 2012
- Controversies: In 2011, News Corp was rocked by a phone hacking scandal in the UK
- Resulted in closure of News of the World, 168 year old tabloid newspaper
- Forced to withdraw $12 billion deal for British Sky Broadcasting takeover
3. Time Warner
-Revenue: $28.97 billion
- Profit: $2.89 billion
- Primary focus: Television, journalism, and film
- Warner Bros. Entertainment films grossed $4.7 billion at worldwide box office
- Owns 13+ major American channels, including CNN, HBO, and TBS
- Over 50 million monthly visitors to Time, Inc. websites
- Major profit drivers: Film and TV entertainment
- 7% revenue increase in 2012
- Controversies: In 2008, after negotiation dispute, Warner Music Group began blocking YouTube videos with any background music owned by WMG
2. Comcast
- Revenue: $55.84 billion
- Profit: $4.16 billion
- Primary focus: Cable (NBCUniversal), internet, and telephone
- 50.4 million Voice, High-Speed Internet, and Video customers
- NBC's Super Bowl XLVI was most-watched TV show ever, with 111.3 million viewers
- Major profit drivers: Cable communications (high-speed internet, business services)
- 5.7% revenue increase in 2012
- Controversies: Consumerist.com named Comcast 'Worst Company in America' in 2010 due to cost of services and low customer satisfaction ratings
1. Walt Disney
- Revenue: $40.89 billion
- Profit: $4.8 billion
- Primary focus: Film and television
- Largest media conglomerate in the world
- 2012 film The Avengers grossed $1 billion worldwide in 19 days
- Disney TV channels have over 560 million viewers worldwide
- Major profit drivers: Media networks
- 9% revenue increase in 2012
- Controversies: Disney has been accused of including inappropriate content and 'subliminal messaging' in its films, sparking outcry by religious organizations like the Catholic League and the American Life League.
