Top Media companies of 2023 (Updated)

In this article, we list the top Media companies across the globe as per 2023 Statistics. The global media companies in the world are valued in trillions with better and optimistic projections for the future. The United States has an important role to play in the industry as there are lots of American networks in the list of top 30 media companies.

The Top Media Companies in the World in 2023 are

1. Alphabet

• Media Revenues: $257 billion USD (2022)
• Origin Country: United States
• World Rank: 1
• CEO: Sundar Pichai
• Founder: Larry Page and Sergey Brin
• Founded: 1998
• Headquarters: Mountain View, California
• Employees: 163,900 (2022)
• Market Value: $1.9 trillion USD (2023)
• Revenue: $289.531 billion ( twelve months ending June 30, 2023)
• Market Cap: $1.685 trillion USD (July 31, 2023)
• Net Income (TTM): $76 billion USD (2023)
• Annual Operating Income: $130 billion USD (2023)
• Total Assets: $390 billion USD (2023)
• Market Capital: $1.9 trillion USD (2023)

Alphabet Inc. is an American multinational technology conglomerate holding company headquartered in Mountain View, California. It was created through a restructuring of Google on October 2, 2015, and became the parent company of Google and several former Google subsidiaries. Alphabet is the world’s eighth-largest technology company by revenue and one of the world’s most valuable companies.  Alphabet’s CEO is Sundar Pichai, and its President is Sergey Brin.

Alphabet is the parent of a diverse set of subsidiaries, including Google, YouTube, Waymo, and Verily Life Sciences. Google is the largest subsidiary of Alphabet and is mostly a collection of companies. The newer Google is a bit slimmed down, with the companies that are pretty far afield of Google’s main internet products contained in Alphabet instead.

Another important source of revenue for Google is video advertising on social media platform with the help of YouTube and display advertising with help of its ad tech portal DoubleClick.

2. The Walt Disney Company

• Media Revenues: $67.4 billion USD (2022)
• Origin Country: United States
• World Rank: 2
• CEO: Bob Chapek
• Founder: Walt Disney and Roy O. Disney
• Founded: 1923
• Headquarters: Burbank, California
• Employees: 200,000+ (2022)
• Market Value: $240 billion USD (2023)
• Revenue: $21.815B (quarter ending March 31, 2023)
• Net Income: $1.271B (quarter ending March 31, 2023)
• Annual Operating Income: $19 billion USD (2023)
• Total Assets: $204.858B (quarter ending March 31, 2023)
• Market Capital: $157.7B (August 03, 2023)

The Walt Disney Company is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate. The Walt Disney Company is a giant conglomerate associated with the entertainment and broadcast industries. The company is headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California.

The Walt Disney Company is one of the world’s leading producers and providers of entertainment and information.  It was founded on October 16, 1923, by brothers Walt and Roy O. Disney. The company operates under various names, including Disney Brothers Studio, Walt Disney Studio, and Walt Disney Productions, before changing its name to The Walt Disney Company in 1986. It deals in streaming, studios, news, publishing and television through Disney Media, Disney+, National Geographic, Hulu, Hotstar, Freeform FX and Disney General Entertainment.

The interactive division and media networks of The Walt Disney Company is placed at 2nd position in the list of top 30 media companies of the world. The Walt Disney Company earns its network revenues with help of TV shows, news channel, studios and associated fees whereas the interactive revenues are earned with help of internet-related properties, for instance, The Disney Infinity Series.

Over the years, The Walt Disney Company has acquired several companies and brands, including ABC, ESPN, Pixar, Marvel Entertainment, and 20th Century Studios.

3. Comcast

• Media Revenues: $37.6 billion USD (2022)
• Origin Country: United States
• World Rank: 3
• CEO: Brian Roberts
• Founder: Ralph J. Roberts
• Founded: 1963
• Headquarters: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• Employees: 190,000+ (2022)
• Market Value: $230 billion USD (2023)
• Revenue: $30.513B (quarter ending June 30, 2023)
• Net Income: $4.248B (quarter ending June 30, 2023)
• Annual Operating Income: $25 billion USD (2023)
• Total Assets: $262.147B (quarter ending June 30, 2023)
• Market Capital: $187.97B (August 03, 2023)

Comcast Corporation is a global media and technology company that offers cable services, video services, voice-over internet protocol, and broadband services. Comcast is the third-largest cable television company in the world.Comcast was founded in 1963 by Ralph J. Roberts, Daniel Aaron, and Julian A. Brodsky as a small cable system in Tupelo, Mississippi. In 1969, the company moved to Philadelphia and was renamed Comcast Corporation.

Comcast is also the largest pay-TV company, the largest cable TV company, and the largest home Internet service provider in the United States. The company provides services to U.S. residential and commercial customers in 40 states and the District of Columbia.

The rest of Comcast’s revenues are derived from the cable division with help of ad slots. This segment includes 15 cable networks in the U.S. for instance CNBC and USA Network along with 9 international networks and streaming service. In 2020, through its ownership of NBCUniversal, Comcast launched Peacock, an online streaming service that primarily features content produced by NBCUniversal studios.

4. 21st Century Fox

• Media Revenues: $22.5 billion USD (2022)
• Origin Country: United States
• World Rank: 4
• CEO: Rupert Murdoch
• Founder: Rupert Murdoch
• Founded: 1922
• Headquarters: New York City, New York
• Employees: 55,000+ (2022)
• Market Value: $70 billion USD (2023)
• Revenue : $4.084B (quarter ending March 31, 2023)
• Net Income : $-0.054B (quarter ending March 31, 2023 )
• Annual Operating Income: $9 billion USD (2023)
• Total Assets:  $22.396B(quarter ending March 31, 2023)
• Market Capital: $15.77B (August 03, 2023)

21st Century Fox was an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate that was based in Midtown Manhattan, New York City . It was formed in 2013 following a spin-off of the publishing assets of the old News Corporation as News Corp, and 21st Century Fox was the legal successor to News Corporation dealing primarily in the film and television industries.

21st Century Fox is a publicly-traded company listed on Nasdaq Stock Exchange. It is associated with the mass media industries and earns its primary revenues through the vast cable networks programming, television and film industry.

21st Century Fox is the owner of Fox Entertainment Group that includes 20th Century Fox, Star India, Fox Sports Television and Fox Broadcasting

5. Facebook Inc.

• Media Revenues: $117.9 billion USD (2022)
• Origin Country: United States
• World Rank: 5
• CEO: Mark Zuckerberg
• Founder: Mark Zuckerberg, Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin Moskovitz, and Chris Hughes
• Founded: 2004
• Headquarters: Menlo Park, California
• Employees: 71,900+ (2022)
• Market Value: $650 billion USD (2023)
• Revenue: $31,999 million (Q2 2023)
• Net Income (TTM): $35 billion USD (2023)
• Annual Operating Income: $45 billion USD (2023)
• Total Assets: $750 billion USD (2023)
• Market Capital: $650 billion USD (2023)

Facebook Inc. is a prominent social media and social networking company that is now part of Meta Platforms. Facebook was founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg, Eduardo Saverin, Dustin Moskovitz, and Chris Hughes, who were students at Harvard University at the time. Facebook Inc. is now owned by Meta Platforms, an American technology giant. The company’s headquarters are located in Menlo Park, California.

As of 2023, Facebook is the 9th largest social network in the world. Access to Facebook is free of charge, and the company generates most of its revenue through advertisements on the website. In addition to the Facebook platform, Facebook Inc. also owns other popular social media platforms such as Instagram, Oculus, Messenger, and WhatsApp.

Facebook is a social networking service and a social media site that can be accessed with devices like smartphones, tablets and personal computers through the internet. Facebook provides various tools and features that benefit small businesses, allowing them to promote their services, increase customer support, and boost sales and recognition.

The media revenues of Facebook have grown tremendously over the last few years because of its users who visit the site multiple times. Source of revenues include mobile desktop and ad revenues.

6. Bertelsmann

• Media Revenues: €13.5 billion USD (2022)
• Origin Country: Germany
• World Rank: 6
• CEO: Thomas Rabe
• Founder: Carl Bertelsmann
• Founded: 1835
• Headquarters: Gütersloh, Germany
• Employees: 132,000+ (2022)
• Market Value: €60 billion USD (2023)
• Revenue: €4.8 billion (first quarter of 2023)
• Net Income (TTM): €2.5 billion USD (2023)
• Annual Operating Income: €3.5 billion USD (2023)
• Total Assets: €90 billion USD (2023)
• Market Capital: €60 billion USD (2023)

Bertelsmann is one of the largest private conglomerates in the world associated with the service sector, education and mass media. Bertelsmann is a media, services, and education company that operates in about 50 countries worldwide.  It is one of the world’s 23rd largest media conglomerates and is also active in the service sector and education.

The primary source of revenues is cable television, record label, publishing and film production through the Bertelsmann Printing Group, Gruner + Jahr, Arvato, BMG, Penguin Random House and RTL Group.

7. ViacomCBS

• Media Revenues: $28.6 billion USD (2022)
• Origin Country: United States
• World Rank: 7
• CEO: Bob Bakish
• Founder: Sumner Redstone
• Founded: 1952 (Viacom), 1986 (CBS)
• Headquarters: New York City, New York
• Employees: 47,000+ (2022)
• Market Value: $20 billion USD (2023)
• Revenue: $7.265B (quarter ending March 31, 2023)
• Net Income: $-1.118B (quarter ending March 31, 2023)
• Annual Operating Income: $6.5 billion USD (2023)
• Total Assets: $56.561B (quarter ending March 31, 2023 )
• Market Capital: $10.13B (August 03, 2023)

ViacomCBS is a global media and entertainment conglomerate that creates and distributes content across various platforms. The company was formed in 2019 through a merger between Viacom and CBS Corporation, and was later renamed Paramount Global in 2022. The company’s operations span across the media and entertainment industries, including cable networks, television stations, television programming, content production and distribution, innovative streaming services, branded streaming services, and other internet-based businesses.

ViacomCBS is the 12th largest media company in the world as of 2023. ViacomCBS is a publicly traded company listed on Nasdaq Stock Exchange and associated with the entertainment and mass media industries.

The primary source of revenues of ViacomCBS is through 170 networks in 180 countries and an estimated 700 million subscribers along with its streaming services. The company expects to have 65 million to 75 million subscribers by 2024, the vast majority of them from Paramount+ . The main assets of the renowned company include Paramount Pictures, CBS television network, MTV, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon, BET, Showtime, Pluto TV and Paramount +.

ViacomCBS is headquartered in New York City and operates in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia-Pacific. The company provides powerful capabilities in production, distribution, and advertising solutions.

8. CBS Corporation

• Media Revenues: $32 billion USD
• Origin Country: United States
• World Rank: 7
• CEO: Bob Bakish
• Founder: Sumner Redstone
• Founded: 1952 (Viacom), 1986 (CBS)
• Headquarters: New York City, New York
• Employees: 47,000+
• Market Value: $20 billion USD
• Revenue : $7.265B (quarter ending March 31, 2023)
• Net Income : $-1.118B (quarter ending March 31, 2023)
• Annual Operating Income: $6.5 billion USD
• Total Assets: $56.561B (quarter ending March 31, 2023 )
• Market Capital: $10.13B (August 03, 2023)

CBS Corporation is a major American mass-media company that operates the CBS national television network and includes various holdings such as Simon & Schuster publishing groups and the Showtime cable network. CBS Corporation was the legal successor of Viacom and was controlled by National Amusements. Currently, Viacom and CBS have merged to become ViacomCBS Corporation. The headquarters of CBS Corporation is located in New York City

CBS Corporation is owned by National Amusements, which holds 80% of the voting power.

CBS Corporation is a conglomerate with the primary source of revenues from television production, radio stations, publishing and commercial broadcasting. The Viacom and CBS network broadcasts to 200+ affiliated stations and has seen some major revenue earner hits over the years like the Big Bang Theory. It operates through various segments, including Entertainment, Cable Networks, Publishing, Local Broadcasting, and Outdoor Americas. The Entertainment segment includes the CBS Television Network, CBS Television Studios, CBS Global Distribution Group, CBS Films, and CBS Interactive.

9. Baidu Inc.

• Media Revenues: $8.8 billion USD (2022)
• Origin Country: China
• World Rank: 8
• CEO: Robin Li
• Founder: Robin Li and Eric Xu
• Founded: 1999
• Headquarters: Beijing, China
• Employees: 100,000+ (2022)
• Market Value: $40 billion USD (2023)
• Revenue: $4.535B (quarter ending March 31, 2023 )
• Market Cap: $54.92 billion (August 2023)
• Net Income : $0.848B (quarter ending March 31, 2023 )
• Annual Operating Income: $4.5 billion USD (2023)
• Total Assets: $58.386B (quarter ending March 31, 2023 )
• Market Capital: $51.81B ( August 04, 2023)

Baidu Inc. is a Chinese multinational technology company specializing in Internet-related services, products, and artificial intelligence (AI) . Baidu Inc. is headquartered in Beijing’s Haidian District, China. Baidu was incorporated in January 2000 by Robin Li and Eric Xu. Baidu Inc. is associated with the Internet and related services and its search engine has the distinction of being the fourteenth-largest in the world in 2023. The holding company of Baidu Inc. is incorporated in the Cayman Islands.

Baidu offers a range of products and services, including Baidu App, Hoakan, Quanmin, Baidu Wiki, Baidu Knows, Baidu Experience, Baidu Post, Baidu Union, DuerOS, Baidu Maps, and Baidu Health. It also provides online marketing services, advertising services, and AI-related services such as P4P, Marketing Cloud Platform, and AI Cloud. The publicly traded company and search giant earns 96% of its revenue from advertising.

Other revenue sources of the company are Baidu Maps, Baidu Baike, mobile services, and entertainment.

10. News Corp

• Media Revenues: $9.3 billion USD (2022)
• Origin Country: Australia
• World Rank: 9
• CEO: Robert Thomson
• Founder: Rupert Murdoch
• Founded: 1979
• Headquarters: New York City, New York
• Employees: 55,000+ (2022)
• Market Value: $20 billion USD (2023)
• Revenue: $2.45 billion (third quarter results for fiscal 2023)
• Net Income: $59 million(third quarter results for fiscal 2023)
• Annual Operating Income: $2.5 billion USD (2023)
• Total Assets: $100 billion USD (2023)
• Market Capital: $11.49 billion(August 2023)

News Corp is a publicly-traded American mass media and publishing company that operates across digital real estate information, news media, book publishing, and cable television. News Corp is one of the important mass media companies and earns revenue through its publishing companies. It operates across sectors like cable television, book publishing, news and real estate digital information. News Corp is the 22nd largest media company in the world as of 2023.

It was formed on June 28, 2013, following a spin-off of the media outlets of the original News Corporation as 21st Century Fox (21CF) . The company is headquartered in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, and has a worldwide presence. The Murdoch family owns 39% of the voting power of News Corp.  News Corp comprises industry-leading media and information services brands focused on creating authoritative and engaging content.

The company owns The Sun and The Times in the United Kingdom, The New York Post and The Wall Street Journal in the U.S., book publisher Harper Collins and promotion company America Marketing along with Barron’s Magazine.

11. Advance Publications Inc.

• Media Revenues: $10.1 billion USD (2022)
• Origin Country: United States
• World Rank: 10
• CEO: Steven Newhouse
• Founder: Samuel Irving Newhouse Sr.
• Founded: 1922
• Headquarters: New York City, New York
• Employees: 10,000+ (2022)
• Market Value: $10 billion USD (2023)
• Revenue (TTM): $11.4 billion USD (2023)
• Net Income (TTM): $1.2 billion USD (2023)
• Annual Operating Income: $1.5 billion USD (2023)
• Total Assets: $15 billion USD (2023)
• Market Capital: $10 billion USD (2023)

Advance Publications Inc. is a privately-held American media company founded in 1922 by Samuel I. Newhouse and his family. The company is owned by the families of Donald Newhouse and Samuel Irving Newhouse Jr., the sons of company founder Samuel Irving Newhouse Sr.

Advance Publications is a private company associated with the mass media industry. The primary source of revenue of the company is its publication and communication assets. Advance Publications owns and invests in a diversified portfolio of companies across media, entertainment, technology, communications, education, and other growth sectors. Some of the notable subsidiaries of Advance Publications include American City Business Journals, Condé Nast, The Ironman Group, Leaders Group, Turnitin, and POP. The company is also a major shareholder in Charter Communications, Reddit, and Warner Bros. Discovery.

Advance Publications has a 31% stake in Discovery Inc., a cable entertainment company and a 13% stake in Charter Communications. It has earnings through subsidiaries like Wired Magazine, Conde Nast (Vanity Fair, Vogue and Glamour), Reddit, Discovery Channel, Tripoid.com, Angelfire and Lycos.

12. iHeartMedia

• Media Revenues: $3.2 billion USD (2022)
• Origin Country: United States
• World Rank: 11
• CEO: Darren Davis
• Founder: Lowry Mays and B. J. “Red” McCombs
• Founded: 1972
• Headquarters: San Antonio, Texas
• Employees: 13,000+ (2022)
• Market Value: $1 billion USD (2023)
• Revenue: $811 million (March 31, 2023)
• Net Income (TTM): $-222 million USD (March 31, 2023)
• Annual Operating Income: $250 million USD (2023)
• Total Assets: $8,035 million USD (2023)
• Market Capital: $0.61B billion USD (2023)

iHeartMedia, Inc. is a leading global media and entertainment company that specializes in radio, digital, mobile, social, live events, and on-demand entertainment.  It is ranked as 21st global media and entertainment company in the world as of 2023.  iHeartMedia was founded in 1972 by Lowry Mays and B. J. “Red” McCombs and was later taken private by Bain Capital and Thomas H. Lee Partners through a leveraged buyout in 2008.

iHeartMedia is associated with the mass media industry and deals in digital and radio broadcasting. It operates with help of its division iHeartMedia and subsidiaries iHeartCommunications Inc, iHeartMedia and Entertainment Inc., Broader Media LLC, Voxnest Inc. and iHeartMedia capital I LLC.  iHeartMedia’s digital assets include thousands of station and show websites, more than 167 million registered iHeartRadio users, and over 298 million fans and followers across social media

The primary source of revenue of the company is radio acquisitions, television networks, music charts, outdoor advertising and news channels. iHeartMedia owns a staggering 861 stations in the U.S. with 110 million listeners and operates 107,000 display ad structures across North America and 540,000 units across Europe, Australia and Asia

13. Discovery Inc

• Media Revenues: $16.5 billion USD (2022)
• Origin Country: United States
• World Rank: 4
• CEO: David Zaslav
• Founder: John Hendricks
• Founded: 1985
• Headquarters: Silver Spring, Maryland
• Employees: 11,000+ (2022)
• Market Value: $30 billion USD (2023)
• Revenue: $10.358B  ( quarter ending June 30, 2023)
• Net Income:  $-1.240B (quarter ending June 30, 2023)
• Annual Operating Income: $3.5 billion USD (2023)
• Total Assets: $130.584B (quarter ending June 30, 2023)
• Market Capital: $31.4B (August 4, 2023)

Discovery Inc. formerly known as Discovery communications is a publicly-traded company listed on Nasdaq Stock Exchange and associated with the broadcast industry. Discovery, Inc. is a global media company that operates in the factual entertainment space. It is ranked 13th media company in the world in 2023.

Discovery, Inc. is an American multinational mass media company that was established in 1985. It is a platform innovator, reaching viewers on all screens and services, from linear, free-to-air, and pay-TV channels to digital products and streaming services. The company delivers over 8,000 hours of original programming each year across various content genres.  Discovery, Inc. has a global presence, with its content available in 220 countries and territories and translated into 50 languages.

Discovery, Inc. owns and operates a portfolio of premium brands, including Discovery Channel, HGTV, Food Network, TLC, Investigation Discovery, Travel Channel, Animal Planet, Science Channel, and OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network. These brands cover a wide range of topics, from nature and science to home improvement and lifestyle.

The primary source of revenues of the company is its operations in TLC, Science Channel, Animal Planet and Discovery Channel. Since 2018 it has acquired and added networks like Travel Channel, HGTV and Food Network to its portfolio.

Another vital source of revenue is Discovery+ a streaming service, Eurosport, GolfTV, Discovery Communications Nordic and TVN Group along with several free-to-air channels.

14. Grupo Globo

• Media Revenues: $10.6 billion USD (2022)
• Origin Country: Brazil
• World Rank: 12
• CEO: Jorge Nóbrega
• Founder: Roberto Marinho
• Founded: 1925
• Headquarters: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
• Employees: 23,000+ (2022)
• Market Value: $20 billion USD (2023)
• Revenue: 15.12 billion Brazilian reals (2022)
• Net Income (TTM): $1.2 billion USD (2023)
• Annual Operating Income: $1.5 billion USD (2023)
• Total Assets: $25 billion USD (2023)
• Market Capital: $20 billion USD (2023)

Grupo Globo is a Brazilian private mass media conglomerate based in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It was founded in 1925 by Irineu Marinho and is the largest media group in Latin America and one of the world’s largest media conglomerates.

Grupo Globo is primarily focused on developing programming and ensuring that the pay-TV market receives high-quality content. Its television network comprises five wholly owned television stations in Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Recife, Brasília, and Belo Horizonte, as well as 115 independent affiliated television stations that broadcast the TV Globo channel across 96% of Brazilian households.

In 2021, Grupo Globo announced a seven-year strategic partnership with Google Cloud to bring new innovations to life and to help establish Globo as a true mediatech company. Together, Globo and Google Cloud will focus on developing and delivering best-in-class experiences to users.

Grupo Globo is the largest in Latin America and earns revenue through television networks, internet services, music, sports, news, magazines, newspaper, satellite television and radio stations.

15. Yahoo

• Media Revenues: $4.3 billion USD (2022)
• Origin Country: United States
• World Rank: 13
• CEO: Jim Lanzone
• Founder: Jerry Yang and David Filo
• Founded: 1994
• Headquarters: Sunnyvale, California, United States
• Employees: 10,350+ (2022)
• Market Value: $5 billion USD (2023)
• Revenue (TTM): $4.5 billion USD (2023)
• Net Income (TTM): $300 million USD (2023)
• Annual Operating Income: $400 million USD (2023)
• Total Assets: $6 billion USD (2023)
• Market Capital: $5 billion USD (2023)

Yahoo is a global media and technology company that connects people to their passions. The company reaches almost a billion people worldwide, providing trusted products, content, and technology that fuel their day. Yahoo offers a powerful advertising platform to grow businesses and drive more meaningful connections across advertising, search, and media. Some of the specific services and products offered by Yahoo include Yahoo Search, Yahoo Mail, Yahoo News, Yahoo Finance, Yahoo Sports, and Yahoo Weather.

Yahoo was founded in 1994 by Jerry Yang and David Filo, graduate students at Stanford University in California. The company provides users with online utilities, information, and access to other websites. Yahoo! battled Google—a major competitor in the search engine industry—for many years in an attempt to claim a larger share of the market.

Yahoo is a subsidiary of its parent company Verizon Media and acts as a provider of web services. The primary source of revenue is the advertising platform, Verizon Media Native and the search engine which generates 42% of the total revenues.

The next big source of revenue of Yahoo is through Digital Advertising which the company earns through its sites (82%) as well as third-party affiliated sites (18%). 36% of the total revenue of Yahoo are earned from mobile.

16. Warner Media

• Media Revenues: $32.4 billion USD (2022)
• Origin Country: United States
• World Rank: 6
• CEO: David Zaslav
• Founder: Jack Warner
• Founded: 10 February 1972
• Headquarters: New York City, New York
• Employees: 39,000+ (2022)
• Market Value: $50 billion USD (2023)
• Revenue: $10.358B (quarter ending June 30, 2023)
• Net Income : $-1.240B (quarter ending June 30, 2023)
• Annual Operating Income: $5.5 billion USD (2023)
• Total Assets: $130.584B (quarter ending June 30, 2023)
• Market Capital: $31.4B(August 04, 2023)

WarnerMedia is a multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate that was established as Time Warner in 1990, following a merger between Time Inc. and the original Warner Communications. In 2022, it was spun-off from AT&T and merged with Discovery, Inc. to form Warner Bros. Discovery. The company provides premium pay television services, streaming services, television, feature film, home video, videogame production, and distribution.

Warner Media is associated with the broadcast and entertainment industry with the primary source of revenues is from its operations through cable, television and films. Warner Media (Time Warner) assets include television and films (HBO, MAD and CNN), print (DC, Time), investments (Trion, Tremor), video games (rocksteady), music and the internet (Time Warner Cable)

17. Microsoft

• Media Revenues: $18.2 billion USD (2022)
• Origin Country: United States
• World Rank: 3
• CEO: Satya Nadella
• Founders: Bill Gates and Paul Allen
• Founded: 1975
• Headquarters: Redmond, Washington, United States
• Employees: 181,000+ (2022)
• Revenue: $52.9 billion (quarter ending March 31, 2023)
• Market Cap: $2.5 trillion (August 2023)
• Market value: $2.3 trillion
• Brand Value: exceeded 611 billion U.S. dollars (2022)
• Net Income (TTM): $60 billion USD (2023)
• Annual Operating Income: $75 billion USD (2023)
• Total Assets: $2.9 trillion USD (2023)
• Market Capital: $2.5 trillion USD (2023)

Microsoft is a multinational company with an interest in various industries like mass media. Its primary source of revenues is from advertising that makes up for 5% of its total revenues. Microsoft offers solutions for the media and entertainment industry to streamline content production, enhance creativity, and transform audience experiences. These solutions include automated processes on an intelligent cloud to improve content management, distribution, and content and video monetization.

The company places ads through Xbox Live (gaming platform), Skype (video calling service) Bing (search engine) and MSN Portal. Microsoft’s media and entertainment solutions include Azure Cognitive Services, which can help add accessible and localized content to reach a broader and more diverse audience with natural-sounding voices through Azure text-to-speech and custom neural voice services. Microsoft HoloLens is another tool that can be used to explore a sports stadium digital twin.

Microsoft’s media and entertainment solutions are designed to accelerate content production, modernize collaboration, optimize content delivery, and improve audience intelligence.

Microsoft has made a deal with AOL who will handle the ad display sales in the top nine markets and with AppNexus who will be responsible for ad sales in other ad markets

18. The Asahi Shimbun Company

• Media Revenues: $13.3 billion USD (2022)
• Origin Country: Japan
• World Rank: 11
• CEO: Motoyuki Ito
• Founder: Yoshida Kahei
• Founded: 1879
• Headquarters: Osaka, Japan
• Employees: 43,000+ (2022)
• Market Value: $5 billion USD (2023)
• Revenue (TTM): $14.1 billion USD (2023)
• Net Income (TTM): $1.3 billion USD (2023)
• Annual Operating Income: $1.5 billion USD (2023)
• Total Assets: $16 billion USD (2023)
• Market Capital: $5 billion USD (2023)

The Asahi Shimbun Company is a media conglomerate based in Osaka, Japan. It is a privately held family business with ownership and control remaining with the founding Murayama and Ueno families. The company was established on January 25, 1879, and is widely regarded for its journalism as the most respected daily newspaper in Japan.

The Asahi Shimbun Company is amongst the four largest newspaper companies in Japan with a morning and evening circulation of 5.16 million and 1.55 million respectively as of June 2020.

The English version of The Asahi Shimbun offers selected articles from the Japanese newspaper. The company has bureaus in Tokyo, New York, and Seoul, and has forged alliances with The New York Times and the Dong-A Ilbo. The Asahi Shimbun Company is a participant in the UN Global Compact and is classified as a media company.

The Asahi Shimbun Company is a conglomerate that generates revenues through its daily newspaper as well as 25 magazine titles like Sesame and AERA along with a 24.83% stake in TV Asahi

19. CCTV or China Central Television

• Media Revenues: $19.2 billion USD (2022)
• Origin Country: China
• World Rank: 5
• CEO: Shen Haixiang
• Founder: Mao Zedong
• Founded: 1958
• Headquarters: Beijing, China
• Employees: 60,000+ (2022)
• Market Value: $40 billion USD (2023)
• Revenue (TTM): $20.1 billion USD (2023)
• Net Income (TTM): $1.9 billion USD (2023)
• Annual Operating Income: $2.1 billion USD (2023)
• Total Assets: $45 billion USD (2023)
• Market Capital: $40 billion USD (2023)

China Central Television (CCTV) is a national television broadcaster of China, established in 1958 as a propaganda outlet. It is operated by the National Radio and Television Administration, which reports directly to the Chinese Communist Party’s Central Propaganda Department. CCTV has a variety of functions, such as news communication, social education, culture, and entertainment information services.

It has 50 channels that broadcast a variety of programming to more than one billion viewers in six languages. CCTV currently has 21 public channels and 19 Pay TV channels in operation, covering almost every aspect of Chinese social life. In addition to its TV programs, CCTV has also built up a multi-media broadcasting platform and business operation, which includes movies, newspapers, and the internet.

CCTV is the main news source for the Chinese people and is also an important window for the world to find out more about China. It is making efforts to become a global media network with increased international influence. CCTV’s foreign language services were spun off into China Global Television Network (CGTN) in December 2016.

CGTN offers multi-language news channels internationally, including a 24-hour English-language news channel that is broadcast to over 100 English-speaking countries, including the United States. The China Central Television earns its revenues with help of 10 international channels, 19 pay-tv channels and 21 free-to-air channels along with the auction of its prime-time slots.

20. Hearst Communications

• Media Revenues: $11.4 billion USD (2022)
• Origin Country: United States
• World Rank: 10
• CEO: Steven Newhouse
• Founder: William Randolph Hearst
• Founded: 1887
• Headquarters: New York City, New York
• Employees: 20,000+ (2022)
• Market Value: $10 billion USD (2023)
• Revenue (TTM): $12.2 billion USD (2023)
• Net Income (TTM): $1.2 billion USD (2023)
• Annual Operating Income: $1.4 billion USD (2023)
• Total Assets: $15 billion USD (2023)
• Market Capital: $10 billion USD (2023)

Hearst Communications, Inc. is an American multinational mass media and business information conglomerate based in Hearst Tower in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. It is a leading global, diversified information, services, and media company with operations in 40 countries. The company was founded by William Randolph Hearst as an owner of newspapers, and the Hearst family remains involved in its ownership and management.

The primary source of revenues is from 30 TV stations, 21 consumer magazines and 15 daily newspapers. Hearst Magazines is one of the world’s largest publishers of magazine media across all platforms, with more than 200 magazine editions and websites around the world. Hearst Newspapers is the operating group responsible for Hearst’s newspapers, local digital marketing services businesses, and directories.

Hearst owns newspapers, magazines, television channels, and television stations, including the San Francisco Chronicle, the Houston Chronicle, Cosmopolitan, and Esquire. It also owns 50% of the A&E Networks cable network group and 20% of the sports cable network group ESPN, both in partnership with The Walt Disney Company. The conglomerate also owns several business-information companies, including Fitch Ratings and First Databank.

Some of the major assets of Hearst Communications are San Francisco Chronicle, Esquire, Cosmopolitan and the Houston Chronicle.

21. JCDecaux

• Media Revenues: $17.8 billion USD (2022)
• Origin Country: France
• World Rank: 7
• CEO: Jean-Charles Decaux
• Founder: Jean-Claude Decaux
• Founded: 1964
• Headquarters: Paris, France
• Employees: 13,000+ (2022)
• Market Value: $30 billion USD (2023)
• Revenue : €721.3 million(Q1 2023)
• Net Income: -€64.9 million(H1 2023)
• Annual Operating Income: $3.0 billion USD (2023)
• Total Assets: $35 billion USD (2023)
• Market Capital: $4.27 billion (August 2023)

JCDecaux is a global outdoor advertising company that was founded in 1964 by Jean-Claude Decaux. JCDecaux is a public company listed on the Euronext Stock Exchange and has the distinction of being the largest outdoor advertising company in the world. It has spread its presence to 80 countries across six continents.

JCDecaux is the number one outdoor advertising company worldwide, with a presence in over 80 countries. It operates in three main areas of business: street furniture, transport advertising, and billboard advertising.

It is associated with mass media and deals in out-of-home advertising like public bicycle rental system, street furniture panels and billboards. JCDecaux has made several acquisitions along the way to increase its earnings like Continental Outdoor Media (70% stake), CEMUSA (100%) and Eye Catcher Media (70%)

22. Axel Springer SE

• Media Revenues: $13.6 billion USD (2022)
• Origin Country: Germany
• World Rank: 12
• CEO: Mathias Döpfner
• Founder: Axel Springer
• Founded: 1946
• Headquarters: Berlin, Germany
• Employees: 18,000+ (2022)
• Market Value: $20 billion USD (2023)
• Revenue: 3.9 billion euros(2022)
• Net Income (TTM): $1.4 billion USD (2023)
• Annual Operating Income: $1.6 billion USD (2023)
• Total Assets: $21 billion USD (2023)
• Market Capital: $20 billion USD (2023)

Axel Springer SE is the largest digital publishing company in Europe and is active in 40+ countries with help of the licensing, joint ventures and subsidiaries. The media activities contribute to 60% of the company’s total revenues and are divided into three segments classified ad models, marketing models and paid models. The company has a strong presence in the digital media industry and aims to become a global market leader in digital content and digital classifieds.

The company is headquartered in Berlin and employs over 18,000 people worldwide. Axel Springer SE owns numerous multimedia news brands, including Bild, Die Welt, and Fakt. Bild is a tabloid with the largest circulation in Europe, while Die Welt is the intellectual flagship of the company. These brands cover various topics such as current news, autos, sports, computers, consumer electronics, and lifestyle.

The primary source of revenues of the company are websites, radio stations, TV channels, magazines and newspapers like Die Welt, Bild ( 12 million daily readerships), Fakt and B.Z. One of its important acquisitions is an 88% stake in Business Insider and increasing its stake to 97%

23. Mediaset

• Media Revenues: $7.9 billion USD (2023)
• Origin Country: Italy
• World Rank: 15
• CEO: Pier Silvio Berlusconi
• Founder: Silvio Berlusconi
• Founded: 1975
• Headquarters: Milan, Italy
• Employees: 14,000+ (2023)
• Market Value: $6.5 billion USD (2023)
• Revenue: 865 million euros (2022)
• Net Income: 180 million euros (2022)
• Annual Operating Income: $825 million USD (2023)
• Total Assets: $10.5 billion USD (2023)
• Market Capital: $6.5 billion USD (2023)
• Owners: The Berlusconi family

Mediaset is an Italian mass media company that is the largest commercial broadcaster in Italy. It is controlled by the holding company MFE – MediaForEurope, which is majority-owned by the Berlusconi family’s Fininvest Group. The company has a solid company structure and is economically, financially, and productively independent.

Mediaset is the largest commercial broadcaster of Italy and operates with help of its subsidiary Mediaset Espana Communicion (50.2%). The company has operations in advertising, international broadcasting, telecommunications, finance, and the recording industry. Mediaset also has a shopping channel called Mediashopping.

The company has a vast network of specialized and cross-media dealerships serving all media, including TV, radio, internet, and print. Mediaset has five general networks and more than 30 free and pay theme channels, making it the leading private TV publisher in Italy and Spain. The company also has an Italian radio center called Radiomediaset.

Mediaset has more than 100 million social media followers.

The primary source of revenues of Mediaset is its Italian channels like Cartoonito, Boing, Rete 4, Italia 1 and Canale 5. The company also operates sports, entertainment and news websites and film production company (Medusa Film).

24. ITV

• Media Revenues: 3.33 billion U.S. dollars
• Origin Country: United Kingdom
• Owner: ITV plc and STV Group
• Founded: 22nd September 1955
• Headquarters: London, U.K.
• Revenue: UK£1.64b (H1, 2023)
• Net Income: UK£42.0m (H1, 2023)
• Market Cap: $3.76 B (August 2023)

ITV is a free-to-air network that was launched to compete against BBC Television. It is the oldest commercial network in its country and had more than 15 channels under its umbrella. ITV plc was founded on February 2, 2004, and is headquartered in London, England.

ITV plc is a British media company that operates in the production, broadcasting, and distribution of content across a diverse range of genres. The company is a vertically integrated producer broadcaster and streamer, consisting of ITV Studios and Media & Entertainment (M&E). It is the 26th largest media company in the world as of 2023.

The primary source of media revenues of ITV is from current licensing and programming like international news, national news and regional programming. The company has an important stake in digital TV services Freesat (50%) and YouView (14.3%) and ITN which is a news production company.

25. Fuji Media Holdings Inc.

• Media Revenues: $5.3 billion USD (2023)
• Origin Country: Japan
• World Rank: 19
• CEO: Osamu Kanemitsu
• Founder: Fuji Television Network, Inc.
• Founded: 1957
• Headquarters: Minato, Tokyo, Japan
• Employees: 6,327 (2023)
• Market Value: $4.5 billion USD (2023)
• Revenue (TTM): JPY 541.29bn (2023)
• Net Income (TTM): JPY 44.24bn (2023)
• Annual Operating Income: $600 million USD (2023)
• Total Assets: $7 billion USD (2023)
• Market Capital: $2.51 billion USD (2023)
• Owners: Publicly traded company

Fuji Media Holdings Inc is a Japanese company that operates in the broadcasting, production of broadcasting programs, video music business, and mail order business sectors. The company was founded in 1957 and is headquartered in Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan.

It generates earnings through CS and BS satellite broadcasting, streaming platforms, radio broadcasting, music, games, sports, content production, publishing, advertising and direct marketing.

Fuji Media Holding is one of the biggest media companies in Japan and two of its important revenue sources are Nippon Broadcasting System and Fuji Television Network

26. Hubert Burda Media

• Media Revenues: $4.8 billion USD (2023)
• Origin Country: Germany
• World Rank: 20
• CEO: Paul-Bernhard Kallen
• Founder: Hubert Burda
• Founded: 1903
• Headquarters: Offenburg, Germany
• Employees: 12,000+ (2023)
• Market Value: $3.5 billion USD (2023)
• Revenue: €2.921 billion (2022)
• Net Income (TTM): $450 million USD (2023)
• Annual Operating Income: $500 million USD (2023)
• Total Assets: $6 billion USD (2023)
• Market Capital: $3.5 billion USD (2023)

Hubert Burda Media is a German media group with headquarters in Offenburg. It originated as a small printing business founded by Franz Burda Snr in Philippsburg in 1903.

Hubert Burda Meda is a global media company with 600+ media assets. It has spread its operations in 20 countries with primary locations being the United Kingdom and Germany. Hubert Burda Media owns magazines, websites, TV and radio broadcasters, including Radio Times and over 400 other media brands.

Hubert Burda Meda is one of the largest media companies in Germany and the 26th top media company in the world. It generates revenues with help of 93 magazines in Germany and 320 international titles. Some of its vital brands are Burda Style, Harper’s Bazaar, Focus, XING, HuffPost, HolidayCheck, Bunte, Elle and Playboy.

27. Gannett

1. Media Revenues: 2.95 billion U.S. dollars
2. Origin Country: USA
3. Founder: Frank Gannett
4. Founded: 1906
5. Headquarters: Virginia, U.S.
6. Employees: 21255+
7. Revenue:  $672 million (June 30, 2023)
8. Annual Net Income: $-13 million (June 30, 2023)

Gannett Co., Inc. is an American mass media holding company headquartered in Tysons, Virginia, in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. It has been serving communities since 1924 with mission-driven journalism. Gannett is a holding company associated with publishing and mass media. In 2015 Gannett merged with GateHouse Media and now the company has the distinction of being the largest newspaper publisher in the U.S based on total daily circulation.

Gannett is the owner of 400 non-daily publications and 93 daily newspapers in the U.S and 150 assets in the U.K. Some of its assets are The Daily News Journal, The Arizona Republic and USA Today.

28. ProSiebenSat.1

• Media Revenues: $2.9 billion USD (2023)
• Origin Country: United States
• World Rank: 35
• CEO: Mike Reed
• Founder: Frank Gannett
• Founded: 1906
• Headquarters: Tysons, Virginia, United States
• Employees: 20,000+ (2023)
• Market Value: $1.5 billion USD (2023)
• Revenue (TTM): $4.21 B (2023)
• Net Income (TTM): $250 million USD (2023)
• Annual Operating Income: $300 million USD (2023)
• Total Assets: $6.42 B (2023)
• Market Capital: $2 billion USD (2023)
• Owners: New Media Investment Group

ProSiebenSat.1 Media SE is a German mass media and digital company that operates in three segments: Entertainment, Dating, and Commerce & Ventures. The company is listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and is a leading entertainment and commerce player in the German-speaking region.

ProSiebenSat.1 Media SE was formed in 2000 through the merger of two German media companies, ProSieben Media AG and Sat.1 SatellitenFernsehen GmbH.

According to PitchBook, ProSiebenSat.1 Media had a market share of 25.5% as of June 16, 2023.

ProSiebenSat.1 generates revenues through 15 TV stations spread across 42 million households in Switzerland, Austria and Germany.

29. Yomiuri Shimbun Holdings

• Media Revenues: $12.8 billion USD (2023)
• Origin Country: Japan
• World Rank: 11
• CEO: Tsuneo Kita
• Founder: Yomiuri Shimbun
• Founded: 1874
• Headquarters: Tokyo, Japan
• Employees: 45,000+ (2023)
• Market Value: $10 billion USD (2023)
• Revenue (TTM): $13.6 billion USD (2023)
• Net Income (TTM): $1.2 billion USD (2023)
• Annual Operating Income: $1.3 billion USD (2023)
• Total Assets: $15 billion USD (2023)
• Market Capital: $10 billion USD (2023)
• Owners: Yomiuri family

The Yomiuri Shimbun Holdings is one of the top five major newspapers published in Japan by regional bureaus or subsidiaries of the Yomiuri Shimbun Holdings. The company owns The Yomiuri Shimbun, a national newspaper with the largest circulation in the world.

The Yomiuri Shimbun Holdings conglomerate comprises numerous influential companies in fields such as culture, sports, leisure, and logistics. About 150 companies and organizations exist under the umbrella of the Yomiuri Shimbun Holdings. The company has three headquarters: the Tokyo head office, the Osaka head office, and the Nagoya head office.

The Yomiuri Shimbun split into the operating holding company, Yomiuri Shimbun Group, and the newspaper publishing company, Yomiuri Shimbun Tokyo Headquarter. The company has a nationwide distribution network encompassing about 7,000 distributors and issues both morning and evening editions.

The newspaper has a daily circulation of 7.7 million copies as of June 2020. The company Yomiuri Shimbun Holdings owns a publishing group Chukoron-Shinsha, The Japan News and Nippon TV Network.

30. Time Inc.

• Media Revenues: $2.9 billion USD
• Origin Country: United States
• Founder: Briton Hadden and Henry Luce
• Founded: 28th November 1922 and spin-off on 9th June 2014

Time Inc. was an American worldwide mass media corporation founded on November 28, 1922, by Henry Luce and Briton Hadden. It was based in New York City and owned and published over 100 magazine brands, including Time, Sports Illustrated, Travel + Leisure, Food & Wine, Fortune, People, InStyle, Life, Golf Magazine, Southern Living, Essence, Real Simple, and Entertainment Weekly. The company also had subsidiaries and co-operated with the UK magazine house Time Inc.

Since 31st January 2018 Time Inc has been acquired by the publisher company Meredith Corporation for a sum of 2.8 billion Dollars.

Some of the other companies that should be also mentioned are

1. DISH Network Corporation
2. FOX News Corporation
3. Thomson Reuters corporation
4. Sony
5. Charter Communications
6. AT&T
7. Netflix
8. ByteDance
9. Relx
10. Bloomberg

Conclusion

The Global media networks are doing extremely well against the backdrop of the pandemic. There were hurdles and disruptions on the way no doubt but the industry has stood strong and come out sturdier in the face of turmoil.

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