what stations does disney own
Disney owns a lot of TV, cable, and streaming networks, but most people asking “what stations does Disney own” are mainly curious about the big, recognizable TV channels and the main broadcast stations, not every tiny joint venture or minority stake.
Below is a clear, up‑to‑date style overview (not every minor or foreign variation, but the major brands and U.S. stations).
Major TV Channels Disney Owns
These are the big network “stations” (cable channels and networks) under The Walt Disney Company umbrella.
- ABC (American Broadcasting Company) – One of the major U.S. broadcast networks, including ABC News.
- Disney Channel – Flagship kids/family cable channel.
- Disney Junior – Preschool‑focused channel.
- Disney XD – Kids/teens action and animation channel.
- Freeform – Formerly ABC Family, targets teens/young adults.
- FX Networks – FX, FXX, FX Movie Channel (primarily adult drama/comedy).
- National Geographic channels – National Geographic, Nat Geo Wild, Nat Geo Mundo (via National Geographic Partners).
- ESPN networks (majority‑owned) – ESPN and many related sports channels, with Hearst as a minority partner.
You can think of it as Disney covering three big lanes: general entertainment (ABC/FX/Freeform), family/kids (Disney Channel brands), and factual/sports (National Geographic and ESPN).
ABC Owned-and-Operated Local Stations
Disney, through ABC Owned Television Stations, directly owns and operates eight major local ABC stations in the U.S.
These are full local TV stations, not just channels on cable:
- WABC-TV – New York City.
- KABC-TV – Los Angeles.
- WLS-TV – Chicago.
- WPVI-TV – Philadelphia.
- KTRK-TV – Houston.
- KGO-TV – San Francisco (Bay Area).
- WTVD – Raleigh–Durham (North Carolina).
- KFSN-TV – Fresno (California).
These eight are the core “ABC owned-and-operated” stations most frequently referenced in media discussions.
Key Networks and Stations Table
Here is a compact view of the main networks and owned stations often meant when someone asks “what stations does Disney own.”
| Category | Network / Station | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broadcast network | ABC | National TV network | One of the major U.S. broadcast networks, plus ABC News. | [7]
| Local ABC O&O | WABC-TV | Local station | New York City ABC owned-and-operated station. | [3][7]
| Local ABC O&O | KABC-TV | Local station | Los Angeles ABC owned-and-operated station. | [7][3]
| Local ABC O&O | WLS-TV | Local station | Chicago ABC owned-and-operated station. | [3][7]
| Local ABC O&O | WPVI-TV | Local station | Philadelphia ABC owned-and- operated station. | [7][3]
| Local ABC O&O | KTRK- TV | Local station | Houston ABC owned-and-operated station. | [3][7]
| Local ABC O&O | KGO-TV | Local station | San Francisco Bay Area ABC owned-and-operated station. | [7][3]
| Local ABC O&O | WTVD | Local station | Raleigh–Durham, NC ABC owned-and-operated station. | [3][7]
| Local ABC O&O | KFSN-TV | Local station | Fresno, CA ABC owned-and-operated station. | [7][3]
| Kids / family | Disney Channel | Cable channel | Flagship Disney kids/family network. | [1][7]
| Kids / family | Disney Junior | Cable channel | Preschool content. | [1][7]
| Kids / family | Disney XD | Cable channel | Action/animation for kids/teens. | [1][7]
| Entertainment | Freeform | Cable channel | Targeted to teens and young adults, formerly ABC Family. | [1][7]
| Entertainment | FX | Cable channel | Premium- style drama/comedy, part of FX Networks. | [1][7]
| Entertainment | FXX | Cable channel | Sister channel to FX; comedy-heavy. | [1][7]
| Entertainment | FX Movie Channel | Cable channel | Films under FX Networks. | [1][7]
| Factual | National Geographic | Cable channel | Documentary and factual programming. | [7][1]
| Factual | Nat Geo Wild | Cable channel | Wildlife and nature focus. | [1][7]
| Sports | ESPN | Cable channel | Flagship sports network, majority-owned by Disney. | [7]
| Sports | Other ESPN-branded channels | Cable / digital | Includes multiple regional and specialty ESPN networks under the ESPN umbrella. | [1][7]
Forum / “Trending” Angle
When this question pops up on forums or social media, people are usually reacting to just how huge the Disney web of networks and brands is, especially after past acquisitions like 21st Century Fox.
You’ll often see posts sharing dense infographics of Disney’s brands and comments joking that “everything you watch is Disney now” or comparing it to a corporate Death Star that quietly owns a surprising number of channels behind the scenes.
Important Note
- The list above focuses on major, well-known channels and the core ABC-owned local stations.
- Disney also has stakes and joint ventures (for example with ESPN and A+E Networks) and international Disney/ABC/National Geographic/ESPN channels , which makes a truly complete list extremely long and constantly changing.
If you want, I can narrow this down further (for example: only sports channels Disney owns, or only U.S. local ABC stations) and format it as a more detailed table for that slice.
Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.