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"Disney targets males and females in all age groups, from toddlers to grandparents, with a particular focus on families".

Families are their main audience

Global audience (parks in different countries)

Children & Teens

Young Adults

Nostalgic fans

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Start.io - A Mobile Marketing and Audience Platform

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Yes, the iconic media and entertainment brand was established in 1923 by two brothers - Walt Disney and Roy O. Disney - as the Disney Brothers Studio .

That only lasted a few years, and by 1926, Walt Disney would be the name forever associated with such icons as Mickey Mouse, Snow White, and the Disneyland theme parks. To be sure, a century is a long time and the Disney brand has developed a legendary story of its own.

To begin understanding the global phenomenon of the brand, it is important to start with an analysis of the Walt Disney target market, audience demographics, and Disney strategy. Let's take a look.

Disney Target Market - Who is Their Main Audience?

The Disney target audience are consumers of several product categories offered by the Disney brand. These are Disney films and TV programming, Disney theme parks and experiences, Disney merchandise and consumer goods, and the Disney+ video streaming app.

At first glance, it may seem that the natural target market for Disney is kids, however this is not the case. Disney targets males and females in all age groups, from toddlers to grandparents, with a particular focus on families.

The Disney target market is located worldwide, however the vast majority of Disney revenue is generated in the Americas. The target audience of Disney is lower to middle class on average. Unfortunately, Disney theme parks are becoming more unaffordable for this segment.

With the launch of in late 2019, Disney appeals to a wide audience in the on-demand video streaming space. Beyond children and family entertainment, the brand is looking to target adults with more general entertainment content on the Disney+ platform.

Disney Target Market Segmentation

Get to know Disney brand positioning with an analysis of the Walt Disney target market from four perspectives: Disney audience demographics, geographic, behavioral and psychographic segmentations.

Let's explore Disney statistics and gain a better perspective of the Disney competitive advantage.

Disney Demographic Segmentation

A Disney demographic segmentation shows that the key target audience is families. However, families come in all shapes and sizes. They may be newlyweds, parents with young kids, or multi-generational families that include grandparents and grandchildren.

Disney targets all age groups and genders, reflected in the wide range of movies, TV content, merchandise and experiences under the Disney brand. For example, Disney World offers rides for all heights and ages, clubs and nightlife for adults, and all Disney parks are fully accessible for wheelchairs and strollers.

Disney Geographic Segmentation

Disney audience demographics are located worldwide, however the largest audience is in North America and Canada. This is reflected in the significantly larger operating income in the region, compared to Europe, Asia Pacific and Latin America.

Since the launch in late 2019, Disney+ streaming has rolled out gradually worldwide, now available in over 100 countries.

Disney Behavioral Segmentation

The Disney parks experience is targeted to middle income families - people who earn between $50,000 to $74,999 want to visit Disneyland the most. Those in the highest income group, between $150,000 and $200,000, were the least likely to want to visit a Disney park in the coming year.

Disney fans demonstrate high interest in on-demand video streaming, with a steady increase in the number of subscribers to the Disney+ app. In Q3 2022, there were 152.1 million subscribers in Q3 2022, compared to 26.5 million just two years previously in Q4 2020.

Disney Psychographic Segmentation

Disney customers are characterized as 'dreamers' and 'aspirers', drawn to the promise of magical experiences the brand delivers. People targeted by Disney are also looking for escapism and a sense of nostalgia.

Who are Disney competitors?

In the world of entertainment, there are few companies that can claim to be direct Disney competitors across all categories.

In film production and distribution, TimeWarner, 21st Century Fox and Comcast are Walt Disney competitors, while in the theme park segment, Disney's competitors include Universal Studios, Six Flags and China's Chimelong Ocean Kingdom.

In the digital streaming space, the top competitor for Disney market share is Netflix, which held over 41% market share in 2021. Amazon Prime Video is the next largest competitor, with 11.3% market share compared to 9.9% for Disney+.

Since its launch in late 2019, Disney+ has continually increased in popularity, providing a tough competition for the Netflix target audience . As Disney+ steadily gains more subscribers, Netflix continues to suffer serious losses in the post-pandemic period, losing 1 million subscribers in Q2 2022 .

Another name among Disney biggest competitors - and a newer kid on the block - is Apple+. In the showdown of Disney+ vs Apple+, Disney certainly wins in terms of the sheer range of available content.

As one of the leading Big Tech companies in the world, however, Apple is worth far more than Disney Company and has abundant resources to compete strongly. Even so, Disney+ currently has significantly more subscribers than Apple+. Although no official numbers have been released, it is believed that there are 40 million subscribers to the Apple+ TV streaming service, compared to over 150 million for Disney+. Learn more on Apple target market analysis and its competitors on our recent blog post.

What is Disney Marketing Strategy?

Although the Disney Company has diverse operations, its media and entertainment segment is by far the biggest revenue driver. It outperforms the linear segment (cable networks and broadcast TV) by nearly double, and brings in more than triple the revenue than Disney's popular theme parks.

In all its operating segments, the Disney marketing strategy consistently focuses on the customer experience, promising Walt Disney customers ' the most magical place on earth '. This brand positioning naturally works for young children, however the genius of Disney marketing is the way it resonates with adults as well.

For example, in a 2015 Christmas campaign, Disney encouraged adults and kids to "discover a life more magical" via pop-up shops selling Disney merchandise. The campaign commercial tapped into adults' nostalgia for their own childhood, giving their children the magical Disney experiences they once enjoyed.

Advertising is a significant part of Disney marketing strategy, with the majority of ad spend utilized in the United States. In 2021, Disney spent $3.76 billion on advertising in the US, out of $5.5 billion spent worldwide. US ad spend is increasing every year, significantly higher in 2021 than preceding years.

With the launch of Disney+ video streaming platform in 2019, the Walt Disney company is competing fiercely for market share in the digital space. 80% of Disney movie and TV content is aired on the digital platform. This is part of the strategy to market Disney+ to adults, not just kids, promoting the app as having "something for everyone".

The Disney+ "commercial", titled Basically Everything Coming to Disney+ in the US , is an example of clever Disney marketing. The video is over three hours long, and features trailers for all the content available on Disney+. It has garnered incredible engagement, with over 1.3 million views on YouTube.

Disney Entertainment Streamers in United States

Disney Entertainment Streamers in the US make up a sizable audience of over 2.5 million mobile users on the Start.io network. The audience skews slightly female, with 51.8% female vs 48.2% male who enjoy streaming Disney on their mobile phones.

Streamers aged 18 to 35 make up the significant majority of the audience, with over 85% in that age group. In terms of household income, the mobile audience of Disney streamers is in the low to middle class bracket, with nearly 70% earning $60,000 or less. There is a heavy preference for Android over iOS, with various models of Samsung Galaxy among the top 5 devices used by Disney streamers.

Disney FAQs

What makes Disney different from its competitors?

During its 100 years of operation, Disney has built a strategic brand identity based on 'magical' experiences. The brand consistently delivers on that promise through its movie and TV content, merchandising and theme park experiences.

In addition, strategic acquisitions of innovative and popular production companies, such as Pixar, Marvel Studios and Lucasfilm Ltd, have enabled Disney to strengthen its position as a leading and iconic entertainment brand among a global audience.

Who is Disney's main competitor?

In the film production and distribution space, Time Warner, ComCast, 21st Century Fox, CBS Corp and Discovery Communications are Disney's main competitors. In digital streaming, Disney competes with Netflix, Amazon, HBOMax, Hulu and Apple+.

What is Disney's mission statement?

The Disney mission statement is "to entertain, inform and inspire people around the globe through the power of unparalleled storytelling."

What age is Disney aimed at?

Disney is a family oriented company, aimed at people of all ages. The wide range of media content available in movie theaters, cable TV and digital streaming offers viewing choices for children and adults alike.

In addition, Disney targets adult audiences with nostalgia-based content, such as remakes of older Disney movies, that reconnects these audiences to the magic of their childhoods.

Additional Sources

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Disney Target Market Segmentation & Audience Demographics | Start.io

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Disney targets all age groups and genders, reflected in the wide range of movies, TV content, merchandise and experiences under the Disney brand. Read more on Start.io blog

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Disney has expanded globally with their parks being around the world. Because of this it has allowed them to also celebrate other cultures through films such as Moana, Coco, and more.

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Disney uses more data driven analytics for decision making to effectively target their audiences. They use this for content, marketing, and advertising. They hold a large data & analytic conference to go over this as well.

LINK

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Age: Appeals to a wide range of ages. According to one report, 45% of users are under 18, 49% are between 18 and 54, and only 8% are over 55.

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Broad appeal due to library classics, Marvel, Pixar, Star Wars, and new originals

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Disney has numerous forms of content from shorts, movies, and TV Shows. Recently they have moved fully onto streaming services by using Disney plus. They have acquired big brands such as Marvel, Star Wars, & National Geographic. They mostly use Disney Plus as their main structure. Disney Plus has allowed the Disney company to get a firm jump start ahead of other streaming platforms.

LINK

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- BamTech Media runs Disney+ to limit buffering and technological issues.

- Disney has combined different TV programs like Hulu and ESPN to allow people to make watching TV easier.

- Social Media like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube promote Disney+ to get people to buy a subscription.

https://disneyexperiences.com/disney-technology/

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Broader & more diverse audience

Shift from mainly kids/families to also targeting teens, adults, and global viewers.

Stronger expectation for inclusive representation (race, gender, identity, culture).

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Higher value placed on inclusion, ethics, and authenticity

Viewers hold Disney accountable for representation, moral messaging, and cultural sensitivity.

Failing to adapt leads to faster backlash, especially from Gen Z.

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When Disney+ launched in 2019 with a monthly subscription of $6.99 which at the time was their primary source of revenue from the streaming platform as they didn’t have any plans that included ads. Now, as of October 2025, Disney+ has increased its price to $15.99/month for the no ads version of the platform. They also have a cheaper $9.99/month option which includes ads. They now are able to earn more revenue off increased subscription prices and advertisements that are shown on the platform.

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45% of users are aged 18 or under, and a further 49% are aged between 18 and 54. Just 8% of Disney+ users are over age 55.

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Disney's main focus has been young children and their families. The bulk of their content are shows and movies that are appropriate for younger audiences. However, with acquisitions such as Marvel and Star Wars, they create content that is geared towards teenagers and adults.

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The Disney target market is remarkably diverse, spanning across age groups, geographies, and cultural backgrounds.