Streaming Services: Corporate Ownership Explained

The Streaming Landscape in 2026

The streaming wars have reshaped entertainment. What began with Netflix disrupting DVD rentals has evolved into a $100+ billion global industry where every major media and technology company operates at least one streaming platform. But keeping track of who owns which service, and how corporate mergers are changing the landscape, requires a scorecard.

This guide maps every major streaming service to its corporate parent, explains recent consolidation moves, and explores what the ownership landscape means for consumers in 2026.

Who Owns Every Major Streaming Service

The Walt Disney Company

The Walt Disney Company operates the most complex streaming portfolio of any media company:

• [Disney+](/brands/disney-plus): Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic content. Over 150 million global subscribers.
• [Hulu](/brands/hulu): General entertainment, FX originals, next-day broadcast TV. Disney is folding Hulu content into the Disney+ app in 2026, creating a unified streaming experience. Hulu remains available as a standalone subscription.
• [ESPN](/brands/espn)+: Sports streaming. Disney is developing a flagship ESPN streaming service for launch in late 2025/2026, positioning it as the future of sports media.

Disney completed its acquisition of Comcast's 33% stake in Hulu in 2024 for approximately $8.6 billion, giving Disney full ownership. The company invested $1 billion in OpenAI parent Sora in late 2025, signaling interest in AI-driven content technology.

Netflix, Inc.

Ticker: NASDAQ: NFLX Subscribers: 300+ million global (as of late 2025)

Netflix is the largest and only major independent streaming service. Unlike competitors, Netflix is not part of a larger media conglomerate. It relies entirely on original content and licensed programming.

In late 2025, Netflix made headlines with a hostile takeover bid for Warner Bros. Discovery in a proposed $108.4 billion deal. If successful, this would transform Netflix from a pure streaming company into a diversified media conglomerate with HBO, CNN, Discovery networks, and Warner Bros. film studio. The deal remains pending regulatory review in early 2026.

Amazon

Amazon operates multiple entertainment platforms:

• [Prime Video](/brands/prime-video): Included with Amazon Prime membership (200+ million Prime subscribers globally). Original series (The Rings of Power, Reacher, Fallout) plus licensed content.
• [MGM](/brands/mgm): Amazon completed its $8.5 billion acquisition of MGM in 2022, gaining the James Bond franchise, Rocky/Creed, and a library of 4,000+ films.
• Amazon Freevee: Free ad-supported streaming (integrated into Prime Video in 2024).
• Twitch: Live streaming platform focused on gaming and creator content.
• Thursday Night Football: Exclusive NFL streaming rights.

Apple

Apple operates Apple TV+ as part of its services ecosystem:

• Apple TV+: Original content only (no licensed library). Notable titles: Ted Lasso, Severance, The Morning Show, Killers of the Flower Moon, Napoleon.
• MLS Season Pass: Exclusive Major League Soccer streaming.
• Friday Night Baseball: MLB streaming.

Apple TV+ has a smaller content library but invests heavily in premium original programming, winning multiple Academy Awards and Emmy Awards. The service benefits from bundling with Apple One subscriptions.

Warner Bros. Discovery

Ticker: NASDAQ: WBD

• Max (formerly HBO Max): HBO original programming, Warner Bros. films, Discovery content. Home to some of the most critically acclaimed programming in television history (Game of Thrones, Succession, The Last of Us, White Lotus).
• Discovery+: Nature, food, home, and lifestyle content (being merged into Max).

WBD announced plans to separate its Discovery Global networks from Warner Bros. in the third quarter of 2026 amid the decline of linear television. The Netflix takeover bid adds uncertainty to WBD's future.

Comcast/NBCUniversal

• Peacock: NBC content, Universal films, live sports (Premier League, NFL, WWE). Peacock has grown to approximately 35 million paid subscribers.

Comcast is spinning off its cable TV networks into a separate company called Versant Media, which began trading in early 2026. This signals Comcast's pivot toward streaming and theme parks.

Paramount Global

• Paramount+: CBS content, Paramount films, Nickelodeon, MTV, Showtime (merged into Paramount+). Paramount Global has explored merger options, with Skydance Media completing an acquisition deal.

Sony

Sony operates streaming services focused on gaming and anime:

• Crunchyroll: The world's largest anime streaming platform, acquired through Sony's purchase of Crunchyroll from AT&T in 2021 for $1.175 billion.
• [PlayStation](/brands/playstation) Plus: Gaming subscription service with streaming capabilities.
• Sony Pictures Core: Movie streaming for PlayStation users.

Microsoft

Microsoft operates gaming-focused streaming:

• [Xbox](/brands/xbox) Game Pass: Gaming subscription with cloud streaming. Over 34 million subscribers.
• PC Game Pass: PC-specific gaming subscription.

The Consolidation Map

Tech Giants vs Media Companies

The streaming wars have created an unusual competitive landscape where traditional media companies compete directly with technology giants:

Tech companies (Amazon, Apple, Microsoft) can subsidize streaming losses with profits from their core businesses (e-commerce, devices, cloud computing). Apple TV+ reportedly operates at a loss but drives Apple ecosystem engagement.

Media companies (Disney, WBD, Paramount) must make streaming profitable as a core business since they lack alternative massive revenue streams. Disney achieved streaming profitability across Disney+ and Hulu for the first time in late 2024.

This asymmetry gives tech companies a structural advantage in the streaming wars, as they can afford to invest in content without needing immediate returns.

What Is Coming in 2026

Disney+ unified app: Disney is folding Hulu content into the Disney+ app, creating a one-stop entertainment platform spanning family content, general entertainment, and sports (via ESPN).

ESPN flagship streaming: Disney is launching a dedicated ESPN streaming product, potentially the most significant sports media product launch in years.

WBD restructuring: Warner Bros. Discovery's planned separation of its linear TV networks from its studio and streaming operations will reshape the company.

Netflix-WBD deal: If Netflix's bid for Warner Bros. Discovery succeeds, it would create the largest streaming company by a significant margin, combining Netflix's subscriber base with HBO's prestige content and Warner Bros.' film library.

Comcast/Versant: Comcast's cable TV spinoff signals the continuing shift from linear television to streaming.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who owns the most streaming services?

The Walt Disney Company owns the most major streaming services: Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+. Disney is consolidating these into a unified experience in 2026.

Is Netflix owned by a larger company?

No. Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX) is an independent, publicly traded company. It is the only major streaming service not owned by a larger media or technology conglomerate. However, its proposed acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery could change this.

Who owns Hulu?

Disney owns 100% of Hulu after completing its buyout of Comcast's 33% stake in 2024 for approximately $8.6 billion.

Which streaming service has the most subscribers?

Netflix leads with over 300 million global subscribers. Amazon Prime Video has the most total users (200+ million Prime members), though not all actively use the streaming service. Disney+ has over 150 million subscribers.

The Bottom Line

Every major streaming service is backed by a media or technology giant with deep pockets and strategic motivations that extend beyond entertainment. Understanding who owns which service helps explain content decisions, pricing strategies, and why certain shows appear on certain platforms. As the industry consolidates further in 2026, the streaming landscape will continue to evolve.

Explore entertainment brand ownership on WhoBrands or browse entertainment brands.

Explore Related Brands

• Disney+ - Disney's flagship streaming platform
• Hulu - General entertainment streaming, Disney-owned
• Prime Video - Amazon's streaming service
• ESPN - Sports media, launching flagship streamer
• PlayStation - Sony's gaming platform with PS Plus streaming
• Xbox - Microsoft's gaming platform with Game Pass

Browse all entertainment brands

Sources

1. Deadline. "2026 Mergers & Acquisitions in Media: Outlook." December 2025. 2. Fortune. "Netflix-Warner Deal Would Drive Streaming Market Further Down." December 2025. 3. eMarketer. "Disney+ Expands in 2026 as Hulu Folds In." 2026. 4. The Current. "Tracking 2025's Media M&As and Where Streaming Is Going in 2026." 5. Walt Disney Company. Investor presentations. 2025.

All brand ownership data verified through WhoBrands.com's research methodology. Last updated: January 29, 2026.