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| Friday, 8 June, 2001, 21:56 GMT 22:56 UK Disney in global push ![]() The company wants to push into new markets The Walt Disney Company is on the prowl outside the US, searching for acquisition targets and new markets in an effort to boost its non-US earnings.
Disney, the world's second-largest media and entertainment conglomerate after AOL Time Warner, aims to boost the proportion of its international revenue to above 30% in the next five years, from the current 18%. The company will focus on emerging markets in particular. It will look to boost its business in Europe, Asia and Latin America. "We're interested in companies in content and we're starting to broaden our look potentially toward distribution companies," Johnson said. "We believe, obviously, that content is king, though." Tightening belts But it is not all spend, spend, spend for Mickey Mouse and his friends. The company recently cut 4,000 job due to the weak economy. And it still aims to hammer out a plan to cut costs by $15-20m a year.
Disney's number one non-US market is Japan where Mr Johnson expects double-digit growth to continue despite economic weakness in the country. About 60% of the company's non-US earnings come from Europe, with 35% coming from Asia and 5% from Latin America. Disney's share fell just under 1% on Friday. The company is valued at about $67bn. |
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