Extensive SWOT Analysis of 20th Television – An American Animation Studio

Updated on: Mar 22, 2022
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In our previous article, we had done an in-depth SWOT Analysis of an American film production & distribution company, Universal Pictures. In this article, we will see the SWOT analysis of 20th Television.

Did you know about the famous adult cartoon series named The Simpsons? Yeah exactly, the creator and producer behind this cartoon series is 20th Television. 20th Television is an American live-action television production company which serves as a division of Disney Television Studios. A unit of Walt Disney Television both ultimately owned by The Walt Disney Company.

20th Television is a market leader all around the world due to its efficient services and strong visibility. In today’s world digital marketing is very important to create a brand image, if you want to learn more about digital marketing and its different attributes do check out Free Digital Marketing Masterclass by Karan Shah the founder and CEO of IIDE.

In this blog, we will learn about the SWOT analysis of 20th Television, but before that let’s know about the company.

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About 20th Television

SWOT Analysis of 20th Television - Disney Tv Studios & 20th Television

The company was originally established as the television production unit of 20th Century Studios (previously 20th Century Fox) in 1949. The original copyright holder for 20th Television’s library was under 20th Century Fox until December 2020. The studio is best known for being the original programming supplier of the Fox network, and being the television distributor for the 20th Century Studios’ film library.

20th Television produces, creates and develops adult animated television series and specials. Its first project continued production of the cartoon animation series named Family Guy, previously Film Roman. Later on, The Simpsons took over from Film Roman. 

20th Television was part of The Walt Disney Company’s acquisition of the majority of 21st Century Fox’s assets. Disney’s acquisition of 21st Century Fox was completed on March 20, 2019. The company’s current name 20th Television was adopted on August 10, 2020. On December 4, 2020, the company started using 20th Television, Inc. for the copyright of 20th Television and 20th Television Animation productions as a Disney subsidiary.

20th Television Animation has 11 series in production including the recently ordered Koala Man at Hulu and Solar Opposites, which launched its second season on the streamer.

Quick Stats on 20th Television
Founder Joseph M. Schenck
Year Founded 1999
Origin The United States
No. of Employees 2,756
Company Type Subsidiary
Market Cap $9.12 Billion (2022)
Annual Revenue $104.88 Million (2022)
Net Income/ Profit N/A

 

SWOT Analysis of 20th Television - Popular Shows by 20th Television


Products by 20th Television

  • Television animation
  • Adult animation
  • Animation studio


Competitors of 20th Television

  • New Line Cinema
  • DreamWorks Animation
  • Paramount Pictures
  • 21st Century Fox


SWOT Analysis of
20th Television

SWOT Analysis is a useful technique for developing business strategies for both new and current businesses. This simplified methodology is used to assess a company’s competitive standing. SWOT analysis of 20th Television can help the organisation develop effective and efficient business strategies.

SWOT Analysis of 20th Television - SWOT Infographics of 20th Television

Below is an explicit guide to the SWOT analysis of 20th Television.

Strengths of 20th Television

A company’s different capabilities that allow and give the advantage to capture more markets and make profits are called strengths. The following are the strength of 20th Television:

  • Hit Shows: Three of Ryan Murphy’s most acclaimed and award-winning hit shows from FX and 20th Television are going to stream on Hulu, a streaming platform. 
  • House of Legacy: 20th Television is a part of a big family in which assets like 20th Century fox, Fox network and Star TV are big brands in both films and television. Some of the biggest movies are owned by these companies through subsidiaries. 
  • International Market: 20th Television is a global film and television production company. One of the strengths of 20th Television is that it has an international market. Because of its international presence, it makes it easier for the other 20th Television to grow their business.
  • Strong Cash Flow: 20th Television is a multinational company. It has a huge international presence so they have a huge cash flow. Their revenue is in the billions. They have a good amount of profit. Due to the strong cash flow, they have sufficient resources so that they can expand their business.
  • Strong Parent Company: 20th Television has strong support from its parent company Walt Disney Television both in financial and advisory terms. This is one of the biggest strengths of 20th Television. 
  • Popular Animations: 20th Television incorporates some of the famous adult cartoon animations under its house like The Simpsons, Filmy Guy, American Dad etc. and many more. These popular adult cartoon animations are watched by millions of people across the world, ultimately increasing the viewership and revenue of 20th Television.


Weaknesses of 20th Television 

The area where the brand or company needs an improvement or there is a chance to improve and make it big and help the company to grow faster by finding out the incapabilities and weak points are referred to as weaknesses. Following are some of the weaknesses of 20th Television:

  • Mostly Kids Animation: 20th Television mostly works on cartoon and kids animation which somehow stops 20th Television to explore other categories.
  • A Hired House: The company acts as a production house for hire, it is not treated as a labelled division of 20th Century Studios like Touchstone Television or Searchlight Pictures.
  • Stop of Popular Shows: American Dad and Bob’s Burgers no longer be produced by 20th Television with all animated programming coming out of the new Proietto-led unit. This has faded away from the revenue which was generated from these two popular shows.
  • Changing Trends: As an international film and television production company, they have to change according to the local market. they have to tackle the care of local consumer behaviour.
  • Organisation Structure: 20th Television is compatible with the current business model and so it has some limits with the expansion of the segments. 
  • Age Group: Their target group is mostly adults, the age category between 18-30 years. The viewers of overreliance on 20th Television entertainment are down by 6% because they are over-reliant on animated shows.


Opportunities for 20th Television

Opportunities means the aspects of the ground where brands can have the avenue that surrounds the environment to grow and make more profit or returns. Following are some of the opportunities for 20th Television:

  • Acquisitions Using Brand Identity: Many of the greatest family sitcoms on television – The Simpsons, Family Guy, Bob’s Burgers, Solar Opposites, Central Park, The Great North and the list goes on – come from the genius creators 20th Television Animation has assembled and nurtured over the past two decades. 20th Television can use its goodwill for further acquisitions and mergers.
  • Staring Superstars: 20th Television should star famous celebrities and pop artists as animation or cartoon characters in its popular animation shows like The Simpsons. Recently, The Weeknd aka Abel Makkonen Tesfaye appeared as a cartoon character in The Simpsons and it is getting immensely popular among the artist’s viewers and the show viewers altogether. 
  • Double of Adult Animation: Disney Television Studios is doubling down on adult animation with the launch of a new division devoted to the genre and has tapped 20th Century Television.
  • New Market: There is a great opportunity for 20th Television as there is the availability of new markets opening up. The world is going under globalisation and many governments are adopting new technologies. Due to the government agreement as there is free trade that gives new opportunities to 20th Television. 
  • Growing Economy: One of the great opportunities for 20th Television is the growing economy. There is a rising economy that brings the international film and television production company 20th Television with new customers. They can gain new customers with a good strategy. They have captured three separate businesses as a result they have a huge broadcast in countries like India. 
  • Big Names Are Worth It: Since 20th Television is a recognized brand, it can be a perfect branding source that any business can use for its promotion. Maintaining a company’s reputation online has become a crucial aspect of today’s digital marketing strategies. If you are interested in learning the latest, check out IIDE’s Online Reputation Management Course to learn more about this rising field.
  • International Growth: As a multinational film and television production company, 20th Television is constantly looking for a new market to grow internationally. They have a huge stake in India and Latin America. 


Threats to 20th Television

Threats referred to the factor in the environment of the business that put a hurdle to the brand to grow. It slows down the growth of the business. Following are some of the threats for 20th Television:

  • Increasing Piracy & Patent Issues: Copyright patent issues are something that the media houses have to constantly fight for.  Also, there is an increase in piracy and illegal downloads in developing countries and there is a lack of sufficient laws to protect intellectual property.
  • Strong Competition: One of the biggest threats of the international film and television production company, 20th Television is the strong competitor. One of the biggest competitors is Paramount Pictures, which has huge popularity and is the biggest animation studio platform. 
  • Small Production Houses: One of the biggest threats to the oldest film and television production company is the evolving small film production houses on OTT platforms. Due to current situations, many users are preferring watching movies on OTT platforms over going to the cinema.
  • Currency Fluctuations: As an international film and television production company, 20th Television has to consider the fluctuations in the currency of different countries.
  • Changes in the Policies: They have an international market, if the government changes its policies they have to change it according to the respective country’s lawsuit.


With this, we have reached the end of the SWOT Analysis of 20th Television. This analysis helps the company to know where it stands in the market and understand its weaknesses and create proper strategies to improve in the future.

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To Conclude

In the study of the SWOT Analysis of 20th Television, we have known that cartoon animations produced by 20th Television are the most-watched in the world. It has a large international presence and cash flow. It can grow with the help of new markets and consolidation. Even after it has such advantages in the market it still faces some flaws.

Changing trends and mostly dependent on advertising are some of the weaknesses of 20th Television. It can also face a threat in the future from the strong competition and changes in policies in different markets. As most people have shifted towards digital platforms, the most important thing that it needs is digital marketing and having an online presence. If you are interested in learning and upskilling, check out IIDE’s 3 Month Advanced Online Digital Marketing Course to know more.

We hope this blog on the SWOT Analysis of 20th Television has given you a good insight into the company’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.

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Aditya Shastri

Lead Trainer & Head of Learning & Development at IIDE

Leads the Learning & Development segment at IIDE. He is a Content Marketing Expert and has trained 6000+ students and working professionals on various topics of Digital Marketing. He has been a guest speaker at prominent colleges in India including IIMs......[Read full bio]

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