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Who owns Universal Pictures?

Universal Pictures is owned by Comcast (the United States, NASDAQ: CMCSA), which acquired the brand on 28 January 2011.[1][2] Universal Pictures was founded in 1912 in Universal City, California and was independent until 2011.

Key facts

Current owner
Comcast Corporation verified
Owned since
· deal details
Acquisition price
$13.8 billion (enterprise value)
Previous owner
Independent (1912–2011)
Owner HQ
🇺🇸 United States, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Origin
🇺🇸 United States, Universal City, California
Founded
1912
Category
Media & entertainment › Film & television › Film studios
Parent ticker
NASDAQ: CMCSA
Last verified
· 2 sources

About Universal Pictures

Universal is the oldest surviving film studio in America, founded in 1912. Its horror pictures of the 1930s created the popular images of Dracula and Frankenstein's monster, and Jaws in 1975 effectively invented the summer blockbuster. Its Universal Monsters characters remain licensable a century later, and the studio has repeatedly tried and failed to relaunch them as a connected film series.

Ownership timeline of Universal Pictures

Owners of Universal Pictures from 2011 to 2026 Comcast 2011–present Comcast 201520202025
  1. 2011 – present Comcast — acquired 28 January 2011 [1][2] verified

Where Universal Pictures sits in Comcast

Controlling ownership as of . Brands grouped under the entity that owns them; large groups are collapsed.

Where Universal Pictures sits in Comcast Tree of 8 brands under Comcast. Comcast Universal Pictures DreamWorks Animation NBC Peacock Sky Telemundo and 2 more

Open the full Comcast ownership tree →

Other brands owned by Comcast in media & entertainment

See the full Comcast brand portfolio (8) →

Deals involving Universal Pictures

Acquisition closed

Comcast acquires NBC, Universal Pictures, Telemundo and Universal Destinations & Experiences

Comcast took majority control of NBCUniversal from General Electric in a transaction valuing the business at about $30 billion, contributing cable channels and $13.75 billion in cash. It turned the largest American cable distributor into a studio owner, and regulators imposed conditions on how it treated rival programmers.

Value
$13.8bn
Buyer
Comcast
Seller
—
Regulatory
None recorded

Latest news about Universal Pictures

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Frequently asked questions

Who is the parent company of Universal Pictures?

The parent company of Universal Pictures is Comcast, a publicly listed company headquartered in the United States.

Is Universal Pictures American?

Yes. Universal Pictures originated in the United States in 1912 and its owner, Comcast, is also headquartered in the United States.

When did Comcast buy Universal Pictures?

Comcast completed its acquisition of Universal Pictures on 28 January 2011, after announcing the deal on 3 December 2009.

Who owned Universal Pictures before Comcast?

Universal Pictures was an independent company from its founding in 1912 in Universal City, California until Comcast acquired it in 2011.

Is Universal Pictures still owned by Comcast?

Yes. As of 8 September 2026, Universal Pictures is still owned by Comcast. The ownership record was last checked against primary sources on that date.

Sources (2) & corrections

Last verified . Every ownership fact above is backed by one of these primary documents. Numbers in brackets in the text refer to this list.

  1. [1] Comcast Corporation Annual Report on Form 10-K filed 2026-02-03 — SEC EDGAR, SEC Form 10-K, published 3 February 2026; retrieved 8 September 2026.
  2. [2] Comcast Corporation Form 8-K — closing of the NBCUniversal transaction — SEC EDGAR, SEC Form 8-K, published 28 January 2011; retrieved 8 September 2026.

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