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Federal Lobbying Data · Senate LDA Filings · Updated Quarterly
LobbySpend

Walt Disney Company

Media & Entertainment · Lobbying Client

Reviewed by LobbySpend Editorial Team · Updated
B
Influence Score
67/100
High Influence
$29.9M
Total Lobby Spend
8
Policy Issues
20
Lobbyists
7
Revolving Door

Walt Disney Company's Federal Lobbying Record

Walt Disney Company's disclosed federal lobbying spend of $29.9M places it among the top-tier spenders tracked here — organizations that put real, recurring dollars behind their federal advocacy. Spending at this level usually involves a dedicated in-house team, multiple outside firms, and steady quarterly filings rather than one-off campaigns tied to a single bill.

Across the 5-year window from 2020 to 2024, Walt Disney Company's annual disclosed lobbying spend has climbed meaningfully — from $5.1M in 2020 to $6.4M in 2024, a change of +25%. Step-changes of this size often coincide with major bills moving through Congress, regulatory rulemakings affecting the organization's industry, or a leadership change in the relevant committee.

Walt Disney Company's disclosed lobbying covers 8 general issue areas — a moderate footprint. Filers in this range tend to engage on a coherent cluster of related topics rather than spreading effort across the federal agenda.

7 of 20 lobbyists reported by Walt Disney Company (35%) disclose prior federal government service. That share is common at established government affairs operations that explicitly hire from agency and committee staff.

Among the named bench, lobbyists with disclosed prior federal service include Maria D. Cardona (Former Legislative Director, U.S. House of Representatives); Timothy C. Grady (Former Senior Advisor, White House); James C. Doherty (Former Commissioner, FCC). The covered-position field on LDA cover sheets captures executive-branch and senior congressional roles held within the prior two years.

Within the Media & Entertainment sector, Walt Disney Company ranks #2 of 2 tracked organizations by disclosed lobbying spend. The sector leader is National Association of Broadcasters at $78.9M; the sector average is $54.4M. Walt Disney Company's $29.9M sits 45% below the sector average.

Walt Disney Company's LobbySpend Influence Score of 67/100 (grade B) reflects significant federal lobbying reach. The score blends disclosed total spend, issue breadth, and revolving-door connections — lobbyists with prior federal government service. A B-grade typically means the organization is well above average on at least two of those three signals, with sustained activity over multiple years rather than a one-off spike.

Every figure above is sourced from Senate lobbying disclosure filings submitted under the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995. Per-issue dollar splits and covered-position flags are filer-reported and may be amended after initial submission.

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Annual Lobbying Spend

Policy Issues

Government Entities Contacted

Federal Aviation Administration
Dept of Homeland Security
Securities & Exchange Commission
U.S. House of Representatives
Dept of Labor
Small Business Administration
Dept of Defense
Food & Drug Administration
Dept of State

Recent Filings

PeriodRegistrantIssuesLobbyistsAmount
2024 Oct-DecSummit Strategies Government Affairs
TAXGOVIMM+1
3$1.6M
2024 Jul-SepHolland & Knight
TAXCOMGOV
2$1.6M
2024 Apr-JunSteptoe & Johnson
CPTCOM
4$1.5M
2024 Jan-MarSquire Patton Boggs
COMTAXTOU+1
1$1.6M
2023 Oct-DecSubject Matter
CPTTOU
2$2.2M
2023 Jul-SepHolland & Knight
ARTTAXTRD+1
4$2.2M
2023 Apr-JunSubject Matter
TRDGOV
4$2.0M
2023 Jan-MarPeck Madigan Jones
TOUARTTAX
3$1.6M

Walt Disney Company Lobbying FAQ

Walt Disney Company has spent $29.9M on federal lobbying across 8 policy areas. This includes spending on registered lobbyists and direct government contacts.

Walt Disney Company lobbies on 8 policy issues, including Copyright/Patent/Trademark, Communications/Broadcasting, Trade, Taxation. These disclosures are filed quarterly with the Senate Office of Public Records.

Walt Disney Company has an Influence Score of 67/100 (Grade B). This proprietary score is based on total lobby spend (40%), policy issue breadth (30%), and revolving door connections (30%).

Walt Disney Company employs 20 registered lobbyists, of whom 7 have revolving door connections, meaning they previously held government positions before becoming lobbyists.

Walt Disney Company has contacted 9 government entities as part of their lobbying activities, including Federal Aviation Administration, Dept of Homeland Security, Securities & Exchange Commission.

Sources: Senate Office of Public Records (LDA), OpenSecrets.org
Last updated:

Lobbying data is sourced from quarterly Lobbying Disclosure Act (LDA) filings with the Senate Office of Public Records. Influence Scores combine total spend (40%), issue breadth (30%), and revolving door connections (30%). Filings may be amended after initial submission.