National Geographic

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

The National Geographic Society's relationship with 21st Century Fox goes as far back as 1997, when the original News Corporation launched National Geographic Channel in Asia and Europe, in partnership with the Society. On September 9, 2015, the Society announced it would reorganize its media properties and publications into a new company known as National Geographic Partners, which would be 73% owned by 21st Century Fox. This new, for-profit corporation would own National Geographic and other magazines. At the time of the deal's announcement, James Murdoch, the CEO of 21st Century Fox, said in remarks to National Geographic that the pact created 'an expanded canvas for the National Geographic brand to grow and reach customers in new ways, and to reach new customers.' On November 2, 2015, roughly two weeks before the closing of the expanded joint venture deal, National Geographic and 21st Century Fox announced that 9 percent of National Geographic's 2,000 employees, approximately 180 people, would be laid off, constituting the biggest staff reduction in the Society's history.

Reader's Guide

National Geographic Partners, LLC is a joint venture between the Walt Disney Company (which owns 73% of the company) and the namesake non-profit scientific organization National Geographic Society (which owns 27%). Headquartered in Washington, DC, the company oversees all commercial activities related to the Society, including magazine publications and television channels. The company's board of managers is evenly divided between the Society and Disney. The enterprise was originally established by 21st Century Fox and the National Geographic Society. Following the completion of Disney's acquisition of 21st Century Fox on March 20, 2019, Disney assumed 21CF's 73% share in the joint venture. NG Media is the publishing arm of the partnership and operates within Disney Publishing Worldwide handling National Geographic's magazines, digital, social channels, Nat Geo Kids, book publishing and live events. Magazines published by NG Media include: National Geographic (the flagship, monthly magazine), National Geographic Explorer (classroom magazine), National Geographic History (launched in Spring 2015), National Geographic Kids (launched in 1975 under the name National Geographic World, with a U.S. circulation of over 1.5 million), National Geographic Little Kids (for younger children aged 3–6), National Geographic Traveler (launched in 1984), National Geographic Adventure (1998-2009, eight issues per year, had a subscription base of 625,000), and National Geographic Books (a nonfiction book publisher).

Did You Know?

• National Geographic magazine is currently published in 40 local-language editions in many countries around the world.
• Combined English and other language circulation is around 6.8 million monthly, with some 60 million readers.
• National Geographic Kids has a U.S. circulation of over 1.5 million, with 18 local-language editions.
• An Arabic edition of the children's magazine was launched in Egypt in early 2007, with more than 42,000 copies distributed to all public schools in Egypt.
• National Geographic Adventure (1998-2009) had a subscription base of 625,000.

Corporate Structure & Ownership

National Geographic Partners operates as a joint venture with a clear ownership split: the Walt Disney Company holds 73 percent of the company, while the non-profit National Geographic Society retains a 27 percent stake. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the entity manages every commercial operation tied to the Society's name, spanning magazine publishing and television channel operations. Governance is structured so that the board of managers is split evenly between representatives of the Society and those of Disney, ensuring both parties maintain a voice in strategic decisions. The company's commercial scope encompasses the well-known National Geographic magazine, its affiliated television networks, and other branded properties. This arrangement positions the non-profit scientific organization as a minority partner in the commercial exploitation of its own brand, while Disney serves as the dominant financial and operational force behind the enterprise.

Origins & the Road to Disney

The commercial partnership behind the National Geographic brand stretches back to 1997, when the original News Corporation—predecessor to 21st Century Fox—launched a National Geographic Channel in Asia and Europe in collaboration with the Society. The American version of the channel followed in 2001, and additional international channels were rolled out under the same joint-venture framework. On September 9, 2015, the Society announced a major reorganization: its media properties and publications would be consolidated into a new for-profit corporation called National Geographic Partners, with 21st Century Fox holding the 73 percent controlling interest. The deal closed in late 2015, though it came at a cost—approximately 180 employees, or nine percent of the 2,000-person workforce, were laid off, marking the largest staff reduction in the Society's history. The chapter with Fox concluded on March 20, 2019, when Disney completed its acquisition of 21st Century Fox and assumed the 73 percent stake, folding the television channels into Walt Disney Television and transferring non-TV operations into Disney's publishing division by August of that year.

Content Expansion & New Ventures

Following the 2015 reorganization, National Geographic Partners pursued a broad expansion of its content portfolio. In January 2017, the network announced a return to feature-length documentary filmmaking under the National Geographic Documentary Films banner, with four features in production. That same year, the company acquired Global Adrenaline, a tour operator founded in 2001 by Nancy Schumacher, to handle land-based itineraries for National Geographic Expeditions. In October 2017, the National Geographic Encounter: Ocean Odyssey attraction opened in New York City, a 90-minute timed walk-through experience developed by SPE Partners with creative contributions from Falcon's Creative Group, Pixomondo, Mirada Studios, and composer David Kahne; the venue also included retail and private event space managed by the Shubert Organization, though it had closed by 2021. On the publishing side, National Geographic Kids Books launched its fiction imprint Under the Stars in September 2018, debuting with Explorer Academy: The Nebula Secret, a seven-part series by Trudi Trueit, and partnered with Chinese company Ultimate Explorer to create interactive entertainment spaces in China and the United States.

Leadership Transitions & Reorganization

The leadership landscape at National Geographic Partners shifted significantly in the years following the 2015 deal. Ward Platt, previously CEO of National Geographic Channels International, was elevated to lead the new National Geographic Partners entity, while Courteney Monroe, then CEO of the U.S. channel, was given oversight of a newly unified division called National Geographic Global Networks. In February 2018, Declan Moore was succeeded as CEO by Gary E. Knell. Just five months later, in July 2018, Moore carried out a sweeping reorganization that eliminated three senior executive positions. Under the new structure, a Global Network CEO would oversee a combined long- and short-form production company dubbed National Geographic Studios, while NG Media was established as a unified newsroom bringing digital, magazine, and other short-form content under one roof. David Miller, formerly general manager of digital, became general manager of NG Media, overseeing subscriptions, membership, and the NG Creative, Maps, and Photography units. The Society's editor-in-chief was named editor director of NG Media, and CFO Marcela Martin took on an additional chief administrative officer role leading a new Operating Council that coordinated support functions across the company.

Gallery