Comedian Nate Bargatze says Disney has abandoned its audience as he talks about building rival media empire

Fox News

07-05-2025

Comedian Nate Bargatze accused Disney of abandoning its audience as he talked about why he's building a family-friendly media empire to rival the entertainment company, in a new interview with Esquire Magazine out Monday.
The popular stand-up comic, known for his clean comedy routines, is at the top of his game, having sold more than one million tickets to his shows. That's more than Jerry Seinfeld, Dave Chappelle and Sebastian Maniscalco combined, according to Esquire.
But Bargatze has his sights set beyond stand-up. He told Esquire about launching his own family-friendly production company in 2023, and plans to quit touring in a few years to focus on building his own media empire.
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Bargatze said he was inspired by other comedians like Seinfeld, Judd Apatow and Adam Sandler, as well as Walt Disney.
He praised Disney's founder for cherishing his brand and audience but believes the company's current leadership does not care about its audience or about upholding its original values that made it successful.
"Now Disney is run by a guy that's just a businessman," Bargatze said, referring to Disney CEO Bob Iger.
"Well, that guy doesn't care about the audience."
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Bargatze said the audience is crucial. He views himself as their servant, Esquire reported.
"None of this happens without them," he said.
Disney has faced backlash in recent years from critics who say the brand has embraced a "woke" political agenda.
This year, Disney has taken steps to scale back its DEI initiatives, according to SEC filings.
Last year, America First Legal (AFL) accused the company of doing damage to its brand and reputation with these policies, resulting in it losing over $100 billion in market cap since 2021.
Bargatze hopes to build a media company that rivals Disney and caters to families. He wants to make movies and television shows, sell merchandise, publish products, produce podcasts, mentor young comedians and even build a theme park in Nashville called Nateland.
"I'll be honest with you, I bet we're closer than people think," he said about the park. "But it's still a little bit of a ways off."
According to Esquire, Bargatze plans to build the park at the site of the former Opryland theme park, where he had his first job.
Bargatze will also be hosting the 77th Emmy Awards in September, CBS announced in April.
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Disney did not return Fox News Digital's request for comment.