The Walt Disney Company is the greatest entertainment company of all time.

Looks like this is going to be a great debate! Greatness Defined: What is greatness? Is greatness something that can be truly defined, or is it something that can only be defined by an individual's own views? My opponent asserts in her opening statements that I am at fault for not providing a true definition of greatness, but then doesn't provide any definition of greatness that is usable for debate. At the end of the day, what ‘defines' greatness is purely dependent on what each individual voter thinks. However, it is fair to say that great companies do great things. The following are just a few of the definitions from Thefreedictionary.com of the word ‘great.' 1.Very large in size. 2.Larger in size than others of the same kind. 3.Remarkable or outstanding in magnitude, degree, or extent. 4.Superior in quality or character; noble 5.Of outstanding significance or importance Taking these as definitions of ‘great,' it is quite simple to see that The Walt Disney Company fits the bill as "The Greatest Entertainment Company of all time." Refutation of Observations: As ‘greatness' for the sake of this debate is firmly established above, leaving my opponents assertion that "I am not required to provide an independent counter-example of greatness in order to win this debate." This begs the question, ‘If Disney is not the greatest, then what company is?' Therefore, it is the burden of the pro to prove that Disney is the greatest entertainment company of all time, while it is the burden of the con to prove that Disney is NOT the greatest entertainment company of all time through showing that there is some other company that is greater. Now onto the case so far! Contention 1: The Walt Disney Company is responsible for revolutionizing the entertainment industry. Sub-point A: My opponent points out that Vitagraph was responsible for the first animated pictures. There is no doubt that this contribution to the animation industry is both ‘great' and necessary for Walt Disney animation to even exist. However, while Vitagraph did invent animation, it never produced an animated film that people today easily recognize. Disney took the animation technology and made it great. With Steamboat Willie, Disney became the first to add sound to his cartoons. This created a superior quality product, and was of outstanding significance and importance to the animation industry. Interestingly enough, my opponents own second source seems to refute her own claims, stating that, "Walt Disney took animation to a new level." Furthermore, the source also states that "In 1937, he produced the first full length animated feature film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs." My opponents second source disagrees with what my opponent says, upholding my first contention against her arguments. Walt Disney took animation and made it great, cementing the Walt Disney Companies' place as the greatest entertainment company of all time. Sub-point B: In my opponent's attacks on this contention, she notes from source 3 that Disney was not the first true "themed" park. However, this same source also declares "In 1955, Disneyland in Anaheim, California revived the amusement industry with its themed lands and matching attractions instead of using the older formula with traditional rides in one area and a midway, concessions, and sideshow attractions in another. The idea of theme parks caught on and, by the 1980s, became a billion dollar-a-year industry in the United States and around the world." While my opponent's source does point out that Disney was not the first "Themed" park, it does credit Disney with the revival of the amusement park industry. Thus, the causal link that my opponent requested is fulfilled, showing that The Walt Disney Company is responsible for the status of the theme park industry today. Contention 2: To say that Disney has a monopoly on the entire entertainment industry is ludicrous. A monopoly is defined by thefreedictionary.com as "Exclusive control by one group of the means of producing or selling a commodity or service." While Disney's market holdings are expansive, they are not exclusive. My opponent even cites Viacom and Time Warner as competitors that Disney is, ‘at the moment', beating out. Viacom and Time Warner are both constant competitors to Disney that can and do operate on the scale of Disney. However, by my opponents own admission, Disney is currently beating out Viacom and Time Warner, making it ‘Larger in size than others of the same kind,' one of the supplied definitions of great. In the continuation of my opponents attack of sub-point 2, my opponent notes that Disney is not only involved in entertainment, but in the ‘transfer of factual information' as well. There is no denying this. However, my opponent would have you believe that Disney, along with Viacom and Time Warner, is responsible for the problem of media manipulation. This seemingly forgets the role that FOX News, CNN, MSNBC, CBS, and HLN play in the delivering of news to the masses. To say that Disney is responsible for the manipulation of information to a higher degree than these news networks is something that is impossible to believe. With this information in hand, it is easy to see that the Walt Disney Company's expansive reach is one of the key reasons that it stands as the greatest entertainment company of all time. I strongly urge a pro ballot. Thank you for reading this debate!