Claim: Universal is a major film studio.

Universal Pictures -LRB- also referred to as Universal Studios or simply Universal -RRB- is an American film studio owned by Comcast through the Universal Filmed Entertainment Group division of its wholly owned subsidiary NBCUniversal . The company was founded in 1912 by Carl Laemmle , Mark Dintenfass , Charles O. Baumann , Adam Kessel , Pat Powers , William Swanson , David Horsley , Robert H. Cochrane , and Jules Brulatour , and is the oldest surviving film studio in the United States , the world 's fourth oldest after Gaumont , Pathé and Nordisk Film , and the oldest in terms of the overall film market . Its studios are located in Universal City , California , and its corporate offices are located in New York City . Universal Pictures is a member of the Motion Picture Association of America -LRB- MPAA -RRB- and is one of Hollywood 's `` Big Six '' studios .