With more and more Bluey content crossing over with Disney, it seems likely Disney could acquire Ludo Studio, the Australian production company behind the popular animated series.
Disney and Bluey
As Cinemablend’s Dirk Libbey outlines, it was within a year of his first tenure as CEO of The Walt Disney Company that Bob Iger acquired Pixar, bringing it under Disney’s wing. And that was years after Disney had opened multiple attractions based on Pixar films, including Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin.
Iger went on to acquire Marvel Entertainment, Lucasfilm, and 20th Century Fox. Just like Pixar, attractions based on Lucasfilm’s Star Wars and Indiana Jones, as well as Fox’s Avatar, already existed at the parks. Just before Iger came in as Disney CEO, the company finally acquired the Muppets, years after opening MuppetVision 3D.
Newly appointed Disney CEO Josh D’Amaro could be looking for ways to make his mark in the next few months. Though he said they aren’t going to make any big mergers, buying Ludo Studio would be a small but powerful move.
Commissioned by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) and British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Bluey premiered on Australia’s ABC Kids in 2018. Disney secured international broadcasting rights in 2019, and Bluey premiered on Disney Junior in the U.S. that year. It was distributed on Disney+ and in the U.K. in 2020.
It has only grown in popularity. In 2025, Bluey was the most watched show in the U.S. on all streaming platforms. In 2024, it was the most-watched TV show in the U.S. It has earned dozens of awards, winning nearly everything it has ever been nominated for.
Disneyland Resort recently opened “Bluey’s Best Day Ever!” Along with a stage show in Fantasyland, the resort is offering a variety of Bluey-themed food and souvenirs. Bluey and Bingo appear on the cover of the current Disneyland guidemap.
Coinciding with the show’s opening, Disney Junior released a new original animated short starring Bluey characters alongside Mickey and Friends.
Bluey and Bingo have appeared on Disney Cruise Line’s Australian and New Zealand sailings for a few years. They made their domestic Disney Cruise Line debut on the Disney Dream in early 2026 and will join Disney Wish sailings later this year.
“Bluey’s Wild World” will open at Disney’s Animal Kingdom in Walt Disney World Resort for Cool Kids’ Summer on May 26. Petting zoo Affection Section will be renamed Jumping Junction and will introduce animals native to Australia. Bluey and Bingo will appear inside Conservation Station, playing games and dancing with guests.
There have reportedly been talks of crossovers between Bluey and The Simpsons, which Disney also acquired a few years ago.
A Bluey film is coming to theaters in 2027. If Disney gets a hold of the property before then, they wouldn’t have to share in the movie’s profits.
Libbey notes, “Paying licensing fees rather than having actually to manage a brand can be preferable in some cases, but Disney, even before Bob Iger, saw things differently, preferring to have control over everything.”
This sort of Disney “synergy” isn’t usually spent on licensees. Disney is very protective of even its own properties. We didn’t get the first “official” Disney and Pixar crossover until 2021. Mickey Mouse doesn’t dance with just any old cartoon.
If Bluey were merely successful, simply profitable, that would be one thing, but Bluey is arguably the most valuable brand Disney has at the current moment. The fact that the company doesn’t own it means that it can potentially lose it. That would be bad for Disney.
At the same time, simply buying Bluey isn’t enough. You need the creative minds that made Bluey successful if you want to have confidence that it will remain successful. This is why if you want Bluey, you need to buy all of Ludo Studio.
Ludo Studio Pty. Ltd. produces both live-action and animated content. Based in Fortitude Valley, Queensland, it was founded by Daley Pearson and Charlie Aspinwall in 2012. In addition to Bluey, it has produced the TV shows Thou Shalt Not Steal (2024), The Strange Chores (2019), Robbie Hood (2019), and #7DaysLater (2013).
Bluey was created by and written by Joe Brumm. Brumm directed the first season. Richard Jeffery directed seasons two and three.
It stars David McCormack as Bluey and Bingo’s dad, Bandit, and Melanie Zanetti as their mom, Chilli. All the child voice actors are kept secret for their privacy.
What do you think? Should Disney buy Ludo? Let us know on social media.
For the latest Disney Parks news and info, follow WDW News Today on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
