Nate Bargatze Criticizes Disney’s Shift, Says It’s Now Run by ‘A Businessman Who Doesn’t Care About the Audience’

May 7, 2025: Comedian Nate Bargatze is dreaming big—really big. In a new cover story for Esquire magazine, the Tennessee-born comic opened up about his vision to become a modern-day Walt Disney, not just in entertainment but in building a multimedia empire that speaks to everyday Americans.

Bargatze, known for his clean and relatable comedy, revealed that he draws inspiration not only from legendary comedians like Jerry Seinfeld, Judd Apatow, and Adam Sandler, but also from Walt Disney himself. What draws him to Disney? The way Walt, he says, cared deeply about his audience—something Bargatze feels has been lost.

“Now Disney is run by a guy that’s just a businessman,” Bargatze said, without naming names. “Well, that guy doesn’t care about the audience. None of this happens without them.”

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That connection to the audience is something Bargatze is determined to hold onto as he transitions from stand-up to building a full-fledged entertainment brand. With only “one or two” more comedy specials planned, he’s already laying the groundwork for a Disney-style empire—complete with movies, TV shows, books, podcasts, merchandise, and even a theme park in Nashville.

The park, tentatively titled “Nateland,” would be built on the site of the former Opryland theme park. “I’ll be honest with you, I bet we’re closer than people think,” he told Esquire. “But it’s still a little bit of a ways off.”

Bargatze is also preparing to host the Emmy Awards later this year, continuing his rise as one of the most beloved figures in American comedy. But don’t expect him to start making prestige television. He openly admitted that he never watched Succession, despite acknowledging its acclaim.

“I know it’s the greatest show ever to exist. I’m not a moron,” Bargatze said. “But no one watched it in the grand scheme of things. Everybody has lives, everybody has kids, everybody has stuff to go do. They don’t want to sit and worship your art.”

He argues there’s too much heavy content in TV today and not enough feel-good shows. “There’s got to be a balance of appreciating Succession and appreciating King of Queens. Those worlds have to exist together. Now you have too many Successions. There’s nothing that’s a palate cleanser.”

With his grounded perspective and big ambitions, Bargatze seems set on changing that—one laugh, one show, and maybe one rollercoaster at a time.