Fans first started celebrating 'Star Wars' Day in 1979. Credit: Starwars.com.
What's better than marketing your own megafranchise? Having your competitors market it for you, Fool contributor Tim Beyers says in the following video.
Walt Disney (DIS 0.16%) will get precisely that when Warner Bros. and Sony Pictures Television air "Star Wars Day" on May 4th -- as in "May the 4th be with you" -- tie-in episodes of The Big Bang Theory and The Goldbergs.
Money isn't the issue here so much as branding, Tim says. CBS airs Warner's The Big Bang Theory, an Emmy winner that regularly draws more than 17 million live viewers and 23 million overall. Comedian Bob Newhart will appear in costume in the May 1 episode to celebrate "Star Wars Day."
Sony's The Goldbergs, which is produced in concert with Happy Madison and Adam F. Goldberg Productions, isn't as much of a coup since it airs on Disney's ABC television network and boasts a smaller audience.
And yet it's worth remembering that Disney runs a massive consumer products group that annually sells more than $3.5 billion in licensed gear. Every televised reminder of how cool Star Wars can be will only help merchandise sales, Tim argues.
Now it's your turn to weigh in. How big do you believe Disney's Star Wars empire can become? Please watch the video to get the full story and then leave a comment to let us know what you think, including whether you would buy, sell, or short Disney stock at current prices.
