The business of ABC's "Once Upon a Time" & "Frozen" cross-over

The Motley Fool has a detailed column about the business implications of having Elsa appearing in the upcoming season of "Once Upon a Time." Here's the takeaway:

In conclusion, Once Upon a Time's Frozen tie-in is a shining example of Disney doing what it does best -- effortlessly crossing one business segment's property into another to maximize exposure and profitability.

 It's a simple concept that Disney's rivals can't grasp. Time Warner, for example, has allowed its small screen DC heroes -- Green Arrow and Flash -- to inhabit a different world from big screen counterparts like Batman and Superman, crippling the ability of the CW (which is co-owned by CBS) to directly tie into Warner Bros.' films.

Once Upon a Time's crossover might seem ludicrous, but it's quite standard for a show that has already featured Red Riding Hood turning into a wolf and introduced Peter Pan as a villain. Simply put, it's a fun idea that could boost ABC's ad revenue, increase sales of Frozen DVDs, Blu-Rays, and albums, and strengthen Disney's cohesive connections between its film and TV universes. 

The column also notes how "Agents of SHIELD" is basically a series of 42-minute commercial for the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies. As a Disney shareholder, I'm pleased to see that the company has a clue about how to maximize the value of its assets.