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43-567: Sony Pictures Kids Zone is the kids and family entertainment label of Sony Pictures Home Entertainment and the former record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment . Despite the similarity in name, Sony Wonder is not directly related to the former Sony Wonder Technology Lab , an interactive technology and entertainment museum, although the museum was also owned by Sony . Sony Music Video launched its Sony Kids' Music and Sony Kids' Video labels in February 1992 after months of planning under

86-599: A Belgian digital television channel called Studio 100 TV, an animation studio in Paris and Studio 100 Media, a German division to sell their content to the international market. Later that year they acquired EM.Entertainment, a division of EM.Sports Media , for €41 million. EM.Entertainment owned a large library with classics such as Vicky the Viking and Maya the Bee , a television channel called JuniorTV (which closed in 2022) and

129-431: A deal with TWE -- which had by this point become a part of Epic Productions , which struck a separate distribution deal with RCA/Columbia not long before -- was officially announced. In March 1990, NBC filed a lawsuit against Columbia and its then-new parent company Sony under the perception that the latter two parties were violating their joint pact. Columbia purchased the foreign video rights to Orion Pictures titles

172-614: A distribution deal formed by the two companies. SPHE is responsible for the distribution of the Sony Pictures library for home entertainment, mainly releases from the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group ( Columbia Pictures , TriStar Pictures , Sony Pictures Classics , and Screen Gems ) as well as releases from Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions ( Triumph Films , Destination Films , Stage 6 Films and Affirm Films ) and Crunchyroll, LLC after

215-537: A first-look distribution agreement with German-based management firm TV-Loonland AG to handle the distribution of their shows in German-speaking and Eastern European territories and eventually signed a UK home video deal with Maverick. On October 3, as an extension to the previous agreement, TV-Loonland purchased the television division of Sony Wonder, including its programming and ownership in Sunbow. As part of

258-510: A former Columbia subsidiary), but continued to go through RCA/Columbia Pictures (as well as SVS-Triumph and then Columbia TriStar Home Video) for distribution until 1994, when Turner Broadcasting acquired New Line and Turner Home Entertainment assumed distribution functions. Other companies distributed by RCA/Columbia included Weintraub Entertainment and 21st Century Distribution . In 1987, once pre-existing distribution deals had expired, Tri-Star Pictures announced that it would be launching

301-522: A home video distribution deal with SPHE through Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions . On August 31, 2010, SPHE partnered with RLJ Entertainment in a multi-year agreement, marketing and distributing DVDs and Blu-rays by RLJ. RLJ retained their own sales and marketing. In September 2011, the Australian division of SPHE announced they would merge their video operations with the local operations of Universal Pictures International Entertainment to form

344-413: A home video unit, Tri-Star Video , with Saul Melnick, a former MGM/UA Home Video employee, as its president. In 1988, after Coke sold its entertainment business, Tri-Star Video was merged into RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video. In late 1989, it was rumored that Trans World Entertainment would eventually sign a deal with RCA/Columbia to distribute its titles. This rumor bore fruit by that December when

387-402: A joint venture with RCA , RCA/Columbia Pictures International Video , to distribute tapes in overseas markets. The partnership expanded to North America as RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video the following year; this was in part to give RCA's CED videodisc format a steady stream of titles. The venture distributed NBC titles, as it was a subsidiary of RCA at the time. When Tri-Star Pictures

430-983: A joint-venture called Universal Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. On April 23, 2012, Mill Creek announced that they had signed a home video distribution deal with SPHE, acquiring the rights to distribute 250 films from the Sony Pictures catalog on DVD and Blu-ray. On August 27, 2013, Mill Creek Entertainment signed a deal with SPHE to distribute 665 SPE films and 54 television series on DVD. Anime News Network reported in February 2013 that Sony Pictures Home Entertainment's Australian joint venture with Universal Pictures Home Entertainment licensed anime television series from NBCUniversal Entertainment Japan for distribution in Australia, with its initial titles, A Certain Magical Index , Shakugan no Shana and Armitage III , scheduled for release on April 24, 2013. From 2017 to 2018, Funimation began directly distributing

473-749: A long-term agreement with Epic Records to distribute home video and audio titles through Sony Music. On July 3, Sony Kids' Music and Video were merged as Sony Wonder ; Sony Wonder's president Ted Green sought new strategic alliances like their one with Nickelodeon. On April 24, 1995, Children's Television Workshop entered a long-term agreement to distribute Sesame Street videos, music, and books through Sony Wonder, while Columbia Pictures began development on two Muppet films which would be released on video by Columbia TriStar Home Video . Sony Wonder also took over distribution of Random House Home Video titles in April. On July 29, Nickelodeon and Sony Wonder launched

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516-504: A long-term worldwide joint venture with Together Again Video Productions to create and distribute new and previous Kidsongs titles, starting with 20 new episodes of The Kidsongs Television Show . On December 27, Sony Wonder and Golden Books Family Entertainment agreed to release titles from Golden Books' catalog starting in spring 1998; the contract continued with Classic Media after they acquired Golden Books. The company

559-598: A longstanding relationship in August 1983. They also distributed titles from various other film companies related to Columbia, including most of New Line Cinema 's theatrical releases (though not all, as Media Home Entertainment and Family Home Entertainment distributed several New Line films during the Columbia deal). New Line formed their own video label in 1990 (the result of acquiring Nelson Entertainment , which had previously been Embassy Home Entertainment , itself

602-666: A majority share in the Germany-based Made 4 Entertainment (m4e), a company with a wide catalogue with series like Tip the Mouse , Mia and Me and most of the former TV-Loonland AG library. Their share was increased over time until they reached full ownership in 2020, after spinning off some m4e subsidiaries. Their fourth animation studio, called Studio Isar Animation, was founded in 2018 by Studio 100 Media in Munich. In 2020, their animation studio Flying Bark Productions opened

645-503: A month earlier. NBC alleged that they were unaware of this transaction and had become convinced that Columbia was forming their own video unit in strict defiance of the joint venture, which was set to expire in 1992. Sony/Columbia denied NBC's claims. As the lawsuit continued into 1991, General Electric , the parent of NBC and RCA, announced that it was divesting its interest in RCA/Columbia. The deal closed in August of that year and

688-529: A multi-year deal to allow CTHV to distribute Universal's products on DVD outside North America. For a short time, titles from Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment also distributed by Universal on VHS between 2002 and 2003. It was named Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment from April 2001 until a name change to Sony Pictures Home Entertainment in November 2004. SPHE had a three-year deal with Starz 's Anchor Bay Entertainment for worldwide DVD releases, with

731-851: A second studio in Los Angeles. The theme-park division, Plopsa , also grew significantly. After taking full control of Plopsaland in 2005, they opened a couple of new theme parks in Hasselt (2005) , Dalen (2010) and co-opened a theme park in Torzym (2018) . The division also owned theme parks in Stavelot (2005) , Haßloch (2010) , Antwerp (2019) and created water parks in De Panne (2015) and Hannuit-Landen (2020) . With expansions planned in four countries: Belgium, Poland, Czech Republic and The Netherlands. On 7 February 2020,

774-534: A select number of its anime titles in Australia and New Zealand through Sony Pictures Home Entertainment's Australian joint venture with Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. In September 2018, Funimation transferred distribution to Madman Entertainment , with Madman handling distribution and classification within the region. On December 18, 2013, SPHE president David Bishop, who had served since 2006, announced he would leave when his contract expired in March 2014. It

817-533: The Nick Jr. Video label with three titles based on Eureeka's Castle , Gullah Gullah Island , and Allegra's Window ; an audio line launched on March 26, 1996. In 1996, two years after Viacom 's acquisition of Paramount Communications, Sony Wonder's deal with Nickelodeon expired, leaving Nickelodeon and Nick Jr. videos and DVDs to be distributed by Paramount Home Entertainment (and CIC Video internationally until 1999). On August 2, 1997, Sony Wonder entered

860-488: The 1990s. It also has an Australian deal with Hoyts . Sony Pictures Home Entertainment was established in June 1978 as Columbia Pictures Home Entertainment , and released 20 titles in November 1979. Its first 20 titles were licensed and distributed by Time-Life Video , a unit of Time-Life Films, but the relationship didn't last long, and Columbia formed its own distribution arm. In March 1981, Columbia Pictures established

903-698: The Australian Flying Bark Productions . Over the next years, the company revamped the old classics they acquired and established a new cooking channel, called Njam!, in Belgium in 2010 and BeJunior in the Middle East and North Africa in 2016. The year 2017 was the next big step for the growth of the company when they acquired the US-based animation studio Little Airplane Productions , and their subsidiary Studio 100 Media took

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946-537: The KaBoom Entertainment label. Sesame Workshop's properties were moved to Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment in 2010 following the closure of Genius Products. As of 2018, Sesame Workshop's properties are distributed by Shout! Factory through the Shout! Factory Kids label. In 2012, DreamWorks Animation acquired Classic Media for $ 155 million; the company became a unit of DreamWorks Animation and

989-571: The SPHE logo as the on-screen logo, and Disney, Lionsgate and Criterion releases still use their respective logos. During this time, the company also has and had some sub-labels, including: During the time that Consolidated Press Holdings , and later Publishing and Broadcasting Limited and West Australian Newspapers owned Hoyts, they re-established the Hoyts Distribution arm of the company. SPHE Australia releases Hoyts titles, including

1032-562: The banner SMV Children's Library. Artists signed to Sony Kids' Music at launch included Dan Crow , Tom Chapin , Tom Paxton , Kevin Roth , Rory , and Lois Young, who would all release product in the spring. After Sony Music Video dissolved in October, Sony Kids' Music and Video were coordinated and marketed through Epic Records beginning in January 1993. On May 22, 1993, Nickelodeon signed

1075-517: The company expanded into new fields in 1999. Studio 100 produced their first movie ever that year. This was a film called The Gnome Treasure . Besides, the company began to create the musical Assepoester, a Dutch spoken version of Cinderella . They created their first theme park too. For the latter three they required co-funding from the Vlaamse Media Maatschappij . In 2000, they began to expand their offering when they acquired

1118-472: The deal, Sony kept the North American home video and international audio rights to its library. On May 14, 2008, Hasbro acquired the Sunbow programs based on its properties, which are now part of Hasbro Entertainment . In 2009, TV-Loonland filed for bankruptcy. In 2011, Loonland sold its catalogue to m4e AG. In February 2017, Studio 100 acquired a majority stake in m4e AG. Studio 100 currently holds

1161-524: The exceptions of North America, Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom. In 2005, when Sony and four partners acquired Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) from Kirk Kerkorian , SPHE held the domestic home entertainment rights to MGM's 4,000 film and 10,400 television episode library, though the releases used the MGM DVD label. However, thanks to a cooling DVD market, sales did not meet projections; this

1204-534: The girl group K3 from BMG . In 2005, Danny Verbiest announced his retirement from Samson & Gert , but also as a shareholder of the company. The shares were bought by Verhulst and Bourlon, but in a year later, the shares were sold to BNP Paribas Fortis Private Equity. With the new ownership the company ventured into the international, non-Dutch speaking, market by copying their original shows in other languages and creating new shows like Bumba . Their international expansion took flight in 2008 when they founded

1247-730: The globe except for Canada on physical and digital home entertainment platforms. In January 2017, SPHE expanded its distribution deal with Genius Brands to include all properties and acquired an equity stake in the company. On February 6, 2018, Man Jit Singh stepped down as president of SPHE and was replaced by Keith LeGoy. In February 2021, Sony announced it would distribute releases by Lionsgate Home Entertainment in North America beginning in July 2021, when Lionsgate's distribution deal with 20th Century Home Entertainment (owned by The Walt Disney Company ) expires. In February 2024, it

1290-669: The latter company's deal with Universal Pictures Home Entertainment as Funimation expired. SPHE also releases and distributes products from Lionsgate Home Entertainment (since 2021), The Walt Disney Company (since 2024), The Criterion Collection (since 2013) and Content Partners LLC (which includes titles from FilmDistrict (now absorbed into Focus Features ), Morgan Creek Entertainment , Franchise Pictures and Revolution Studios ). Since June 20, 2007, SPHE has handled distribution of children's content formerly handled by Sony BMG 's Sony Wonder label. In Canada, Columbia TriStar Home Video helped distribute tapes from Astral Video in

1333-485: The litigation officially ended with Sony renaming the company as Columbia TriStar Home Video . In 1998, it signed a deal with The Jim Henson Company to launch its own video label, Jim Henson Home Entertainment , with CTHV distributing; at the time, Columbia and Henson were also allied theatrically for the Jim Henson Pictures venture. On February 28, 1999, CTHV and Universal Studios Home Video signed

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1376-442: The physical distribution of titles from Sony Pictures as well as Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment ( Walt Disney Pictures , Marvel Studios , Lucasfilm Ltd. , 20th Century Studios , etc.), Lionsgate Home Entertainment ( Lionsgate Films , Summit Entertainment , eOne Films , Roadside Attractions , etc.) and The Criterion Collection through their existing distribution deals with SPHE. SDS-distributed releases will still use

1419-532: The recent box-office hit, Twilight . They also released the handful of films from the Nine Network 's film arm, Nine Films and Television . SPHE also handles the Australian DVD distribution of Lionsgate titles (via Hoyts), after that company was unsuccessful in purchasing Magna Pacific , and the subsequent collapse of the successful bidder, Destra Entertainment. Studio 100 Studio 100

1462-416: The same year. Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Inc. (abbreviated as SPHE ) is the home entertainment distribution division of Sony Pictures Entertainment , a subsidiary of Sony . Their releases are currently distributed by Studio Distribution Services , a joint venture between Universal Pictures Home Entertainment and Warner Bros. Home Entertainment , via

1505-809: The television rights to most of the Loonland catalogue, including the Sunbow and Sony Wonder titles. On March 13, 2007, Sony BMG announced that it was shutting Sony Wonder to focus on its core music business. However, on June 20, 2007, it was announced that Sony Wonder became a division of Sony Pictures Home Entertainment as its kids'- and family-entertainment label. Classic Media's, Sesame Workshop's and Random House's video deals were sold to Genius Products for an undisclosed amount, and later to Vivendi Entertainment . The home media releases to Caillou were moved to Vivendi Entertainment Canada. Since 2012, Caillou DVDs are distributed by Entertainment One and after their purchase of Phase 4 Films in 2014, are released through

1548-471: Was also the Canadian home video distributor for series produced by Cinar , such as Wimzie's House , Madeline , A Bunch of Munsch , The Busy World of Richard Scarry and Caillou . On May 4, 1998, Sony Wonder bought Sunbow Entertainment , which had produced various shows based on Hasbro 's toy lines but whose original programming had mostly under-performed. On March 1, 2000, Sony Wonder signed

1591-532: Was announced that Man Jit Singh would replace Bishop. On July 22, 2015, SPHE and Transmission Films reached a multi-year distribution pact to release Transmission's library in Australia (through Universal Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Australia Pty Limited) and in New Zealand. On November 20, 2015, SPHE announced that it would release Ultra HD Blu-ray releases. On March 15, 2016, SPHE partnered with eOne to distribute films by Momentum Pictures across

1634-504: Was formed in 1984, R/CPHV became one of the three primary distributors of Tri-Star product for home video (the other two being CBS/Fox Video and Thorn-EMI/HBO Video {later renamed to HBO/Cannon Video and then simply HBO Video}, as CBS and HBO originally held stakes in Tri-Star), and fully assumed distribution of TriStar titles in the early 1990s. In Australia, they signed a deal to distribute releases from Hoyts Distribution and formed

1677-425: Was founded in 1996 by Gert Verhulst , Danny Verbiest and Hans Bourlon. The three came together for seven years when they created the show Samson & Gert , in which Verhulst and Verbiest also starred. Samson & Gert started as a duo which announced television shows. Besides the production of their original show they started creating a new series called Kabouter Plop. Following the success of these two shows,

1720-544: Was in negotiations with MGM for a co-financing deal that would've included full distribution rights to the MGM Home Entertainment library; this deal, however, ultimately did not include home media rights to MGM's catalog (which instead remained with Fox), though Sony would distribute some of the films they co-financed on video as part of the deal. On February 21, 2010, The Weinstein Company (TWC) struck

1763-498: Was one of several factors that led to MGM splitting off from Sony Pictures control. On May 31, 2006, MGM ended its distribution deal with SPHE and transferred most of its output to 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment . The MGM fiasco directly led to long time SPHE president Ben Feingold's departure in the fall of 2006, and was replaced by, ironically, MGM Home Entertainment executive Dave Bishop, who brought along numerous MGM employees to replace Sony staffers. In February 2011, Sony

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1806-492: Was renamed to DreamWorks Classics. Universal Pictures Home Entertainment is the current distributor for Classic Media's properties after NBCUniversal acquired DreamWorks Animation in 2016. In 2015, the Sony Wonder label was rebranded as Sony Pictures Family Fun , and later folded into Sony Pictures Kids Zone in 2020. The Sony Wonder label was still used for the direct-to-video The Swan Princess film series up until

1849-490: Was reported that SPHE had reached an agreement to distribute physical releases by Disney in North America, succeeding Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment , who has begun to discontinue physical distribution entirely. On June 24, 2024, it was reported that SPHE had entered into a distribution deal with Studio Distribution Services , a joint venture between Universal Pictures Home Entertainment and Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment . The deal will allow SDS to handle

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