Home video distribution division of Universal Pictures
Universal Pictures Home Entertainment LLC
Formerly
MCA Videocassette, Inc. (1980–1983) MCA Videodisc (1981–1983) MCA Home Video (1983–1990) MCA/Universal Home Video (1990–1997) Universal Studios Home Video (1997–2005) Universal Studios Home Entertainment (2005–2016)
Universal Pictures Home Entertainment LLC[1][2] (formerly Universal Studios Home Entertainment, Universal Studios Home Video, MCA/Universal Home Video, MCA Home Video, MCA Videodisc, and MCA Videocassette, Inc.) is the home video distribution division of Universal Pictures, an American film studio, owned by NBCUniversal, which is owned by Comcast.
The company was founded in 1980 as MCA Videocassette, Inc. with Gene Giaquinto as president of the division. It released 24 films on Betamax and VHS in May 1980, including Jaws, Animal House and The Deer Hunter as well as classic films such as Dracula, Animal Crackers, and Scarface.[6]Jaws 2 and 1941 were also released that year. Before 1980 Castle Films (known as Universal 8 after 1977) had served as Universal's home film distribution unit. In late 1983, both the Laserdisc sister label MCA Videodisc and the MCA Videocassette label were consolidated into a single entity, MCA Home Video, alternating with the MCA Videocassette, Inc. name until December 1983.
In the mid-1980s, MCA Home Video began to license catalog titles to smaller, independent video firms with a focus on sell-through product. The first was in 1986 with Kartes Video Communications.[7] The deal was followed with a similar agreement with GoodTimes Home Video in 1987.[8]
Also in 1986, the company made agreements with Motown Productions[9] and with children's book publisher Price Stern Sloan.[10] Both deals were intended to expand MCA's non-theatrical product.
In 1990, with the 75th anniversary of Universal Studios, it became MCA/Universal Home Video and used that name alternating with the MCA Home Video name from 1990 until 1997. On December 9, 1996, the company was renamed as Universal Studios Home Video when MCA was reincorporated as Universal Studios, which would then later be merged into Vivendi Universal Entertainment in 2000.[2]
Universal's first titles on the DVD format, in 1997, were licensed to Image Entertainment for distribution. These early, bare-bones editions quickly fell out-of-print when Universal started making their own DVDs. [citation needed]
In 2004, due to the merger of Universal Studios and NBC to form NBCUniversal, Universal started releasing DVDs of shows from the newly established NBCUniversal Television Distribution. Before 2004, NBC shows were distributed on DVD by Lions Gate Home Entertainment and A&E Home Video under the label NBC Home Entertainment (formerly NBC Home Video under Trimark until it was bought by Lions Gate). NBC's home entertainment on-screen logo was simply the NBC Enterprises syndication logo.
In 2005 (by which point the Universal Studios Home Entertainment name was in use), the group was restructured; Universal 1440 Entertainment was formed as an internal production arm, while the London-based Universal Pictures Visual Programming (formerly PolyGram Visual Programming) unit was folded into Universal Pictures International; Universal Cartoon Studios was absorbed into the Family Productions unit.[13][14] The year after, UPHE acquired distribution rights to the Barbie film series after negotiations between Mattel and their previous domestic distributor, Lionsgate Home Entertainment, fell apart (Universal had already been distributing these films internationally).[15][16][17]
Universal was also the worldwide video distributor for DreamWorks titles using the DreamWorks Home Entertainment moniker until 2006, when DreamWorks was sold to Paramount Pictures' parent company, Viacom, and as a result, Paramount Home Entertainment took over distribution. After Viacom spun off DreamWorks in 2008, Universal Studios Home Entertainment planned to resume distributing DreamWorks' movies, but this deal fell through. Until Lionsgate formed their home video division, Universal distributed their releases with the exception of Dogma, which was distributed by Columbia-TriStar Home Video. In 2007, it was signed on as home video distributor of releases by Summit Entertainment (ironically, Summit was later bought by Lionsgate).[18]
In addition to DVDs, Universal was a major supporter of the HD DVD format until Toshiba discontinued the format. Since July 22, 2008, UPHE released Blu-rays and it was the last major Hollywood movie studio to do so. The first three Blu-ray releases to come out in the U.S. were The Mummy, its sequel The Mummy Returns and The Scorpion King. Since August 9, 2016, UPHE has released Ultra HD Blu-rays.
On January 14, 2020, Universal and Warner Bros. Home Entertainment announced that they would partner on a 10-year multinational joint-venture. In North America, their physical distribution operations were merged into a company named Studio Distribution Services, LLC.[21] Internationally, Universal will distribute Warner Bros.' titles in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Japan; while Warner will distribute Universal's titles in the United Kingdom, Italy and Benelux.[22] On April 7, 2020, the European Commission approved the merger.[23] Since June 1, 2021,[24][25][26] SDS' logo took the UPHE logo's place on the back covers of the home releases; while there have been several exceptions that had the UPHE logo in place, mainly manufactured on demand titles, including 4K[27][28] (including steelbooks)[29][30][31][32][33][34][35] and Blu-ray releases.[36][37][38][39][40] It is unknown whenever SDS uses an on-screen logo, as Universal releases by SDS use the 2012–present Universal Pictures logo.
On February 28, 1999, Universal signed a multi-year deal with Columbia-TriStar Home Video to allow the latter to distribute Universal DVDs outside North America, although a few years later, Universal started self-distributing all of its DVDs internationally.[42] For a short time, Universal also distributing titles from Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment on VHS between 2002 and 2003.
In the Netherlands, UPHE used to distribute most DVDs of films released theatrically by Independent Films, although this is now limited to catalog releases, as more recent films are now released through Warner Bros. Home Entertainment and later on, Belga Home Video.
In South Africa, UPHE distributes films on DVD and VHS through CIC Video in the 1980s and 1990s. In 1999, the company was moved to Ster-Kinekor Home Entertainment until 2007 after CIC Video was dissolved in the same year. In 2008, it was moved later to Nu Metro Home Entertainment on DVDs until 2013, when Next Entertainment took over until 2019.
UPHE also formerly distributed StudioCanal titles on home media in France (until 2024 when distribution moved to ESC Distribution), most of the Republic Pictures library in the UK and most of the Carolco Pictures library in Australia, Latin America, and several European countries (along with other StudioCanal properties) until StudioCanal's global distribution deal with Universal expired in January 2022.[43] In the 1980s until the late 1990s, they also distributed tapes released by Cineplex Odeon in Canada.
In the UK, UPHE previously distributed its films on video internationally through CIC Video (a division of Cinema International Corporation, later United International Pictures) alongside Paramount Pictures. In Japan, releases from both Universal and Paramount appeared on CIC-Victor Video, Ltd. (a joint venture between CIC Video and JVC) for VHS and on Pioneer LDC, Inc. for Laserdisc. Following Universal's then-parent Seagram's acquisition of PolyGram in 1998, UPHE pulled out of CIC in 1999 and began distributing its films through PolyGram Video (which had international operations) which was then renamed Universal Pictures UK Ltd.
In June 2002, Columbia-TriStar Home Entertainment formed a new joint-venture with Universal Pictures UK called UCA (Universal Columbia Alliance), under which Universal would distribute both new and back catalogue Columbia-Tristar titles through retail, though Columbia-Tristar Home Entertainment would continue self-distributing through rental.[44]
UPHE's international operations are a carryover from the PolyGram Video days,[45] but UPHE operates a joint venture in Australia, New Zealand and Scandinavia with Sony Pictures Home Entertainment called Universal Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. The venture distributes UPHE and SPHE titles on home media in those countries and also licensed anime series and films from the anime library of NBCUniversal Entertainment Japan, the Japanese division of UPHE's sister company, Universal Pictures International Entertainment, formerly known as Pioneer LDC from 1981 to 2003, Geneon Entertainment from 2003 to 2009 and Geneon Universal Entertainment from 2009 to very late 2013, the year they switched to their current name. The name of the joint venture is Universal Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Australia. Before that, though, NBCUniversal Entertainment Japan had a marketing and distribution division in North America called Geneon USA, which, like UPHE, also distributed home video. At the time, NBCUEJ was known as Geneon Entertainment. Geneon USA shut down in late 2007, and Universal has licensed all of NBCUniversal Entertainment Japan's catalog to other companies rather than directly distributing them themselves. Starting on March 26, 2022, NBCUEJ (through UPHE) distributes and licenses anime series and films.
From 2017 to 2018, Funimation began directly distributing a select number of its titles in Australia and New Zealand through Universal Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Australia. In September 2018, Funimation transferred distribution to Madman Entertainment, with Madman handling distribution and classification within the region.[46][47]
On October 3, 2014, Universal established global headquarters for its home video division in Los Angeles.[2]
At the start of 2015, Paramount Home Entertainment signed a distribution agreement with Universal, whereby the latter will distribute the former's titles overseas, particularly the territories where Paramount holds an office. The deal began on July 1, 2015, in the United Kingdom. Universal continued to distribute Paramount's DVDs and Blu-rays out of the United States and Canada until 2020.[48] With the distributor change for Universal's titles in the UK, Paramount Home Entertainment signed a new UK home entertainment distribution deal with StudioCanal UK and Lionsgate UK's Elevation Sales on July 14, 2020, that began in January 2021.[49]
Along with the announcement of the Universal/Warner Bros. NA physical home media joint-venture, Universal announced that they would begin distributing Warner Bros. titles in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Japan in the third quarter of 2020 through home video, while Warner Bros. announced that they would begin distributing Universal titles in the United Kingdom, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg in the first quarter of 2021 through home video.[22] In 2020, SF Studios had signed a distribution deal with Universal to handle titles across the Nordic region.[50]
In early 2024, Plaion Pictures (who currently distributes Paramount releases in Italy and Sony Pictures releases in Germany) had signed a distribution deal with Universal to handle titles in Italy, which caused Universal's deal with Warner Bros. to expire there.
Universal 1440 Entertainment is the direct-to-video entertainment label of Universal Pictures Home Entertainment created in 2005. The entity is a successor to MCA Family Entertainment.
It is unknown whenever the label uses an on-screen logo as it uses the standard Universal Pictures logo in use since 2012.
It was originally known as Universal Studios Family Productions, and Universal Cartoon Studios was a subsidiary of the company.[14]
Universal Playback is a division of Universal Pictures Home Entertainment and specializing in DVD and Blu-ray releases of TV shows, either it be produced or distributed by Universal Pictures. It offers a variety of titles across different TV genres, including TV shows, documentaries, and special interest content.
Notes
↑ Via Universal Pictures Home Entertainment (2018-2022) and Warner Bros. Home Entertainment (since 2020) pre-SDS merger.
Major film studios are production and distribution companies that release a substantial number of films annually and consistently command a significant share of box office revenue in a given market. In the American and international markets, the major film studios, often known simply as the majors or the Big Five studios, are commonly regarded as the five diversified media conglomerates whose various film production and distribution subsidiaries collectively command approximately 80 to 85% of U.S. box office revenue. The term may also be applied more specifically to the primary motion picture business subsidiary of each respective conglomerate.
The Criterion Collection, Inc. is an American home-video distribution company that focuses on licensing, restoring and distributing "important classic and contemporary films". A de facto subsidiary of arthouse film distributor Janus Films, Criterion serves film and media scholars, cinephiles and public and academic libraries. Criterion has helped to standardize certain aspects of home-video releases such as film restoration, the letterboxing format for widescreen films and the inclusion of bonus features such as scholarly essays and documentary content about the films and filmmakers. Criterion most notably pioneered the use of commentary tracks. Criterion has produced and distributed more than one thousand special editions of its films in VHS, Betamax, LaserDisc, DVD, Blu-ray and Ultra HD Blu-ray formats and box sets. These films and their special features are also available via The Criterion Channel, an online streaming service that the company operates.
Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment, Inc. is the American home video distribution division of Warner Bros. Discovery.
20th Century Home Entertainment is a home video distribution arm that distributes films produced by 20th Century Studios, Searchlight Pictures, Blue Sky Studios, and 20th Century Animation and several third-party studios, as well as television series by 20th Television, Searchlight Television, 20th Television Animation, and FX Productions in home entertainment formats.
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Buena Vista Home Entertainment, Inc. is the home entertainment distribution arm of the Walt Disney Company. The division handles the distribution of Disney's films, television series, and other audiovisual content across digital formats and platforms.
CBS Home Entertainment is an American home video company that distributes films and television shows produced by the CBS Entertainment Group and is a division label of Paramount Home Entertainment that releases content from the CBS library on home media.
Paramount Home Entertainment is the home video distribution arm of Paramount Pictures.
The revived Anchor Bay Entertainment is an American independent film production and distribution company owned by Umbrelic Entertainment co-founders Thomas Zambeck and Brian Katz. Anchor Bay Entertainment markets and releases "new release genre films, undiscovered treasures, cult classics, and remastered catalog releases".
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UltraViolet was a cloud-based digital rights locker for films and television programs that allowed consumers to store proofs-of-purchase of licensed content in an account to enable playback on different devices using multiple applications from several different streaming services. UltraViolet also allowed users to share access to their library with up to five additional people. UltraViolet was deployed by the Digital Entertainment Content Ecosystem (DECE), an alliance of 85 companies that included film studios, retailers, consumer electronics manufacturers, cable television companies, internet service providers (ISPs), internet hosting vendors, and other systems and security vendors, with the notable exceptions of Walt Disney Studios, Google, Amazon and Apple.
The Warner Archive Collection is a home video division for releasing classic and cult films from Warner Bros.' library. It started as a manufactured-on-demand (MOD) DVD series by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment on March 23, 2009, with the intention of putting previously unreleased catalog films on DVD for the first time. In November 2012, Warner expanded the Archive Collection to include Blu-ray releases, Some Warner Archive releases, such as Wise Guys, previously had a pressed DVD release but have lapsed out of print and have since been re-released as part of the Warner Archive collection.
DreamWorks Pictures is an American film studio and distribution label of Amblin Partners. It was originally founded on October 12, 1994, as a live-action film studio by Steven Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg, and David Geffen, of which they owned 72%. The studio formerly distributed its own and third-party films. It has produced or distributed more than ten films with box-office grosses of more than $100 million each.
PlayStation Video was an online film and television program distribution service that first was offered by Sony Entertainment Network in February 2010.
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Lionsgate Studios Corp., simply known as Lionsgate Studios, is a Canadian-American film and television production and distribution conglomerate owned by Starz Entertainment, domiciled in Vancouver, British Columbia, and primarily based in Santa Monica, California. It was formed on May 14, 2024, after Lionsgate spun off its film and television businesses.
1 2 Gallo, Scott Hettrick,Eliza; Hettrick, Scott; Gallo, Eliza (March 7, 2005). "U homevid units in family way". Variety. Retrieved October 12, 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
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