Entertainment Rights
Formerly | |
---|---|
Industry | Television production Global media company |
Genre | Entertainment Children's programming |
Founded | 11 July 1989 |
Founder | Martin Powell Vivien Schrager-Powell |
Defunct | 8 May 2009 30 December 2010 (Company dissolved)[1] |
Fate | Administration Acquired by Boomerang Media and folded into Classic Media |
Successor | DreamWorks Classics (DreamWorks Animation) |
Headquarters | |
Area served | Worldwide |
Products | |
Services | |
Number of employees | 188+ |
Divisions |
|
Subsidiaries |
Entertainment Rights PLC (formerly known as Sleepy Kids PLC and SKD Media PLC) was a British multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate that specialised in television shows and cartoons, children's media, films, and distribution. In May 2009, the company was acquired by Boomerang Media and merged into its own subsidiary Classic Media.[2]
History
Early history
In 1989, "Sleepy Kids" was founded by Martin and Vivien Schrager-Powell. It was created in order to produce Midnight Patrol: Adventures in the Dream Zone (Potsworth and Co. in the United Kingdom), a children's animated series. Schrager-Powell's business partner was Hanna-Barbera. Within months of its founding, Sleepy Kids became a public company. It produced Dr. Zitbag's Transylvania Pet Shop[3] and Budgie the Little Helicopter.[citation needed]
In December 1998, the company merged with The Richard Digance Card Company, Clipper Films and Ridgeway Films, and after these mergers, the company was renamed SKD Media PLC.
In 1999, the company acquired Siriol Productions. In July, SKD purchased the Southampton-based Boom! Boom!, the property owners of the Basil Brush character.[4]
Rebranding and expansion as Entertainment Rights
In October, SKD Media announced that they would acquire fellow independent business Carrington Productions International.[5] In November, SKD announced to change their name to Entertainment Rights.[6][7]
Under their new name, Entertainment Rights continued on with their expansion. Their first acquisition after the name change came in April, with the worldwide pre-sale rights to the then-upcoming GMTV series Cubeez.[8] In August, the company signed a co-production deal with Disney-owned Buena Vista Home Entertainment for their Magical Mystical Merlin series, later renamed as Merlin the Magical Puppy, where BVHE would distribute the series on home media worldwide except in the US and Japan.[9][10]
In February 2001, the company acquired all international TV and home video rights to Barbie in the Nutcracker from the toy company Mattel, which was set for a Winter 2001 release.[11] In March, the company purchased United Kingdom-based children's distributor Link Entertainment, which also included its licensing subsidiary Link Licensing.[12] Another purchase came in November, when stop-motion animation company Woodland Animations, well known for producing Postman Pat was acquired.[13]
After the success of Barbie in the Nutcracker, Mattel and Entertainment Rights agreed for a worldwide deal to distribute the second movie - Barbie as Rapunzel, in April 2002, excluding the US.[14]
In 2004, Entertainment Rights acquired Tell-Tale Productions[15] and rights to most of the in-house Filmation library from Hallmark Entertainment.[16]
At the end of 2004, Entertainment Rights employed 95 people.[citation needed] In the 2005 financial year, Entertainment Rights' revenue was £12.4 million. The company bid for Chorion but the offer was rejected.[17][failed verification][18]
In 2005, Siriol Productions came under new management. The company was renamed "Calon". Most of the rights to completed productions were kept by Entertainment Rights.[19] In October 2005, the company expanded their Barbie licensed deal with Mattel to include three more movies.[20] It was further extended again in September 2006.[21]
Purchase of Classic Media and Losses (2007-2009)
On 14 December 2006, Entertainment Rights announced that they would purchase the US-based licensing company Classic Media for US$210 million (£106.9 million).[22] The deal would bring Classic Media's own IPs, including the Bullwinkle Studios joint-venture with Jay Ward Productions (Rocky & Bullwinkle, George of the Jungle), the Harvey Comics library (Casper the Friendly Ghost), Lassie, the pre-1974 Rankin/Bass Productions library (including Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and Frosty the Snowman) and Big Idea Productions' (VeggieTales) to the Entertainment Rights portfolio. The deal also included a stake in the joint-venture children's block/network Qubo. The deal was closed on 11 January 2007 and Classic Media became a wholly-owned subsidiary.
Before the deal was completed, both companies announced North American home video distribution and production agreements with Genius Products.[23]
On 22 January 2007, the company purchased the Where's Wally? franchise.[24]
In December 2008, the company appointed Deborah Dugan, former president of Disney Publishing Worldwide, as its CEO in North America.[25] There had been financial instability within the company.[26]
By January 2009, the company had dismissed one third of its employees. The company's market value decreased from £267 million in March 2007 to £5.5 million.[27] By February 2009, six companies had requested to purchase Entertainment Rights.[28] Also in February 2009, Entertainment Rights was fined £245,000 by the Financial Services Authority for failing to inform shareholders of "a potential $14 million earnings hit in a timely manner".[29]
Administration, new ownership and later history (2009)
On 1 April 2009, Entertainment Rights went into voluntary administration.[30] On the same day, Boomerang Media announced it had acquired all of Entertainment Rights' subsidiaries including Entertainment Rights itself, Big Idea and Classic Media.[31]
On 11 May 2009, Boomerang Media announced that the former British and US subsidiaries of Entertainment Rights would operate as a unified business under the name "Classic Media", while Big Idea would operate under its own name.[32] Boomerang Media was created by former owners of Classic Media until it was sold to Entertainment Rights in 2006.[citation needed]
The Entertainment Rights PLC company was dissolved on 30 December 2010.[33]
In 2012, Classic Media was acquired by DreamWorks Animation.[34] DreamWorks Animation was then acquired by NBCUniversal in 2016, thus Universal Pictures gaining the rights to most of Entertainment Rights' catalogue of works.
Programme Library
This section needs additional citations for verification. (November 2017) |
Original programmes
- Potsworth & Co. (1989-1990, as Sleepy Kids, co-produced with Hanna-Barbera and BBC)
- Dr. Zitbag's Transylvania Pet Shop (As Sleepy Kids, co-produced with Fairwater Films, PMMP Productions and Watch It!)
- Budgie the Little Helicopter (As Sleepy Kids, co-produced with HTV and Fred Wolf Films)
- Meeow! (As SKD Media PLC, co-produced with STV, Comataidh Craolaidh Gaidhlig and Siriol Productions)
- Cubeez (2000-2001, co-produced with Cubeez Ltd. and Optical Image Broadcast for GMTV)
- Merlin the Magical Puppy (2002, produced by The Little Entertainment Company)
- The Basil Brush Show (2002–2007; produced by The Foundation)
- Postman Pat (Revival series and Special Delivery Service, 2003–2008, produced by Cosgrove Hall Films)
- Postman Pat and the Greendale Rocket
- Postman Pat's Magic Christmas
- Postman Pat Clowns Around
- Postman Pat and the Pirate Treasure
- Postman Pat's Great Big Party
- Little Red Tractor (2004-2005, Series 1-2 only, produced by The Little Entertainment Company)
- Fun Song Factory (Revival series, 2004, produced by Tell-Tale Productions)
- Boo! (2005-2006, Series 2 only, produced by Tell-Tale Productions, co-funded and distributed by Universal Pictures)
- BB3B (2005, produced by Tell-Tale Productions)
- Rupert Bear, Follow the Magic... (2006-2008, produced by Cosgrove Hall Films)
Archive programmes
Banksia Productions
- The Curiosity Show
- Hot Science
- Kids Down Under
- The Music Shop
Carrington Productions International
- Discworld (co-produced with Channel 4, Cosgrove Hall Films, Egmont Imagination and ITEL)
- Lavender Castle (1999-2000, co-produced with Cosgrove Hall Films)
Filmation
- For a full list of shows, films, shorts and specials, see List of works produced by Filmation.
Hibbert Ralph Entertainment
- The First Snow of Winter (co-produced with Link Entertainment and BBC)
- The Forgotten Toys (both the TV series and the special; co-produced with United Productions, Meridian Broadcasting and Link Entertainment)
- The Second Star to the Left: A Christmas Tale (co-produced with BBC)
Link Entertainment
- Animal Antics
- Barney (co-produced with Barney Entertainments Ltd)
- Bill the Minder (produced by Bevanfield Films)
- Bug Alert
- Chatterhappy Ponies
- Christopher Crocodile (co-produced with Mixpix and BBC)
- Deep Sea Dick
- Fairy Tales (produced by Bevanfield Films)
- Ethelbert the Tiger (co-produced with Millimages)
- Eye of the Storm (produced by Childsplay Productions and Meridian Broadcasting)
- Grabbit the Rabbit
- Hamilton Mattress
- Jack and Marcel
- Rudyard Kipling's Just So Stories (produced by Bevanfield Films)
- Monster TV (co-produced with BBC)
- The Morph Files (co-produced with Aardman Animations)
- Orm and Cheep
- Pirates (produced by Childsplay Productions and BBC)
- Preston Pig (co-produced with Varga London)
- Siyabonga
- Tales of a Wise King
- The Slow Norris (co-produced with HTV)
- The Spooks of Bottle Bay (co-produced with Fugitive/Playboard Puppets and Carlton Television)
- The Treacle People (co-produced with Fire Mountain Productions)
- Teddybears (co-produced with United Productions)
- There's A Viking in My Bed (co-produced with BBC)
- Tiny (co-produced with Martin Gates Productions)
- Jane Speakman's Tiny Tales
Martin Gates Productions
- Molly's Gang
Maddocks Animation
Siriol Productions Ltd
Queensgate Productions
- Stoppit and Tidyup (co-produced with CMTB Animation)
- The Trap Door (co-produced with CMTB Animation)
Carrington Productions International
- The Snow Queen
- The Snow Queen's Revenge
- Friendly Monsters
- Jack and the Beanstalk
- The Ugly Duckling
Trumptonshire
- Camberwick Green (co-produced with BBC)
- Chigley (co-produced with BBC)
- Trumpton (co-produced with BBC)
Tube Studios
- Inuk (co-produced with Canadian Television Fund, CBC, Shaw Broadcast Television Fund, Télé-Québec and APTN)
Woodland Animations
- For a full list of shows and details, see Woodland Animations.[35][36]
Distribution rights
Transformers
- Transformers: Armada (co-produced with Hasbro, Takara Tomy, Æon, Dangun Pictures, Hangzhou Feilong Animation Ltd, M.S.J. Musashino-Seisakujo, Paramount Domestic Television and SD Entertainment)
- Transformers: Energon (co-produced with Hasbro, Takara Tomy, We've Inc, ACTAS, Inc., A-CAT, Studio Galapagos and TV Tokyo)
- Transformers: Cybertron (co-produced with Hasbro, Takara Tomy, We've Inc, TV Aichi, GONZO, Sun Woo Entertainment and Voice Box Productions)
- Transformers: Animated (co-produced with Hasbro, Takara Tomy, The Answer Studio, MOOK DLE, Studio 4 °C and Cartoon Network Studios)
Miscellaneous
- The Story of Tracy Beaker (2002–2005; co-produced with BBC)
- Short Cuts (2002-2003; co-produced with Burberry Productions)
- Custer's Last Stand-up (co-produced with BBC and RTÉ)
- Dr Otter (co-produced with Red Balloon Productions)
- My Parents Are Aliens (1999-2006; co-produced with Yorkshire Television and ITV)
- Finley the Fire Engine (co-produced with RHI Entertainment)
- Inuk (co-produced with Tube Studios)
- Katie and Orbie (2001-2002; co-produced with Amberwood Entertainment)
- Finger Tips (2001-2004; co-produced with The Foundation)
- The New Adventures of He-Man (co-produced with Jetlag Productions)
- Titch (co-produced with Hutchins Film Company and Yorkshire Television)
Right Entertainment
Company type | Division |
---|---|
Industry | Home video |
Founded | July 2001 |
Defunct | May 2009 |
Fate | Folded and rebranded under the Classic Media name |
Successor | Classic Media |
Area served | United Kingdom |
Products | Home video |
Parent | Entertainment Rights |
Right Entertainment is a defunct home video company that released Entertainment Rights' properties on VHS and DVD in the United Kingdom, alongside some acquisitions from third-party companies.
History
ER formed Right Entertainment at the beginning of July 2001 and signed a $500,000 advance UK/Ireland distribution deal with Universal Pictures UK distributing their releases.[37] Right's release schedule would start off with VHS releases of Barbie in the Nutcracker and existing ER property Cubeez in 2001, followed up with Clifford the Big Red Dog and Casper the Friendly Ghost releases, and DVD release of Barbie following up in 2002. The company also announced an international home video expansion for their properties, beginning with Universal obtaining non-UK/Ireland home video rights to Barbie in the Nutcracker, but ruled out if Universal would distribute other properties outside the UK as well.[38]
Right Entertainment's first product - Barbie in the Nutcracker, was released on VHS on 29 October 2001 to a huge commercial success, which went on to sell 100,000 units within its first week of release.[39][40] By April 2002, after which the movie was released on DVD as well, 700,000 copies were sold across both formats. This deal later led to home video and TV rights being secured for the sequel - Barbie as Rapunzel.[14]
Another secured success with Right was the release of the first Merlin the Magical Puppy video in March 2002, which entered into the top ten children's video charts.[41] Right secured home video and DVD rights to the CITV arts and crafts series Finger Tips in June 2002 after ER acquired worldwide distribution rights.[42] This was followed up with UK home video rights to Clifford the Big Red Dog the following month as ER already held consumer product rights to the franchise itself.[43]
In April 2004, Right secured UK home video and DVD rights to Clifford's Puppy Days.[44]
In September 2008, Right secured the UK DVD rights to Frankenstein's Cat.[45]
Right Entertainment's last products - Barbie: Thumbelina and Postman Pat Special Delivery Service: To the Rescue!, were both released on DVD on 16 March 2009.
Following the folding of Entertainment Rights into Classic Media, Right Entertainment was also folded under the de-facto Classic Media name, although the copyright was now changed to read "Classic Media Distribution Ltd." on DVD cases. The company continued with its British home video deal with Universal.
References
- ^ a b c "ENTERTAINMENT RIGHTS PLC overview - Find and update company information - GOV.UK".
- ^ "Entertainment Rights Plc: Private Company Information - Bloomberg". Bloomberg. Retrieved 1 November 2017.
- ^ "UK: Making it Tough for Tots - Sleepy Kids". Management Today. 1 June 1992. Retrieved 15 November 2011.
- ^ "BBC News | the Company File | Brush flush after £1.7m deal".
- ^ "Skd Media To Buy Out Carrington Productions". Broadcast. 29 October 1999. Retrieved 15 November 2011.(subscription required)
- ^ "Investegate |SKD Media PLC Announcements | SKD Media PLC: Proposed Acquisition of Carrington & Open Offer".
- ^ "SKD boosts overseas sales profile". Broadcast. 26 November 1999. Retrieved 15 November 2011.(subscription required)
- ^ "Entertainment Rights bows a Fawlty Towers for kids".
- ^ "Up Next".
- ^ "Entertainment Rights: Programming". Archived from the original on 9 February 2005.
- ^ "Barbie Tv Rights Won".
- ^ Johnson, Debra (28 March 2001). "Entertainment Rights buys Link Licensing". C21media. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
- ^ Waller, Ed (7 November 2001). "Entertainment Rights buys Postman Pat creator". C21Media. Retrieved 1 November 2017.
- ^ a b "Barbie lets down her hair". 12 April 2012.
- ^ "Tweenies maker bought for £3.1m". BBC News. 13 September 2004. Retrieved 15 November 2011.
- ^ Rick DeMott, Rick (26 March 2004). "Entertainment Rights Acquires Filmation". Animation World Network. Retrieved 29 January 2020.
- ^ "Welcome to the new mad.co.uk". Technologyweekly.mad.co.uk. Archived from the original on 7 July 2013. Retrieved 31 May 2013.
- ^ "Noddy owner rejects bid approach". BBC News. 3 February 2004. Retrieved 15 November 2011.
- ^ Lianne Stewart (1 August 2005). "Siriol heads south, and Lyons moves on". Kidscreen. Retrieved 15 November 2011.
- ^ "Barbie Deal for Movies". 17 October 2005.
- ^ "ER - ENTERTAINMENT RIGHTS AND MATTEL FORM MULTI-PICTURE, MULTI-YEAR DISTRIBUTION ALLIANCE FOR BARBI MOVIES". 14 December 2006. Archived from the original on 14 December 2006. Retrieved 5 April 2023.
- ^ "Entertainment Rights - ER TO ACQUIRE CLASSIC MEDIA HOLDINGS". Archived from the original on 28 January 2007.
- ^ "Genius Products announces long-term co-production and distribution agreements with Entertainment Rights PLC and Classic Media". Genius Products. Wayback Machine. 8 January 2007. Archived from the original on 28 September 2007. Retrieved 18 September 2017.
- ^ "Entertainment Rights - ENTERTAINMENT RIGHTS ACQUIRES WHEre's WALLY?". Archived from the original on 6 February 2007.
- ^ "Dugan New Head of Entertainment Rights North America".
- ^ Roberts, Katie (8 December 2008). "ER announces new CEO". Licensing.biz. Archived from the original on 2 August 2017. Retrieved 15 November 2011.
- ^ Andrews, Amanda; Harrington, Ben (7 January 2009). "Three companies in talks to buy Entertainment Rights". The Telegraph. London. Retrieved 15 November 2011.
- ^ Loveday, Samantha (26 January 2009). "Six bid for Entertainment Rights". Licensing.biz. Archived from the original on 2 August 2017. Retrieved 15 November 2011.
- ^ Loveday, Samantha (23 January 2009). "Now Entertainment Rights is hit with FSA fine". Licensing.biz. Archived from the original on 2 August 2017. Retrieved 15 November 2011.
- ^ Chas Tang (10 August 2009). "Entertainment Rights Plc - four months on". Entertainment Rights Shareholders Action. Retrieved 31 May 2013.
- ^ Loveday, Samantha (23 January 2009). "Boomerang Media acquires Entertainment Rights' subsidiaries". Licensing.biz. Archived from the original on 2 August 2017. Retrieved 15 November 2011.
- ^ Tribbey, Chris (11 May 2009). "Classic Media Absorbs Subsidiaries". Home Media Magazine. Archived from the original on 31 March 2016. Retrieved 12 May 2009.
- ^ "ENTERTAINMENT RIGHTS PLC overview - Find and update company information - GOV.UK". find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
- ^ Verrier, Richard (23 July 2012). "DreamWorks Animation buys 'Casper,' 'Lassie' parent Classic Media". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 30 November 2013.
- ^ "Life post Pat". The Guardian. 15 January 2001. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 18 September 2017.
- ^ "Postman Pat sold for Ł5m". BBC News. 8 November 2001. Retrieved 24 April 2017.
- ^ "Universal scoops Entertainment Rights video deal".
- ^ "Entertainment Rights launches new vid label".
- ^ Goodway, Nick (12 April 2012). "Postman Pat delivered to Barbie". Evening Standard. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
- ^ "Entertainment Rights - a dream date with Barbie". citywire.com. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
- ^ "Entertainment Rights: News Room". Archived from the original on 25 December 2002.
- ^ "News in Brief".
- ^ "CBBC picks up second series of Clifford".
- ^ "Entertainment Rights Gets Paws on Clifford's Puppy Days Rights".
- ^ "Entertainment Rights Gets Home Video Rights to Frankenstein's Cat in U.K."
- British animation studios
- Defunct companies based in London
- Mass media companies established in 1989
- Mass media companies disestablished in 2009
- Entertainment companies established in 1989
- Entertainment companies disestablished in 2009
- Children's television
- DreamWorks Classics
- Television production companies of the United Kingdom
- 1989 establishments in England
- 2009 disestablishments in England
- Companies that have entered administration in the United Kingdom