Gaiam Vivendi Entertainment
Gaiam Vivendi Entertainment (formerly known as Vivendi Entertainment, Vivendi Visual Entertainment and Visual Entertainment) is an independent film, television, DVD and digital distribution company operating in the United States and Canada. It is also a distribution partner for independent content providers.[1][2][3][4]
Type | Division |
---|---|
Industry | Entertainment |
Fate | Acquired by Cinedigm |
Founded | 2004 |
Headquarters | 111 Universal Hollywood Drive, Suite 400, Universal City, California 91608 , United States |
Products | Motion pictures, television programs |
Owner | Vivendi (2004–2012) Gaiam (2012–2013) Cinedigm (2013-present) |
Parent | Universal Music Group Distribution (2004–2012) Gaiam (2012–2013) New Video (2013–present) |
Website | cinedigm |
History
Visual Entertainment was founded in 2004 to distribute DVDs as a division of Universal Music Group Distribution, which in turn is a subsidiary of Vivendi.[5][2] In 2006, Visual Entertainment was renamed Vivendi Visual Entertainment.[6] In 2008, Vivendi Entertainment expanded from home video into theatrical distribution.[7]
On April 3, 2012, Universal disvested Vivendi Entertainment because of the buyout of EMI, and the company was acquired by Gaiam and merged with its home entertainment division, renaming the combined subsidiary Gaiam Vivendi Entertainment.[8] It was one of the three units of Universal Music, never fully owned by EMI, that were forced to be sold; other such units were Sanctuary Records and V2 Records. On October 17, 2013, Cinedigm announced it was purchasing Gaiam Vivendi Entertainment for $51.5 million. Cinedigm plans to combine Gaiam Vivendi Entertainment with their existing home video business, New Video. The acquisition closed on October 21, 2013.[9]
Services
The company has provided sales, marketing, and distribution services to studios such as The Weinstein Company,[10] World Wrestling Entertainment, The Jim Henson Company, Salient Media, NFL Films, Shout! Factory, GoodTimes Entertainment, Classic Media, Hallmark Channel, Indomina Releasing, Nasser Entertainment, Event Film, RHI Entertainment, Polychrome Pictures, Sid and Marty Krofft, Eagle Rock Entertainment, Blowtorch Entertainment, Mill Creek Entertainment, DHX Media, Saban Brands, Saban Entertainment, Palisades Tartan, Palm Pictures, Nelvana, Razor & Tie, Dargaud Media, Pure Flix Entertainment, Codeblack Entertainment, Melee Entertainment, Dimension Extreme and Genius Products.
References
- "Universal Music". Umusic.com.
- Home Media Magazine Archived August 8, 2014, at the Wayback Machine
- "The Weinstein Co. Partners with Vivendi Entertainment for Home Video". September 14, 2009. Retrieved February 14, 2018.
- "Reuters.com". Retrieved February 14, 2018.
- "UNIVERSAL MUSIC & VIDEO DISTRIBUTION EXPANDS INTO EXPLODING DVD MARKETPLACE WITH UMVD/ VISUAL ENTERTAINMENT". UMG. February 17, 2004. Retrieved January 6, 2019.
- "VISUAL ENTERTAINMENT EXPANDS WITH NEW NAME AND LOOK". UMG. June 7, 2006. Retrieved January 6, 2019.
- "VIVENDI ENTERTAINMENT EXPANDS INTO THEATRICAL DISTRIBUTION". UMG. March 6, 2008. Retrieved January 6, 2019.
- MarketWatch - archived from the original on May 5, 2012
- Cinedigm To Acquire Gaiam, Inc.’s Entertainment Unit, A Multi-Platform Content Licensor And Distributor
- "Newmusicreviews.net". Retrieved February 14, 2018.