Entertainment One

Entertainment One Holdings USA Inc.

Trade name	Entertainment One
Formerly	Records On Wheels Limited (1973–2001) ROW Entertainment (2001–2005) Entertainment One Income Fund (2005–2009) E1 Entertainment (2009–2010)
Type	Subsidiary
Industry	Entertainment
Predecessor	Koch Entertainment Contender Entertainment Group Medusa Communications & Marketing Cineplex Odeon Films Alliance Atlantis Alliance Films Phase 4 Films
Founded	1973 (1973)
Founder	Darren Throop
Successor	Hasbro Entertainment (family brands division only)
Headquarters	Toronto, Ontario , Canada
Area served	Worldwide
Key people	Allan Leighton (Non-Executive Director & Chairman) Darren Throop (CEO) Mark Gordon (President and Chief Content Officer, Film, Television and Digital) Steve Bertram (President, Film, Television and Digital)
Products	Music Film Television Distribution Music Publishing
Revenue	£1,082.7 million (2017)
Parent	Hasbro (2019–2023) Lionsgate (2023–present)
Divisions	Divisions eOne Distribution eOne Films eOne Family eOne Music eOne Television
Subsidiaries	Subsidiaries Amblin Partners (2%) Astley Baker Davies (70%) AutoMatik (50%) Entertainment One UK Ltd. Dualtone Music Group Force Four Entertainment Hardlivings Last Gang Les Films Christal Les Films Séville The Mark Gordon Company Momentum Pictures Paperny Entertainment Whizz Kid Entertainment Renegade83 (65%) Secret Location Sierra Pictures (50%) Makeready (co-backing with Universal Pictures only, film and television production company run by Brad Weston) WW Entertainment Daisybeck Studios Audio Network Blackfin
Website	www.entertainmentone.com

Entertainment One Holdings USA Inc., trading as Enterrtainment One (commonly abbreviated as eOne), is a Canadian multinational entertainment company. Based in Toronto, Ontario, the company is primarily involved in the acquisition and production of films and television series.

The company originated as the Canadian music distributor Records on Wheels Limited; after it was acquired by music retailer CD Plus, the company became ROW Entertainment, with its vice president of operations Darren Throop becoming president and CEO. It later acquired U.S. music and home entertainment distributor Koch Entertainment. By 2007, the company—now known as Entertainment One—had begun to acquire other production companies and film distributors, including Canadian distributors Les Films Séville and Alliance Films. By 2015, eOne had begun to expand its U.S. operations, including investing in Amblin Partners, and acquiring a stake in The Mark Gordon Company. In 2019, eOne announced its sale to U.S. toy and entertainment company Hasbro for US$4 billion.

The company began to face cutbacks under Hasbro, which sold eOne's original music distribution business (now MNRK Music Group) to Blackstone in 2021, and closed its theatrical distribution operations in Canada, Spain, and the United Kingdom in 2022 and 2023, ahead of a planned sale of entertainment assets not strongly tied to eOne's children's entertainment brands (such as Peppa Pig, which were folded into Hasbro intellectual property and merchandising business following the acquisition). In August 2023, Hasbro announced that it would sell the assets to Lionsgate for $500 million. The deal closed on December 27, 2023.

History

Establishment

eOne began operations in 1973 in Ontario, Canada, as Records on Wheels (ROW) Limited, founded and operated by Vito Ierullo and Don Ierullo, focusing on retail sales of recorded music. In the late 1970s, ROW began to distribute recorded music for third-party retailers in Canada. For more than 20 years, entertainment content distribution became the company’s primary focus as the company expanded into video, purchasing one of Canada’s largest home entertainment distributors, Video One Canada, Ltd., from its then-parent, Standard Broadcasting Corporation. In November 2003, the company was listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange as ROW Entertainment Income Fund.

In June 2005, ROW Entertainment Income Fund acquired the American independent music distributor and home entertainment publisher Koch Entertainment. In 2007, the company, now known as the Entertainment One Income Fund, accepted a $188 million public equity takeover by Marwyn Investment Management to fund its expansion; the company was listed on London’s Alternative Investment Market as Entertainment One Ltd. In 2007, Entertainment One acquired Montreal-based film distributor Seville Pictures and UK distributor Contender Entertainment Group. The same year, the company secured its first film output agreement with Summit Entertainment, handling distribution in Canada and the United Kingdom. Acquisitions continued in 2008 with the purchase of the Benelux distributor RCV Entertainment. The same year, eOne acquired the television studios Blueprint and Barna-Alper, and international television distributor Oasis International.

In April 2011, eOne acquired Australian distribution company Hopscotch for £12.9 million. On May 28, 2012, eOne placed a bid to purchase the Canadian film distributor Alliance Films from Goldman Sachs Group and Investissement Québec. The deal was completed on January 9, 2013, giving eOne Canadian distribution rights for titles from Sony Pictures Entertainment, The Weinstein Company, Lionsgate Films and Focus Features. On May 28, 2014, eOne announced a strategic investment in interactive agency Secret Location; the firm would continue to operate independently under the leadership of James Milward (President, Executive Producer and Founder), and partners Pietro Gagliano (Creative Director and SVP) and Ryan Andal (Technical Director and SVP). On June 2, 2014, eOne acquired Phase 4 Films; its CEO Berry Meyerowitz was named as head of eOne's U.S. film distribution business and North American family entertainment business. On July 17, the company acquired Paperny Entertainment. On August 28, 2014, eOne acquired Force Four Entertainment.

On January 5, 2015, eOne acquired a 51% stake in The Mark Gordon Co.; Gordon was named CEO of the studio, which planned to produce and finance future film and television projects by Gordon and others in an effort by eOne to increase its prominence in the United States. eOne will have an option to acquire the remainder of the studio beginning in 2022. On September 9, 2015, eOne revived the Momentum Pictures brand (which was previously used by Alliance UK) and announced that it had entered into a multi-picture deal with Orion Pictures to jointly acquire films for "specialized theatrical releases" in the U.S., and targeted international releases, focusing on ancillary and digital distribution.

Marwyn Investment Management sold its majority stake in Entertainment One to the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) on September 16, 2015.

On September 30, 2015, eOne acquired a 70% stake in British animation studio Astley Baker Davies—producers of the animated children's series Peppa Pig. On December 16, 2015, eOne, Steven Spielberg, Reliance Entertainment, and Participant Media officially announced a joint venture known as Amblin Partners. eOne serves as an investor, while the majority of its films will be distributed by Universal Pictures.

On January 7, 2016, eOne made a strategic investment in Sierra Pictures and on January 20, 2016, the company acquired Dualtone Music Group. On March 8, 2016, eOne acquired music recording, publishing and artist management company Last Gang, and announced Chris Taylor would join the company in the new role of President, Entertainment One Music. On March 24, 2016, eOne acquired a 65% interest in David Garfinkle and Jay Renfroe’s unscripted production company Renegade 83.

On August 10, 2016, eOne rejected an offer to be acquired by British television broadcaster ITV plc for £1 billion ($1.3 billion US). eOne considered the offer to be "fundamentally undervalued". On August 17, 2016, eOne announced it completed its investment in digital studio Secret Location. On September 12, 2016, eOne announced its acquisition of UK-based music management company Hardlivings.

On January 29, 2018, eOne acquired the remaining 49% in The Mark Gordon Company, with Gordon become the President and Chief Content Officer of Film, Television and Digital.

Sale to Hasbro

On August 22, 2019, Hasbro announced that it had reached an agreement to acquire Entertainment One for US$4 billion. Throop cited that its goals to "unlock the power and value of creativity" were "aligned with Hasbro's corporate objectives", and would be enhanced by access to Hasbro's properties and merchandising capabilities. eOne's Canadian operations will be structured in such a way as to maintain eligibility for Canadian content classification. the deal was now approved by Ontario Superior Court of Justice. On November 21, 2019. the sale was now completed with eOne becomes a Hasbro's subsidiary.

On August 22, 2022, it was reported that Hasbro was seeking to sell or restructure its media assets, and it was announced that the eOne's CEO Darren Throop would be stepping down at the end of the year.

Sale to Lionsgate

On August 3, 2023, Hasbro announced that it had reached an agreement to sell eOne's entertainment assets to Lionsgate for $500 million, paying $375 million in cash and assuming $125 million in production financing loans. The deal closed on December 27, 2023.

eOne Films

Main article: Entertainment One Films

On January 7, 2016, eOne made a strategic investment in Sierra Pictures. On September 9, 2016, eOne announced it entered into a first look co-financing and international distribution deal for feature films with Tucker Tooley under his film and production company Tooley Productions. The first project under the deal will be a film adaptation of Harlan Coben's novel Fool Me Once, starring and produced by Julia Roberts under her Red Om Films banner. On September 23, 2016, Xavier Dolan's film Juste la fin du monde was announced as Canada’s entry in the Best Foreign Language Film category for the 2017 Academy Awards. The film has been sold worldwide by eOne’s Seville International sales arm, and is distributed in Canada by eOne/Les Films Seville.

eOne Television

Main article: Entertainment One Television

Notable Entertainment One television productions include: Cardinal for CTV, Sharp Objects for HBO, Mary Kills People for Global, Private Eyes for Global,Hung for HBO, Mary Mary on WeTV, Call Me Fitz on DirecTV, The Bridge on CTV, Rookie Blue on ABC and Global and Haven on Syfy. Entertainment One’s sales catalogue includes such series as: David Attenborough’s Great Barrier Reef; Sky Living’s The Enfield Haunting; and AMC’s Halt and Catch Fire, The Walking Dead and Fear The Walking Dead, due to a 2013 multi-year international output deal agreement between the firm and AMC Networks and Sundance Channel.

eOne Music

Main article: Entertainment One Music

With staff in New York, LA, Toronto and Nashville, eOne Music US, formerly E1 Music/Koch Records, is generally regarded as the largest independent music label in North America. Since its inception as Koch Records, eOne Music US has charted over 100 albums on Billboard's Independent Chart, surpassing the number of titles charted by all other U.S. independent label and was the number one independent label according to Billboard for four consecutive years. The music division covers all musical genres from hip hop, adult-contemporary, rock, urban, country, children's and classical. eOne owns the catalog of seminal hip hop label Death Row as well as the indie rock label Dualtone (Lumineers, Shakey Graves). The music business has recently expanded into management and music publishing.

In March 2016, Entertainment One announced the appointment of leading music industry attorney and music industry entrepreneur, Chris Taylor, to the role of President of Entertainment One Music. The company also shared that Taylor will bring his independent recording, publishing and artist management company Last Gang to eOne, whose impressive roster includes record label clients Death From Above 1979, Chromeo and Ryan Hemsworth, and management clients Lights and Arkells.

eOne Family and Licensing

Main article: Entertainment One Family

Based in the United Kingdom and Canada, eOne Family (formerly E1 Kids) creates, produces and distributes children’s entertainment with partners including Nick Jr and Channel 5, in 190 territories including the United States, Scandinavia, France and Germany. eOne Family’s Peppa Pig franchise is one of the most popular pre-school brands in the UK, surpassing over £100 million in retail sales in the 2009 financial period. On September 18, 2015, eOne Family’s newest preschool series, PJ Masks, premiered on Disney Channel and Disney Junior in the U.S.

eOne Distribution

Main article: Entertainment One Distribution

eOne's Distribution division delivers, through both physical and digital channels, eOne’s own and third party content to over 3,000 retail partners through its networks across Canada and the United States.

Partners

Through various deals and terms, eOne has a distribution deal with the following companies, whether in full or in part:

Film

• Annapurna Pictures
• AutoMatik
• CBS Films
• AMBI Group
  (all titles except End of Watch, released by VVS Films)
  • Hammer Films
• FilmNation Entertainment
  (most titles, limited released by VVS Films)
• Universal Pictures (some releases)
  • Focus Features
    • Focus World
    • Gramercy Pictures
    • High Top Releasing
  • Amblin Partners
    • DreamWorks Pictures
      (some titles distributed via Mister Smith Entertainment and Focus Features)
• IM Global
  (most titles, limited released by VVS Films)
• Image Entertainment
• NCircle Entertainment
• Lakeshore Entertainment
• Lionsgate
  • Summit Entertainment
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
  (Death Wish, Canada; theatrical only)
• Miramax
• Open Road Films
  (most titles)
• Rhombus
• StudioCanal
  (most titles; limited released by Elevation Pictures)
• The Weinstein Company
  • RADiUS-TWC
  • Dimension Films
• SinemArt
• Wrekin Hill Entertainment

Television

• A&E Networks
  • A&E
  • Crime and Investigation Network
  • Lifetime
• AMC Networks
  • AMC
  • SundanceTV
  • WE tv
• Australian Broadcasting Corporation
• APTN
• AXN
• BBC
  • BBC America
  • UKTV
• Bell Media
  • The Comedy Network
  • CTV
  • HBO Canada
  • The Movie Network
  • Space
• Blue Ant Media
  • Cottage Life
  • Travel + Escape
  • Makeful
• Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
  • CBC Television
  • documentary
• CBS Corporation
  • CBS
  • The CW
  • Showtime
• Channel 4
  • E4
  • All 4
• Corus Entertainment
  • OWN Canada
  • Teletoon
  • W Network
  • Food Network
  • Global
  • History
  • Crime & Investigation Network
  • Showcase
  • Slice
  • Treehouse TV
• DirecTV
  • Audience Network
• Discovery Communications
  • Discovery Channel
  • Discovery Life
  • Investigation Discovery
  • Velocity
  • Science
• Disney Media Networks
  • ABC
• El Rey Network
• Endemol
• Epix
• Fox Entertainment Group
  • FX
    • FXX
  • Fox International Channels
  • National Geographic Channel
  • Fox Sports Networks
    • Fox Sports 2
• Hallmark Channel
• France Télévisions
  • France 2
• Hoodwink Entertainment
• Time Warner
  • HBO
    • HBO Latin America Group
    • Cinemax
  • Turner Broadcasting System
    • Adult Swim
    • HLN
    • truTV
    • TBS
    • TNT
• Knightscove Entertainment
• MAVTV
• NBCUniversal
  • Cloo
  • E!
  • NBC
  • Syfy
  • Chiller
  • NBCUniversal International Networks
• Netflix
• Out of Africa Entertainment
• PBS
• Rogers Media
  • City
  • OLN
• SBS
• Scripps Networks Interactive
  • Cooking Channel
  • Great American Country
  • HGTV
  • Travel Channel
  • Food Network
• Starz
• Super Channel
• TF1
• TM International
• TV 2
• TV3
• TVOntario
• Univision Communications
• Up TV
• Viacom
  • BET
  • Channel 5
  • CMT
  • Comedy Central
  • Logo TV
  • MTV
  • Spike
  • VH1
• ZDF

Music

• EMP Label Group
  • EMP Underground

Sport

• AS Roma

Recent/upcoming releases

Films

• 2 Guns (2013) (UK and Canadian distribution only)
• 12 Years a Slave (2014) (UK distribution only, co-production with Fox Searchlight Pictures, Lionsgate, Regency Enterprises, River Road Entertainment, Film4 and Plan B)
• The Age of Adaline (2015) (in some countries)
• The Babadook (2014) (handled foreign sales and Spanish distribution only)
• Reaper (2014) (US Home video distribution only)
• Big Eyes (2014) (Canadian and Spanish distribution only)
• Burnt (2015) (in some countries)
• Calvary (UK and Canadian distribution only)
• Cowboy Ninja Viking (2019)
• Dallas Buyers Club (2014) (UK distribution only)
• Detroit (2017) (in some countries including the UK and Australia)
• The Divergent Series (UK and Canadian distribution)
• The Duff (2015)
• Eye in the Sky (2015)
• What If... (2013)
• The Fifth Estate (2013) (UK and Benelux countries distribution only)
• Foxcatcher (2014) (UK distribution only)
• Free Birds (2013) (UK and Canadian distribution only, co-production with Relativity and Reel FX Animation Studios)
• The Hunger Games series (Canadian distribution and Spanish (2013-2015) distribution)
• Freeheld (2015) (in some English countries)
• Danny Collins (2015)
• Insidious: Chapter 2 (2013)
• Insidious: Chapter 3 (2015)
• John Wick (2014) (Canadian distribution only)
• Just Getting Started (2017)
• Justin and the Knights of Valour (2013) (only in the UK)
• The Little Prince (2015) (Canadian distribution only)
• Maps to the Stars (2014) (UK and Canadian distribution)
• Mr. Turner (2014) (UK distribution only)
• Mommy (2014)
• My Little Pony: The Movie (2017) (Canadian distribution, co-production with Lionsgate, Allspark Pictures and DHX Media)
• Nightcrawler (2014) (UK distribution only)
• Parched (2015)
• The Prodigies (2012) (Canadian home video distribution only)
• Race (2016) (Canadian distribution only)
• The Raid 2: Berandal (2014) (UK and Canadian distribution)
• Reasonable Doubt (2014)
• Riddick (UK, Canadian and Spanish distribution only)
• The Rover (2014) (UK distribution only)
• Secret in Their Eyes (2016)
• The Signal (2014)
• Spotlight (2015)
• The Tempest
• That Awkward Moment (2014) (UK distribution only, also Benelux countries)
• The Theory of Everything (2014) (Canadian distribution only)
• Triple 9 (2015)
• Trumbo (2015)
• The Water Diviner (2014) (in some countries excluding the Benelux and shared Australian distribution with Universal)
• Woman in Gold (2015)
• Midnight Special (2016) (UK distribution only, co-production with Warner Bros. Pictures)
• Arrival (2016) (UK distribution only)
• 20th Century Women (2016) (UK distribution only)
• Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (2017) (Canadian, Spanish and Australian distribution only)
• Yo-kai Watch: The Movie (2017) (Canadian distribution only)

TV series

• The Adventures of Sinbad
• Arctic Air
• Being Erica
• Being Human
• The Best Years
• Bitten
• Book of Negroes
• Call Me Fitz
• Cimarron Strip
• City of Vice
• Degrassi (Canadian distribution only)
• Ellery Queen
• Fear the Walking Dead
• From Dusk till Dawn: The Series
• Glue
• Grafters
• Halt and Catch Fire
• Hap and Leonard
• Haven
• Hell on Wheels
• Heartland
• Hiccups
• Hung
• InSecurity
• It Takes a Thief
• King
• Little Mosque on the Prairie
• Lost Girl (season 1 only, Canada only)
• Made in Canada
• Manchild
• Matador
• McCallum
• McLeod's Daughters
• Men with Brooms
• Mile High
• Monsters
• New Street Law
• Nite Tales: The Series
• Primeval: New World
• Rambo: New Blood
• Ransom
• ReGenesis
• Republic of Doyle
• Rookie Blue
• Sanctuary
• Saving Hope
• Show Me Yours
• Strictly Confidential
• Testees
• The Baron
• The Bridge
• The Code (working title – 2016)
• The Enfield Haunting
• The Firm (NBC TV series)
• The Hunger
• The Omega Factor
• The Street
• The Walking Dead
• This Hour Has 22 Minutes
• Trailer Park Boys (season 9-present)
• You Me Her (2016)

Kids/family

• Babar
• Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom
• Bod
• Fingerbobs
• Firehouse Tales
• The Flumps
• Hector's House
• Humf
• Peppa Pig
• PJ Masks
• Majority Rules!
• Mary, Mungo and Midge
• Roobarb
• Steady Eddie
• Timbuctoo
• The Big Knights
• Tractor Tom
• Winston Steinburger and Sir Dudley Ding Dong (2016)
• The Wiggles

Acquisitions and targets

Since listing on AIM, eOne has made a series of acquisitions.

• In June 2007, eOne acquired Contender Entertainment Group, one of the largest distributors of TV content in the UK (now operates as eOne UK)
• In August 2007, eOne acquired Seville Entertainment Inc. for an undisclosed sum (now operates as Les Films Séville)
• In January 2008, eOne acquired the Netherlands-based distributor RCV Entertainment (now operates as eOne Benelux)
• In July 2008, eOne acquired TV producers Blueprint Entertainment and Barna-Alper Productions as well as domestic distributors Oasis International and Maximum Films. (Barna-Alper now operating as eOne Television, Maximum Films amalgamated into eOne Films Canada while Maximum Film International was amalgamated into Les Films Séville, all others closed)
• In April 2011, eOne acquired Australian distribution company Hopscotch for £12.9 million. (now operates as eOne Australia)
• In January 2013 eOne acquired Alliance Films. and ceased operation of it and its subsidiaries (Momentum Pictures and Maple Pictures, excpet for Aurum Producciones, now operating as eOne Spain). In 2015, they relaunched Momentum Pictures in Toronto.
• In June 2014 eOne acquired Phase 4 Films.
• In July 2014, eOne acquired Paperny Entertainment.
• In August 2014, eOne acquired Force Four Entertainment.
• In May 2014, eOne made a strategic equity investment in interactive agency Secret Location, and later took full control.
• In January 2015, eOne acquired a 51% stake in The Mark Gordon Company, the production studio behind such TV series as Quantico, Grey’s Anatomy, Army Wives, Ray Donovan and Criminal Minds; and films such as Steve Jobs, Source Code, The Day After Tomorrow, and Speed. It acquired the remaining 49% in January 2018.
• In September 2015, eOne acquired a controlling stake on Astley Baker Davies thus increasing its ownership of the preschool franchise Peppa Pig.
• In March 2018, eOne acquired Round Room Entertainment, a premier live entertainment company, founded by Stephen Shaw in 2016.

Former names and logos

Records On Wheels Limited (1973–2001)

ROW Entertainment (2001–2005)

Entertainment One Income Fund (2005–2009)

E1 Entertainment (2009–2010)

Entertainment One (2010–2015)

Entertainment One (2015–present)

Alternative variant (2015–present)

Alternate variant with Hasbro byline (2020–2023)

References

External links

• Official website
• UK Official site

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