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Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment

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Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment, Inc.
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment
Formerly
  • WCI Home Video (1978–1980)
  • Warner Home Video (1980–2016)
Company typeDivision
IndustryHome entertainment
Founded1978; 46 years ago (1978)
FatePhysical media operations transferred to Studio Distribution Services. Its labels remain in use on SDS-distributed releases.
SuccessorStudio Distribution Services (physical media, 2021–present)
Headquarters4000 Warner Boulevard,
Burbank, California
,
U.S.
Key people
David Decker (president)
ProductsHome video releases
ServicesDigital distribution
Physical distribution
ParentWarner Bros. Entertainment
SubsidiariesStudio Distribution Services (joint venture with Universal Pictures Home Entertainment)
Websitewarnerbros.com

Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment, Inc.[1] (doing business as Warner Bros. Home Entertainment;[2] formerly known as Warner Home Video and WCI Home Video and sometimes credited as Warner Home Entertainment) is the American home video distribution division of Warner Bros. Discovery.

It was founded in 1978 as WCI Home Video (as a division of Warner Communications, Inc.). The company launched in the United States with twenty films on Betamax and VHS videocassettes in late 1979. The company later expanded its line to include additional titles throughout 1979 and 1980.[3]

It is responsible for distributing the film and television library of Warner Bros. Discovery and other companies on various home media formats, such as DVD, Blu-ray, Ultra HD Blu-ray, Digital, and streaming platforms. Some of the companies that Warner Bros. Home Entertainment distributes include Max, Warner Bros. Pictures, New Line Cinema, Warner Bros. Television, Warner Bros. Animation, Warner Bros. Pictures Animation, DC Entertainment, DC Studios, Viz Media, HBO, CNN, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, TBS, TNT, TruTV, Turner Classic Movies, Rooster Teeth (until its closure in May 2024), Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, TLC, HGTV, Food Network, and Amazon MGM Studios (via MGM Home Entertainment) among others.

Their releases are currently distributed by Studio Distribution Services, a joint venture between WBDHE and Universal Pictures Home Entertainment.

History

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Corporate logo used since 2023 as Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment

The company was founded in 1978 and launched in the United States with twenty films on Betamax and VHS videocassettes in late 1979. The company later expanded its line to include additional titles throughout 1979 and 1980.

Warner Bros. began to branch out into the videodisc market, licensing titles to MCA DiscoVision and RCA's SelectaVision videodisc formats, allowing both companies to market and distribute the films under their labels.[4][5] By 1985, Warner was releasing material under their own label in both formats. Titles from Warner Home Video were and continue to be distributed and manufactured by Roadshow Home Video worldwide except for Australia and New Zealand because of its film counterpart's films released by Village Roadshow.[6]

Warner also experimented with the "rental-only" market for videos, a method also used by 20th Century Fox for their first release of Star Wars in 1982. Two known films released in this manner were Superman II and Excalibur. Other films released for rental use include Dirty Harry, The Enforcer, Prince of the City, and Sharky's Machine. In 1990, Warner Home Video acquired the worldwide home video rights to the MGM/UA catalog. The $125 million purchase was used to finance MGM/UA's acquisition by the Pathé Communications Corporation.[7] The intended 12½-year-long deal was cut short in February 2000, with MGM paying Warner Home Video $225 million to regain video rights to a number of its films. In exchange, Warner Home Video gained full control over the video rights to MGM's pre-May 1986 library, an asset the studio had acquired outright from Turner Entertainment Co., but due to a pre-existing licensing deal with MGM, was originally expected to expire in 2001.[8]

On December 20, 1996, Warner Home Video was one of the first major American distributors for the then-new DVD format, by releasing the films Assassins, Blade Runner: Director's Cut, Eraser, and The Fugitive on DVD in Japan and on March 24, 1997, in the United States with Blade Runner also being a launch title for the region there.[9] Warner Bros. executive Warren Lieberfarb is often seen as "the father of DVD". Lieberfarb's successor, Warner Bros. executive James F. Cardwell was recognized in paving the way for WHV's strategic positioning in next generation technologies such as High Definition DVD (HD DVD), electronic sell-through and portable video. In 2003, Warner Home Video became the first home video releasing company to release movies only on DVD with no VHS equivalent.

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment logo used as corporate logo from 2017 until 2020

In 2009, Warner Home Video introduced the Warner Archive Collection, which allows the public to order custom-made DVDs of rarely seen films and TV series from the Warner and Turner libraries. The films are also available as digital downloads. Warner Archive DVDs and downloads can be ordered online on Warner's website, on Amazon.com or one-time Turner Classic Movies-affiliated DVD website MoviesUnlimited.com.[10]

On June 30, 2020, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment regained the home video rights to the MGM calalog after 21 years.

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment print logo used from 2020 until 2024

Starting in 2022, due to the finalization of the Warner Bros. Discovery merger, WBHE started distributing the television libraries of Discovery-owned networks including the flagship Discovery Channel and Animal Planet.

Studio Distribution Services, LLC

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Studio Distribution Services
Studio Distribution Services, LLC
Company typeUS/Canadian physical media joint venture between Warner Bros. Home Entertainment and Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
IndustryHome video
FoundedApril 23, 2021; 3 years ago (2021-04-23)
Headquarters10 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California
Key people
Eddie Cunningham (president)
ProductsHome video releases
Brands
ParentWarner Bros. Home Entertainment
Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
Websitesds.media

On January 14, 2020, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment and Universal Pictures 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.[11] Internationally, Universal will distribute Warner Bros.' titles in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Japan; while Warner will distribute Universal's titles in the United Kingdom (until 2025), Italy (until 2024) and Benelux.[12] On April 7, 2020, the European Commission approved the merger.[13] Since June 1, 2021,[14][15][16] SDS' logo took the WBHE logo's place on the back covers of the home releases; while there have been several exceptions that had the WBHE logo in place, mainly manufactured on demand titles including 4K[17][18] (also steelbooks)[19][20][21][22][23][24][25] and Blu-ray releases.[26][27][28][29][30] It is unknown whenever SDS uses an on-screen logo; as Warner releases by SDS use the 2017–present Warner Bros. Home Entertainment logo.

On June 24, 2024, it was reported that Sony Pictures Home Entertainment had entered into a distribution deal with SDS to handle the physical distribution of titles from Sony Pictures (Columbia Pictures, TriStar Pictures, Screen Gems, Crunchyroll, LLC, etc.) as well as those from 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.[31]

Notes

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  1. ^ Via Universal Pictures Home Entertainment and Warner Bros. Home Entertainment pre-SDS merger.
  2. ^ a b Via Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.

References

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  1. ^ "WarnerBros.com | Company Overview". www.warnerbros.com. Retrieved 2023-08-17.
  2. ^ "Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Inc - Company Profile and News - Bloomberg Markets". Bloomberg. Retrieved April 18, 2022.
  3. ^ Prince, Stephen (2002). A New Pot of Gold: Hollywood Under the Electronic Rainbow, 1980–1989. Berkeley: University of California Press. pp. 10. ISBN 9780520232662. OCLC 47990049.
  4. ^ "MCA Discovision Library". blam1.com. Archived from the original on July 18, 2002.
  5. ^ "RCA and Warner Home Video in Video Disc Agreements". March 30, 1982.
  6. ^ Eller, Claudia (December 10, 1997). "Warner, Village Roadshow Plan 20-Movie Joint Venture". Los Angeles Times.
  7. ^ Lev, Michael (October 24, 1990). "THE MEDIA BUSINESS; Pathe Settles Time Warner Dispute". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 30, 2019.
  8. ^ Peers, Martin (March 16, 1999). "MGM presses stop on WB homevid deal". Variety. Retrieved August 30, 2019.
  9. ^ Taylor, Jim (March 21, 1997). "DVD Frequently Asked Questions (with answers!)". Video Discovery. Archived from the original on March 29, 1997. Retrieved October 17, 2019.
  10. ^ Burr, Ty (March 28, 2009). "Classic movies made to order in the Warner Archive Collection". The Boston Globe. Boston.com. Retrieved February 18, 2019.
  11. ^ Hunt, Bill (April 23, 2021). "BILL'S ON THE LATEST HOME THEATER UNITED PODCAST, PLUS AN APPLE DIGITAL PURCHASE LAWSUIT & WARNER AND UNIVERSAL COMBINE THEIR PHYSICAL MEDIA OPERATIONS". thedigitalbits.com. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
  12. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (15 January 2020). "Universal & Warner Bros. Form Home Entertainment Joint Venture". Deadline. Retrieved 15 January 2020.
  13. ^ "European Commission Approves Warner, Universal Home Entertainment Joint Venture – Media Play News". April 8, 2020.
  14. ^ Curious George 5-Movie Collection DVD (Curious George / Curious George 2: Follow That Monkey / Curious George 3: Back to the Jungle / Curious George: Royal Monkey / Curious George: Go West, Go Wild), retrieved 2021-08-10
  15. ^ Daniel Radcliffe Collection DVD (Jungle / Escape from Pretoria / Beast of Burden), retrieved 2021-08-10
  16. ^ Boogie Blu-ray (Blu-ray + Digital HD), retrieved 2021-08-10
  17. ^ Howard the Duck 4K Blu-ray (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital), retrieved 2021-11-11
  18. ^ Scott Pilgrim vs. the World 4K Blu-ray (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital HD), retrieved 2021-11-11
  19. ^ The Thing 4K Blu-ray (Best Buy Exclusive SteelBook), retrieved 2021-11-11
  20. ^ Rear Window 4K Blu-ray (Best Buy Exclusive SteelBook), retrieved 2021-11-11
  21. ^ Vertigo 4K Blu-ray (Best Buy Exclusive SteelBook), retrieved 2021-11-11
  22. ^ Inglourious Basterds 4K Blu-ray (SteelBook), retrieved 2021-11-11
  23. ^ Old 4K Blu-ray (Best Buy Exclusive SteelBook), retrieved 2021-11-11
  24. ^ Carlito's Way 4K Blu-ray (Best Buy Exclusive SteelBook), retrieved 2021-11-11
  25. ^ F9: The Fast Saga 4K Blu-ray (Best Buy Exclusive SteelBook), retrieved 2021-11-11
  26. ^ The Woody Woodpecker Screwball Collection Blu-ray, retrieved 2021-11-11
  27. ^ Beethoven's Christmas Adventure Blu-ray, retrieved 2021-11-11
  28. ^ How to Train Your Dragon: Holiday Double Feature Blu-ray (Gift of the Night Fury / Homecoming), retrieved 2021-11-11
  29. ^ Spirit Riding Free: Spirit of Christmas Blu-ray, retrieved 2021-11-11
  30. ^ Trolls: Holiday Double Feature Blu-ray (Trolls Holiday / Trolls: Holiday in Harmony), retrieved 2021-11-11
  31. ^ Hunt, Bill (24 June 2024). "Paramount sets Bringing Out the Dead for 4K Ultra HD, plus Sony signs a new distribution deal with SDS that includes Lionsgate, Disney & 20th Century". thedigitalbits.com. Retrieved 25 June 2024.
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