Lionsgate Canada
Lionsgate Canada (formerly known as Entertainment One, and commonly abbreviated as eOne) is a Canadian entertainment company and a subsidiary of Lionsgate Studios. Based in Toronto, Ontario, the company is primarily involved in the acquisition and production of films and television series.
The company originated in 1973 or 1974 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. ROW 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 was acquired by U.S. toy and entertainment company Hasbro for US$4 billion. The company saw 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 Australia, Canada, Spain, and the United Kingdom in 2022 and 2023. These cutbacks were part of a planned sale of entertainment assets not strongly tied to eOne's children's entertainment brands, such as Peppa Pig; which would be folded into Hasbro's intellectual property and merchandising business following the acquisition.
In August 2023, Hasbro announced that it would sell eOne's assets to Lionsgate (another Canadian-founded business) for $500 million; The deal closed on December 27, 2023.[2][3] The company's assets would then be restructured, with the main division initially becoming eOne Canada before adapting its current name. eOne Films was placed under Lionsgate Films, while eOne Television merged with other assets into Lionsgate Television, with eOne's unscripted production assets being transferred to the newly formed Lionsgate Alternative Television.[4][5][6]
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The company logo introduced in 2010 was designed by Toronto-based firm Parcel Design.[133][134]
On September 8, 2015, Entertainment One announced a refreshed logo on the eve of Toronto International Film Festival.[135]
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Since listing on the London Stock Exchange's AIM submarket, eOne has made a series of acquisitions, but added with a timeline.
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Establishment[edit]
The company has its origins in the music distributor Records on Wheels Limited (which was established in 1973[7] or 1974 by brothers Vito and Don Ierullo[8]), and the music retail chain CD Plus. The chain was in the process of acquiring other companies to bolster its wholesale operations in music and home video, leading to its purchase of ROW in 2001.[9] Its vice president of operations, Darren Throop, had joined the company after CD Plus acquired his Nova Scotia-based record store chain Urban Sound Exchange. The combined company later became known as ROW Entertainment, with Throop as president and CEO. The company listed itself on the Toronto Stock Exchange as an income trust, meaning that its taxes were paid by its shareholders, rather than the company itself.[10][11][12][13]
Afterward, ROW started to diversify its operations into content ownership. In June 2005, it acquired the U.S. independent music distributor and home entertainment publisher Koch Entertainment.[14][12] Afterwards, it was re-incorporated as Entertainment One Income Fund.
In 2007, the company 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.[15]
Expansion[edit]
In 2007, Entertainment One acquired Montreal-based film distributor Seville Pictures and British distributor Contender Entertainment Group.[16][17] The same year, the company secured its first film output agreement with Summit Entertainment, handling distribution in Canada and the United Kingdom.[10][18] Acquisitions continued in 2008 with the purchase of the Benelux distributor RCV Entertainment.[19] The same year, Entertainment One acquired the television studios Blueprint and Barna-Alper, and international television distributor Oasis International.[20] Throop stated that the company was attempting to "replicate the success of Alliance Atlantis", with a focus on diversifying into production alongside distribution.[21] Also in 2008, the company listed itself on the London Stock Exchange.[10]
In 2009, Entertainment One Income Fund became E1 Entertainment, in this era, E1 absorbed Rubber Duck Entertainment into E1 Kids (which would later become eOne Family & Brands), despite this, in 2010, E1 rebranded back to Entertainment One (although without the "Income Fund"), this time with an abbreviation of eOne, which has the same pronunciation as E1.
On April 12, 2011, eOne acquired Australian distribution company Hopscotch for £12.9 million.[22] On May 28, 2012, eOne placed a bid to purchase the Canadian film distributor Alliance Films from Goldman Sachs Group and Investissement Québec.[23] The deal was completed on January 9, 2013, giving eOne Canadian distribution rights for titles from The Weinstein Company, Lionsgate (which itself acquired 10 years later), CBS Films, FilmDistrict and Focus Features.[24] 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).[25] 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.[26] On July 17, the company acquired Paperny Entertainment.[27][28] On August 28, 2014, eOne acquired Force Four Entertainment.[29]
On January 5, 2015, eOne acquired a 51% stake in Mark Gordon's self-named studio, with an option to acquire the remainder at a later date. The purchase was part of an effort by eOne to bolster its presence in the U.S.[30] 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.[31]
Marwyn Investment Management sold its 18% stake in Entertainment One to the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) on September 16, 2015.[32][33]
On September 30, 2015, eOne acquired a 70% stake in British animation studio Astley Baker Davies—producers of the Nick Jr. animated preschool TV series Peppa Pig.[34] On December 16, 2015, eOne, Steven Spielberg, Reliance Entertainment, and Participant Media officially announced a joint venture known as Amblin Partners. eOne served as an investor, while the majority of its films would be distributed by Universal Pictures.[35]
On January 7, 2016, eOne made a strategic investment in Sierra Pictures[36] and on January 20, 2016, the company acquired Dualtone Music Group.[37] On March 8, 2016, eOne the acquired music recording, publishing and artist management company Last Gang, and announced that its founder Chris Taylor would join the company as president of music.[38] In 2016, eOne acquired a majority stake in unscripted production company Renegade 83.[39]
On February 24, 2016, Entertainment One reached a home media distribution deal with 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment to release eOne's titles on DVD and Blu-ray in the United Kingdom.
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".[40]
On August 17, 2016, eOne announced that it would acquire Secret Location outright for an undisclosed amount.[41] On September 12, 2016, eOne announced its acquisition of UK-based music management company Hardlivings.[42] That same year, eOne acquired music management company Nerve.[43]
On September 9, 2016, eOne reached a first-look co-financing and international distribution deal with Tucker Tooley's Tooley Productions.[44][45]
In 2016, eOne entered into an agreement with Ole (now as Anthem Entertainment)[46] to administer its music catalogue.[47]
2017–2019[edit]
eOne consolidated its film and television studios into a single structure in 2017, as part of an effort to reposition its operations towards production rather than acquisitions and "large output deals".[48]
On May 17, 2017, eOne announced a partnership with former New Regency president and CEO Brad Weston on his new studio Makeready, serving as a lead investor and holding international distribution rights to its television productions.[49]
On January 29, 2018, eOne acquired the remaining 49% of The Mark Gordon Company, and Gordon was named eOne's new president and chief content officer of film, television and digital.[50][51]
On April 9, 2018, eOne acquired UK non-scripted production company Whizz Kid Entertainment.[52] Later that year, eOne joined a round of investment in Jeffrey Katzenberg's short-form digital content venture "NewTV" (later renamed Quibi until 2020).[53]
On January 8, 2019, eOne's Australia division announced a deal with Universal Pictures for Australian theatrical, home video and co-distribution rights which resulted in closure on March 19, 2019.[54][55]
On March 5, 2019, eOne's Benelux division was acquired by a new company named WW Entertainment, founded by Wilco Wolfers and Caspar Wenckebach.[56] Later that month, Entertainment One ended their home media distribution agreement with 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment following Fox's purchase by The Walt Disney Company on March 20, 2019. eOne reached an agreement with Universal Pictures Home Entertainment to handle home media distribution of its films and television series in Australia, Canada, Germany, Spain, New Zealand, the U.S., and the United Kingdom.[57]
In 2019, eOne acquired England-based unscripted company Daisybeck Studios,[58] and U.S. unscripted company Blackfin, hiring its founder and CEO Geno McDermott as president of U.S. alternative programming.[59] Also in 2019, eOne Music acquired Audio Network, a British company involved in the production of music for film and television, for $215 million.[60]
Sale to Hasbro[edit]
On August 22, 2019, American toy and media company 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.[61] The deal was approved by the Ontario Superior Court of Justice. On November 21, 2019, the United Kingdom's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) announced that it would investigate the purchase under British competition law, to determine if it would result in a lessening of competition.[62][63] The sale was completed on December 30, 2019; with eOne becoming a wholly owned subsidiary of Hasbro, and Throop remaining as CEO of eOne, reporting to Hasbro CEO Brian Goldner.[64] The UK CMA cleared the acquisition the following month.[65][66][67] On April 30, 2020, it was reported that eOne had an untitled Transformers animated film in development.[68]
After the acquisition, eOne began to take on development and international distribution roles for content based upon Hasbro properties, such as My Little Pony: Pony Life. Head of family brands Olivier Dumont stated that this was a "very straightforward division of responsibilities in the sense that eOne is the content arm of the group, and Hasbro is the consumer products arm."[69]
On February 10, 2021, it was announced that eOne would be laying off 10% of its film and television staff.[70]
On April 26, 2021, eOne announced that it would sell its music division to The Blackstone Group for $385 million.[71] The acquisition was closed in June 2021, after which it was renamed MNRK Music Group.[72]
On June 29, 2022, it was reported that Entertainment One was closing its theatrical distribution operations in Canada and Spain, with minor layoffs taking place in Canada; Entertainment One continues to acquire films in these territories for non-theatrical distribution.[73]
On August 22, 2022, it was reported that Hasbro was seeking to sell or restructure its media assets, and it was announced that CEO Darren Throop would be stepping down at the end of the year.[74]
Sale to Lionsgate[edit]
On November 17, 2022, Hasbro announced that it planned to sell most of eOne's film and television assets, as part of a plan to "focus on strategic investment in key franchise brands". The sale excludes the assets of eOne's Family & Brands division, which had been folded into Hasbro's merchandising and licensing business to create a new subsidiary, Hasbro Entertainment.[75][76][77]
In March 2023, Deadline reported that Lionsgate, Fremantle, and Legendary Entertainment were among the leading suitors.[78] Lionsgate, another film studio founded in Canada, previously reached an agreement with Hasbro to co-finance a film based on the Monopoly board game with Allspark Pictures in 2015.[79] Hasbro would later attempt to acquire Lionsgate in 2017.
The following month, it was reported that Fremantle had dropped out of contention after the selling price escalated beyond what the company was willing to pay, but that CVC Capital Partners and GoDigital Media Group had also entered the running.[80] On April 20, 2023, it was reported that Hasbro was in talks with Throop, who made a bid backed by CVC Capital Partners to buy the company back.[81]
In July 2023, Deadline reported that Lionsgate was a frontrunner to acquire Entertainment One, with Legendary Entertainment and GoDigital still among the potential buyers, and Throop attempting to launch another bid for the company after his previous attempt with CVC failed.[82] In July 2023, it was reported that Entertainment One was closing down distribution operations in the UK, with British staff layoffs also taking place as part of budget cuts and layoffs by Hasbro.[83]
On August 3, 2023, Hasbro announced that it had reached an agreement to sell eOne's entertainment assets to Lionsgate for $500 million: Lionsgate would pay $375 million in cash and assume $125 million in production financing loans. The deal closed on December 27, 2023.[76][84] Following the acquisition, eOne was rebranded to eOne Canada[85] (a name previously used while under Hasbro ownership), eOne Films became part of Lionsgate Films, and eOne Television merged into Lionsgate Alternative Television.[4]
On June 7, 2024, it was exclusively revealed to Playback that eOne Canada was rebranded as Lionsgate Canada.[86] In an interview, president of television Jocelyn Hamilton said "It just makes sense. Lionsgate is domiciled in Canada and now we’re adding to that to make this an even stronger and bigger entity here. We’re still a separate entity and a Canadian business." The "eOne" brand remains in use outside of Canada.[6]
Entertainment One (2010–2015)
Entertainment One (2015–2024, still used on eOne Films)
Alternative variant (2015–2024, still used on eOne Films)
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Lionsgate Canada
- Records On Wheels Limited (1973–2001)
- ROW Entertainment (2001–2005)
- Entertainment One Income Fund (2005–2009)
- E1 Entertainment (2009–2010)
- Entertainment One (2010–2023)
- eOne Canada (2023–2024)
LSE: ETO
- Koch Entertainment
- Contender Entertainment Group
- Medusa Communications & Marketing
- Alliance Films
- Phase 4 Films
1973
- Vito Ierullo
- Don Ierullo
- Darren Throop
Canada
- Jocelyn Hamilton (president)
-
- Film
- Television
- Virtual reality
- Live entertainment
£941.2 million (2019)[1]
- Hasbro (2019–2023)
- Lionsgate (2023–2024)
- Lionsgate Studios (2024–present)
eOne Films
2007
Worldwide
Formerly
- Barna-Alper Productions Inc. (1980–2009)
- E1 Television BAP Ltd. (2009–2010)
- Barna-Alper Productions
- Blueprint Entertainment
- Oasis International
- Atlantis Communications
1980
- Laszlo Barna
- Laura Alper
2024
Folded into Lionsgate Television
- John Morayniss
- (CEO)
Barna-Alper Releasing
E1 Kids (2009–2010)
Entertainment One Family (2010–2015)
- Claster Television
- Saban Entertainment
- Rubber Duck Entertainment
- Hasbro Entertainment (first incarnation)
- Saban Brands
- Allspark
2009
August 16, 2023
Folded into Hasbro Entertainment
Hasbro Entertainment
Olivier Dumont (president)
Entertainment One (2009–2023)