Video Collection International

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Video Collection International
Fate Merged
Founded 1984
Defunct 2006 (Estimated)
Location United Kingdom

Video Collection International is a video company based in the UK. It was formed in 1984 and established in 1985. Originally part of the Prestwick Group, based in New Southgate, London, it was subject to an MBO (management buyout)headed by Steve Ayres, the MD (later CEO) Paddy Twoomey (Ex Woolworths/EUK) and Ivan Dunleavy (Finance Director) The vision of 'Sell Through Video' was born with the strong Woolworths association driving the retail sales.

With these three individuals at the helm, the company expanded rapidly, securing the market lead in retail video sales throughout the late 1980s into mid 1990s

The company mainly served as a publisher for ITV television programmes which later launched the Central Video, Thames Video, and Channel 4 Video labels in the process. In the early 1990s, it launched the Cinema Club label, which mainly consigned of re-releases of films from the late 1960s/early 1970s, which would normally be from Columbia TriStar.

After suffering financial losses in 1995 it received an overhaul and the company name changed to VCI and with it the Central Video label was discontinued; Cinema Club was discontinued in 1999 and was re-established under the FilmFour name. In 1998, it began releasing DVDs. The company split into two arms; publishing (VCI) based in Dean Street, London, and VCI Distribution, which also handled third party distribution for 'labels' outside its own stable, based in Watford and the old premises in New Southgate

Soon after, Thames Video was discontinued and the Granada Media label was introduced and would soon appear on most VCI titles, whereas Channel 4 Video (or also called 4 DVD) became a separate company.

Following the formation of ITV plc in 2004, the Granada Ventures division was created. In 2006, Granada Ventures launched the ITV DVD label in place of Granada. VCI, by now, had become part of the Woolworths Group. BBC Worldwide and Woolworths Group merged VCI with BBC Video to create 2entertain Video, part of their new joint venture company 2entertain.

[edit] The videos in the Video Collection