| Type | Public (AIM: ETO) |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music Film Television Distribution Music Publishing |
| Headquarters | Toronto, Ontario Port Washington, New York |
| Parent | Marwyn Investment Management LLP [1] |
| Subsidiaries | eOne Music eOne Distribution eOne Canada eOne Music Publishing eOne U.S./eOne Home Video eOne Films eOne Television |
| Website | www.e1ent.com |
Entertainment One Ltd, also known as eOne Entertainment, formerly Records on Wheels Limited, Koch Entertainment and E1 Entertainment, is a leading international entertainment business operating in the United States, Canada, the UK, Ireland, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Australia and New Zealand. [2]
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eOne began operations in 1973 in Ontario, Canada, as Records on Wheels Limited (‘ROW’). [3] [4] focusing on retail sales of recorded music. In the late 1970s ROW began to distribute recorded music for third party retailers throughout Canada. Over the next 20+ years, entertainment content distribution became ROW’s primary focus as the company expanded into video, purchasing one of Canada’s largest home entertainment distributors, Video One Canada. In November 2003 ROW listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange as ROW Entertainment Income Fund, and soon after changed its name to Entertainment One Income Fund [5]
In June 2005, Entertainment One Income Fund acquired Koch Entertainment, [6] North America’s largest indie music label and a large U.S. distributor of home entertainment products. The combined company, now called Entertainment One, had a comprehensive U.S.-Canadian distribution network and began acquiring rights for specialty content. In 2007, in a move to fund expansion into independent feature film distribution and rights ownership, eOne was sold to UK-based Marwyn Investment Management and immediately listed on London’s Alternative Investment Market in a $200 million IPO. [7]
In 2007, eOne acquired Montreal-based film distributor Seville Pictures and UK distributor Contender Entertainment and, that same year, the company secured its first film output agreement with Summit Entertainment – a deal which included the future cinematic and home video blockbuster Twilight film series. The acquisitions continued in 2008 with the purchase of leading Benelux distributor RCV Entertainment. That same year, the company created its television arm, purchasing production companies Blueprint and Barna-Alper and international television distributor Oasis International. de:Kleiner Roter Traktor [8]
eOne Films, formerly Koch/Lorber Films, acquires film content rights and distributes these across multiple territories including Canada, the UK, the Netherlands, Belgium and the United States. Distribution channels include: – Theatrical distribution (box office) – Home entertainment (DVD/Blu-ray rental and retail) – TV (broadcasters) – Digital (downloading/VOD)
The ownership of the content rights over a period of up to 25 years enables eOne to maximize the financial return through its growing library of 5,000 feature films and 15,000 third party titles. With 123 theatrical releases in is financial year ending March 31, 2010, the eOne’s film division offers independent film producers an alternative to the model provided by the major studios. This position enables eOne to build competitive advantage in the market and deliver improved cost efficiency at a lower risk. [9]
eOne Television is a television content business with production, international sales, licensing and merchandising capabilities in Canada and the UK.
In Canada, the business sells and distributes both its own productions and third party catalogues to over 500 broadcasters in 150 countries, including the major U.S. networks, Canadian broadcasters and international pay TV providers. With offices in Toronto, LA and London, Entertainment One Television is involved in the creation, production and international distribution of TV content across all genres. eOne has recently made deals with major broadcasters in the U.S. and around the world with series such as Hung for HBO [10], The Bridge, currently airing on CTV [11] and Rookie Blue premiering Summer 2010 on ABC and Canwest. [12] Haven, currently in production, has been picked up by SYFY Channel [13], Canwest and Tele Munchen Group and production recently wrapped on the first season of Call Me Fitz starring Jason Priestly. [14]
Based in New York City, eOne Music, formerly Koch Records, is one of the largest independent music labels in North America.[15] Since its inception as Koch Records, eOne Music has charted over 100 albums on Billboard's Independent Chart, surpassing the number of titles charted by all other U.S. independent labels and was the number one independent label according to Billboard for four consecutive years. The music division covers all musical genres from adult-contemporary to rock, urban to country, children's to classical.
In the UK, eOne Family (formerly E1 Kids) creates, produces and distributes children’s entertainment with broadcasting partners including Nick Jr and Channel 5, across 190 territories including the U.S., Scandinavia, France and Germany. E1’s Peppa Pig franchise is one on the most popular pre-school brands in the UK, surpassing over £100 million in retail sales in the 2009 financial period. [16]
eOne 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 U.S. [17]The division provides distribution services to a wide range of content producers, including the major Hollywood studios. eOne’s distribution division is the largest wholesaler of DVDs, CDs and video games in Canada and the largest independent distributor for video and music in the U.S.
Since listing on AIM, eOne has made a series of acquisitions.
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