Paramount Home Entertainment

Paramount Home Entertainment (formerly Paramount Home Media Distribution, and originally Paramount Home Video and Paramount Video) is the home video distribution arm of Paramount Pictures, a division of ViacomCBS.

Paramount Home Entertainment
FormerlyParamount Home Video (1976–1999)
Paramount Video (1982–1987)
Paramount Home Media Distribution (2011-2019)
TypeDivision
IndustryHome media
PredecessorCIC Video (1980–1999)
Founded1976 (1976)
Headquarters
Hollywood, California
,
United States
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Bob Buchi (President)
ProductsHome video releases
ServicesHome video
Digital distribution
ParentParamount Pictures
(ViacomCBS)
WebsiteParamountMovies.com
Footnotes / references
[1]

The division oversees PPC’s home entertainment and transactional digital distribution activities worldwide. The division is responsible for the sales, marketing and distribution of home entertainment content on behalf of Paramount Pictures, Paramount Players, Paramount Animation, Paramount Television Studios, CBS, Showtime, MTV, Nickelodeon, VH1, BET, Comedy Central, and applicable licensing and servicing of certain pre-2010 DreamWorks Pictures, IFC Films, Miramax, and pre-2005 Dimension Films titles. PHE additionally manages global licensing of studio content and transactional distribution across worldwide digital distribution platforms including online, mobile and portable devices and emerging technologies.[2]

History

In the United Kingdom and Australia, the Paramount Pictures film library were released by CIC Video alongside Universal Pictures until 1999 before CIC turned into two separate units: Paramount Home Entertainment International and Universal Studios Home Entertainment International.

From 2004 to 2011 PHE distributed PBS and PBS Kids programs on VHS and DVD.

In 2008, PHE launched a direct-to-video label, Paramount Famous Productions (with the "Famous" part of the name a throwback to the days when the company was called Famous Players).

In 2011, due to a company restructure, PHE was renamed Paramount Home Media Distribution.[3]

In October 2012, it was announced that PHMD and Warner Home Video had signed a distribution deal, allowing Warner to gain U.S. and Canadian DVD, Blu-ray, UltraViolet, Flixster, and DVD-manufacturing-on-demand distribution rights to over 600 Paramount titles. The deal came into effect as of January 1, 2013.[4] The deal however, has expired as of 2017 as evidenced by PHMD titles no longer appearing on Warner Home Video's web store. Distribution of the titles included in the Warner deal have since reverted to PHMD.

In February 2015, PHMD signed a distribution agreement with Universal Pictures Home Entertainment, whereby the latter will distribute the former's titles overseas, particularly the territories where PHMD holds an office. The deal began on July 1, 2015, in the United Kingdom.[5]

On May 27, 2015, IFC Films struck another home video distribution deal with PHMD.[6]

In June 2016, PHMD started releasing Ultra HD Blu-ray discs.

In May 2019, Paramount Home Media Distribution reverted its name back to Paramount Home Entertainment, which is the name they carried from 1999 to 2011.[7]

Following ViacomCBS purchasing 49% stake in Miramax on April 3, 2020, PHE acquired distribution rights to the entire Miramax library, as well as pre-2005 Dimension Films library.

On July 14, 2020, PHE signed a UK home entertainment distribution deal with Elevation Sales (joint-venture between StudioCanal and Lionsgate UK) that began in January 2021.[8]

HD DVD and Blu-ray support

Paramount brands the majority of its HD content under the label 'Paramount High Definition' which is seen both on the title box cover and as an in-movie opening. Films from Paramount subsidiaries such as Nickelodeon Movies and MTV Films as well as from former sister studio DreamWorks use no special branding, Paramount Vantage (another subsidiary) releases only select titles under the Paramount High Definition banner.

In October 2005, Paramount announced that it would be supporting the HD video format Blu-ray in addition to rival format HD DVD, becoming the first studio to release on both formats.[9] Its first four HD DVD releases came in July 2006,[10] and it released four titles on Blu-ray two months later.[11] In August 2007, Paramount (along with DreamWorks and DreamWorks Animation) announced their exclusive support for HD DVD.[12] However, when other studios eventually dropped HD DVD and players for the technology stopped being manufactured, Paramount switched to Blu-ray. In May 2008, it released three titles on Blu-ray and continues to release its high-definition discs in that format exclusively.[13]

References
  1. Arnold, Thomas K. (May 6, 2019). "Home Entertainment Divisions Change Names". Media Play News. Retrieved April 6, 2020.
  2. "Cinnabon & Paramount Home Media are Treating Fans to Ultimate Valentine's Night In" (Press release). Cinnabon. February 6, 2019. Retrieved April 6, 2020.
  3. "Paramount links distribution arms". Variety. September 27, 2011. Retrieved May 28, 2020.
  4. "Warner Bros & Paramount Announce Home Media Distribution Deal". Deadline. October 4, 2012. Retrieved April 6, 2020.
  5. Lieberman, David (February 12, 2015). "Universal To Distribute Paramount's DVD & Blu-ray Discs Abroad". Deadline. Retrieved August 13, 2016.
  6. Kit, Broys (May 27, 2015). "IFC Films Strikes Distribution Deal with Paramount Home Media Distribution". The Hollywood Reporter.
  7. Arnold, Thomas K. (May 6, 2019). "Home Entertainment Divisions Change Names". Media Play News. Retrieved June 10, 2020.
  8. https://screendaily.com/news/paramount-signs-home-entertainment-deal-with-uks-elevation/5151537.article
  9. Rojas, Peter (October 3, 2005). "Paramount says yes to both Blu-ray and HD DVD – Engadget". Engadget. Retrieved January 7, 2010.
  10. "Historical HD DVD Release Dates". High Def Digest. Retrieved January 7, 2010.
  11. "Historical Blu-ray Release Dates". High Def Digest. Retrieved January 7, 2010.
  12. Barnes, Brooks (August 21, 2007). "Two Studios to Support HD DVD Over Rival". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 21, 2007.
  13. Drawbaugh, Ben (May 19, 2008). "Blu-ray releases on May 20th, 2008". Engadget. Archived from the original on July 31, 2009. Retrieved April 6, 2020.
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