Sony Wonder

Sony Wonder (founded as Sony Kids’ Music) is the kids and family entertainment label of Sony Pictures Home Entertainment and the former record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment.

Sony Wonder
FormerlySony Kids’ Music/Video (1992-93)
TypeSubsidiary
IndustryEntertainment
FoundedFebruary 1992 (1992-02)
FounderLinda Morgenstern
DefunctMarch 2007 (2007-03)
Headquarters
New York City, New York
,
United States
ProductsFamily films
OwnerSony Pictures Entertainment (2007–present)
ParentSony Music Entertainment (1992–2007)
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2007–present)
Websitewww.sonypictures.com/familyfun

Despite the similarity in name, Sony Wonder is not directly related to the former Sony Wonder Technology Lab, an interactive technology and entertainment museum, although the museum was also owned by Sony.

History

Sony Music Video launched its Sony Kids' Music and Sony Kids' Video labels in February 1992 after months of planning under the banner SMV Children's Library. Artists signed to Sony Kids' Music at launch included Dan Crow, Tom Chapin, Tom Paxton, Kevin Roth, Rory, and Lois Young, who would all release product in the spring.[1] After Sony Music Video dissolved in October, Sony Kids' Music and Video were coordinated and marketed through Epic Records beginning in January 1993.[2] On May 22, 1993, Nickelodeon signed a long-term agreement with Epic Records to distribute home video and audio titles through Sony Music.[3]

On July 3, Sony Kids' Music and Video were merged as Sony Wonder; Sony Wonder's president Ted Green sought new strategic alliances like their one with Nickelodeon.[4][5][6] On April 24, 1995, Children's Television Workshop entered a long-term agreement to distribute Sesame Street videos, music, and books through Sony Wonder, while Columbia Pictures began development on two CTW films which would be released on video by Columbia TriStar Home Video. Sony Wonder also took over distribution of Random House Home Video titles in April.[7]

On July 29, Nickelodeon and Sony Wonder launched Nick Jr. Video with three titles based on Eureeka's Castle, Gullah Gullah Island, and Allegra's Window; an audio line launched on March 26, 1996.[8] In 1996, two years after Viacom's acquisition of Paramount Communications, the owners of Paramount Pictures,[9] Sony Wonder's deal with Nickelodeon expired, leaving Nickelodeon and Nick Jr. videos and DVDs to be distributed by Paramount Home Video (and CIC Video internationally until 1999).[10]

On August 2, 1997, Sony Wonder entered a long-term worldwide joint venture with Together Again Video Productions to create and distribute new and previous Kidsongs titles, starting with 20 new episodes of the The Kidsongs Television Show.[11] On December 27, Sony Wonder and Golden Books Family Entertainment joined forces to release hit titles from Golden Books' catalog starting in spring 1998;[12] the pact continued with Classic Media after they acquired Golden Books.

The company was also the distributor (in Canada only) for series produced by Cinar, such as Wimzie's House, Madeline, A Bunch of Munsch, The Busy World of Richard Scarry and Caillou.[13]

On May 4, 1998, Sony Wonder bought Sunbow Entertainment,[14] which had produced various shows based on Hasbro's toy lines but whose original programming had mostly under-performed. On October 3, 2000, TV-Loonland acquired the Sunbow library along with Sony Wonder's other television business assets. As part of the deal, Sony kept the North American home video and international audio rights to its library.[15][16][17] On May 14, 2008, Hasbro acquired the Sunbow programs based on its properties, which are now part of the Hasbro Studios library.[18][19][20][21]

In 2009, TV-Loonland filed for insolvency.[22] In 2011, Loonland sold its catalogue to m4e AG.[23] In February 2017, Studio 100 acquired a majority stake in m4e AG. Studio 100 currently holds the television rights to most of the Loonland catalogue, including Sunbow and Sony Wonder.[24]

Transfer to Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

On March 13, 2007, Sony BMG announced that it was shutting down Sony Wonder to focus on its core music business.[19][20][21] However, on June 20, 2007, it was announced that Sony Wonder became a division of Sony Pictures Home Entertainment as its kids’- and family-entertainment label.[25][26] Classic Media's, Sesame Workshop's and Random House's video deals were sold to Genius Products for an undisclosed amount, and later to Vivendi Entertainment.[26] Sesame Workshop's properties are currently distributed by Shout Factory.[27][28]

Classic Media's properties are currently distributed by Universal Studios Home Entertainment, after Comcast acquired DreamWorks Animation in 2016.

After 2010, the Sony Wonder label went dormant, but it was brought back in 2014 for the direct-to-video The Swan Princess film series.

Notes and references
  1. https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/90s/1992/Billboard-1992-02-22.pdf (page 10)
  2. https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/90s/1993/Billboard-1993-01-23.pdf (page 12)
  3. https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/90s/1993/Billboard-1993-05-22.pdf (page 10)
  4. "Sony Wonder Restructures (page 120)" (PDF). July 17, 1993.
  5. "The Free Library" SONY WONDER ANNOUNCES EAGERLY AWAITED DEBUT OF NICKELODEON'S PREMIER PROGRAMMING ON HOME VIDEO & AUDIO WITH THE LAUNCH OF THE NICK COLLECTION thefreelibrary.com, Retrieved on August 29, 2013
  6. Ayscough, Suzan (1993-07-07). "Sony Wonder to issue Nick fare on vid/audio". Variety. Retrieved 2013-08-29.
  7. "Big Bird & Friends Land In Sony Wonder's Nest (page 4/92)" (PDF). May 6, 1995.
  8. "EBSCO Host" 7/22/95 Sony Wonder, Nickelodeon launch Nick Junior video connection.ebscohost.com, Retrieved on August 29, 2013
  9. During this period, two companies named Viacom have owned Paramount. The original Viacom owned the studio until 2006, when the new Viacom (spun off from the old one, which was renamed CBS Corporation) assumed ownership of Paramount, along with MTV Networks and BET Networks.)
  10. Matzer, Marla "EBSCO Host" 6/03/96 Sony, Nick are quits connection.ebscohost.com, Retrieved on August 29, 2013
  11. "Sony Wonder Signs On To Sing 'Kidsongs' Praises In Together Again Deal". August 2, 1997.
  12. "Sony Wonder And Golden Books Form Kid-Vid Pact (page 14/89)". December 27, 1997.
  13. "CINAR CORPORATION RENEWS HOME ENTERTAINMENT DEAL WITH SONY WONDER CANADA". October 2, 2000.
  14. Schneider, Michael "EBSCO Host" 05/04/98 Sony Wonder gets animated connection.ebscohost.com, Retrieved on August 29, 2013
  15. Saint Marc, Francoise Meaux (2000-10-03). "MIPCOM: TV-Loonland acquires Sony Wonder". ScreenDaily. Retrieved 2012-05-22.
  16. "TV Loonland buys up Sony Wonder units". Variety. 2000-10-03. Retrieved 2013-08-29.
  17. "Broadcast" 6 October 2000 TV-Loonland takes on Sony's Sunbow broadcastnow.co.uk, Retrieved on August 30, 2013
  18. "Hasbro Reacquires Sunbow Cartoons". ICv2. 2008-05-14. Retrieved 2013-04-06.
  19. Arnold, Thomas K. (2007-03-14). "Kids label Sony Wonder going under: sources". Reuters. Retrieved 2016-01-18.
  20. Arnold, Thomas K. (2007-03-14). "Sony ceases Wonder label". Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2016-01-18.
  21. Ball, Ryan (2007-03-15). "Sony Wonder Closing Shop?". Animation Magazine. Retrieved 2013-08-30.
  22. Roxborough, Scott (2009-12-09). "TV Loonland files for bankruptcy protection". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2015-07-19.
  23. Getzler, Wendy Goldman (2011-04-05). "m4e acquires TV Loonland content library". Kidscreen.
  24. https://www.licenseglobal.com/industry-news/studio-100-takes-stake-m4e
  25. "SPHE absorbs Wonder label". Variety. 2007-06-21. Retrieved 2013-12-08.
  26. DeMott, Rick (2007-07-11). "Sony Home Ent. Takes Over Sony Wonder". Animation World Network. Retrieved 2013-08-28.
  27. "TVShowsOnDVD.com - Goodbye". www.tvshowsondvd.com.
  28. https://deadline.com/2018/08/sesame-workshop-and-shout-factory-reach-multi-year-distribution-deal-1202436613
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