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| Formerly |
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|---|---|
| Company type | Joint venture |
| Industry | Public TV |
| Founded | September 7, 1977; 48 years ago (1977-09-07) inNew York City,New York, U.S. |
| Headquarters | , |
| Owners | PBS WGBH Educational Foundation |
| Divisions | PBS International PBS America (JV) |
| Website | www |
PBS Distribution (PBSd), formerly known asPBS Ventures,PBS Home Video, andPublic Media Distribution,[2][3] is the home distribution unit of the American television networkPBS. The company manages streaming channels, video on demand releases, and sellshome videos of PBS series and movies andPBS Kids series in various formats, as well as programming from other public television distributors such asAmerican Public Television and theNational Educational Telecommunications Association.[4]
It is jointly owned by thePublic Broadcasting Service and theWGBH Educational Foundation. PBSd manages the PBS Masterpiece channel on Amazon's Prime Video Channels.[5]
It is currently distributing PBS programs and movies onDVD andBlu-ray (through its distribution partnership withStudio Distribution Services),digital downloads, andstreaming media andPBS Kids programs on DVD and digital downloads.[4][6] In 2017 independent films produced by PBSd were added for theatrical distribution and home video releases.[7]
Established on September 7, 1977, thePBS Home Video, Inc. company originally distributed and soldVHS andBetamax tapes simply on their own.
Starting in 1989, PBS secured a deal withPacific Arts to distribute PBS Home Video's products. In 1994, PBS moved to distribution throughTurner Home Entertainment.[8] In 1996, (after Turner Home Entertainment'sparent company merged withTime Warner), PBS moved toWarner Home Video. Then in 2004, PBS moved its distribution toParamount Home Entertainment.[9]
PBS Home Video was renamedPBS Distribution—PBSd in 2009, and became independent again in 2011. PBSd is jointly owned by PBS and theWGBH Educational Foundation.[4] It is currently distributing PBS programs and movies onDVD,Blu-ray,digital downloads, andvideo on demand andPBS Kids programs on DVD and digital downloads.[4] In 2017 independent films produced by PBSd were added for cinema and home video releases. PBS International offers factual content for broadcast, cable, and satellite services internationally.
On November 1, 2011,PBS UK was launched on BSkyB. Canadian-born entrepreneur David Lyons and PBS Distribution formed a joint venture to run the channel.[10]
After a backlash from filmmakers overWNET's attempts to move independent documentary series to itssecondary station, PBS took feedback from the documentary community and developed anindie film strategy.
ThroughIndependent Lens, PBS acquiredStanley Nelson's documentary filmThe Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution. The history ofThe Black Panthers was especially timely due to the contemporaryBlack Lives Matter movement's growth. The film was first released in theaters in late 2015, then had a special nationwidepublic television premiere in late 2016.[11]
PBSd expanded its operation to included theatrical distribution of documentary films by hiring Erin Owens as PBS Distribution's Head of Theatrical Distribution; and Emily Rothschild as Director of Theatrical Acquisitions and Marketing. Owens and Rothschild had just worked with PBS on Stanley Nelson'sThe Black Panthers distribution.
The operations expansion of PBSd was announced at theSundance Film Festival on 19 January 2017.[7] The company plans to get theatrical and non-theatrical rights for up to six feature-length documentaries to release per year.[12]
PBSd put British show,Jamestown as a streaming first run on PBS Passport and PBS Masterpiece as of March 23, 2018.[5]
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