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 Logo used since 2023 | |
| Shout! Studios | |
| Formerly |
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| Company type | Private |
| Industry | Entertainment |
| Founded | April 19, 2002; 22 years ago (April 19, 2002) |
| Founders |
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| Headquarters | Los Angeles,California, U.S. |
Key people | |
| Products |
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| Brands |
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| Owner | Shout! Factory, LLC[1] |
| Divisions |
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| Subsidiaries |
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| Website | www |
Shout! Factory, LLC,doing business asShout! Studios (formerly doing business asShout! Factory, its current legal name) is an Americanhome video and music distributor founded in 2002 asRetropolis Entertainment. Its video releases, issued inDVD orBlu-ray format, include previously released feature films, classic and contemporary television series, animation, live music, and comedy specials. Considered aboutique Blu-ray label,[2][3] Shout! Studios, in addition to its mainline home video releases, also releases films under the sublabels Scream (forhorror film releases), Shout! Select, and Shout! Kids.
Shout! Studios owns and operates Westchester Films, Timeless Media Group,Biograph Records,Majordomo Records, and Video Time Machine.
Their releases are currently distributed byStudio Distribution Services, a joint venture betweenUniversal Pictures Home Entertainment andWarner Bros. Home Entertainment, via a distribution deal with Universal Pictures Home Entertainment since mid-2010s.
Retropolis Entertainment was founded in April 2002 by Bob Emmer, Garson Foos, and Richard Foos, three principals fromRhino Records,[4] as the company was negotiating with the five majors for distribution. After selling Rhino toWarner Bros., the three set out to launch a new retro pop culture label.[5] The company's first product wasRed, White & Rock, a joint release withPBS stationWQED-TV that was produced withWarner Strategic Marketing.[6] In August 2002, Retropolis acquiredBiograph Records.[7] Other early releases included blues and jazz CDs from the Biograph label, aFats Domino CD and DVD, and several documentaries (Superstar: The Life And Times ofAndy Warhol,What Happened To Kerouac?).[citation needed] Retropolis was renamed Shout! Factory in April 2003. At that time, Shout had signed a press and distribution agreement withSony Music Entertainment.[8] In 2004, Shout! releasedFreaks and Geeks on DVD, the first television series released on DVD for the company. With 18 episodes, it became one of the most expensive DVDs to produce, costing over a million dollars in music licensing.[9] That same year, they released William Shatner's albumHas Been andSCTV box sets.[10]
In 2004, Shout! Factory released an expanded two-disc version ofJim Croce's first record, theFacets album.[11] In 2004, Shout! purchased the rights to the animated seriesHome Movies and released each season set, and ultimately a complete series box.[12] Other notable releases included a pair ofThe Electric Company multidisc sets,[13] the re-envisionedHerb Alpert'sWhipped Cream & Other Delights Rewhipped,[citation needed] a series ofElvira's Movie Macabre DVDs[14] and the first of what would be three cover CDs withMatthew Sweet andSusanna Hoffs, calledUnder The Covers Vol. 1; Sweet himself was also added as a featured solo artist.[15] Shout! acquired the rights to several other television series likePunky Brewster,[16]The Weird Al Show,[17] andAmerica's Funniest Home Videos.[18]
In 2005, Shout! Factory obtained the rights to Herb Alpert's catalog, launching the Herb Alpert Signature Series of CDs. These includedThe Lonely Bull,South of the Border,Lost Treasures,Whipped Cream & Other Delights and others.[19] They also got the rights to talk show hostDick Cavett's library and started releasing theme sets focused on rock icons,Ray Charles (including all his visits to the show),[20]John Lennon andYoko Ono,[21] and others.[22] They also jumped into children's animation with a deal withDIC Entertainment.C.O.P.S. The Animated Series andHeathcliff And the Catillac Cats were the first releases from that deal.[23] On the sports side, they entered into a licensing deal withMajor League Baseball, releasing themed andWorld Series DVDs through 2010 and then again from 2016 till present.[24]
By 2007, classic TV on DVD was a major focus, with season sets ofBlossom[25]McHale's Navy[26] andIronside,[27] an authorized collection ofThe Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet,[28] and themed and actor-specific editions ofInside the Actors Studio hitting shelves.[29] Meanwhile, they also started releasingMickey Hart's catalogs.[30]
In March 2008, Shout! bought theHightone Records catalog and added artistsTom Russell,Joe Ely, andRosie Flores to its brand.[31] At the same time, the company was ramping up its place as a children's animation destination and continuing with a TV on DVD schedule.[citation needed] It took over theMystery Science Theater 3000 DVD series and released a 20th Anniversary set and have continued to put out box sets of episodes never before released on DVD.[32]
In 2009, Shout! reached another milestone when it struck a deal with toy and board game companyHasbro, releasing the originalTransformers andG.I. Joe animated-series box sets. That same year, it released the firstMy Little Pony DVD,My Little Pony: Twinkle Wish Collection.[33] Shout! continued to release several Hasbro properties, including the seriesMy Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, until January 1, 2019, when it released its last DVD for that series,Hearts and Hooves.
In 2011, Shout! Factory made another landmark deal when they struck a deal withNickelodeon to release the live action sitcomHey Dude[34] and the animated NicktoonsRocko's Modern Life,[35]Aaahh!!! Real Monsters,[36]Hey Arnold!,[37]The Angry Beavers,[38]CatDog,[39]The Wild Thornberrys,[40]The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius,[41] andDanny Phantom.[42]
In May 2012, Shout! Factory signed an agreement withSaban Brands to distribute theBeetleborgs,Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation,Power Rangers andVR Troopers catalogs in North America.[43] It also started releasing titles by Marvel (Super Hero Squad Show,Marvel Knights).[citation needed] In the same month, the company acquired Oregon-based home entertainment companyTimeless Media Group, adding more programs to its expanding catalog, such asThe Red Skelton Show,Peter Gunn,The Gene Autry Show,The Virginian,Wagon Train,Laramie, andThe Roy Rogers Show, among others.[44]
In June 2012, Shout! Factory announced a horror label called Scream Factory, specializing in classic and cult horror films on discs such asHalloween II,Halloween III: Season of the Witch,They Live,The Howling,Lifeforce,Deadly Eyes, and others.[45] The horror titles, both new and old, were licensed from major studios such asMGM,Fox, andUniversal.[citation needed] In mid-June 2012, Shout! andFred Seibert acquired Video Time Machine, a year and genre media-based iOS app, from Original Victories Inc.[46]
In July 2013, Shout! Factory acquired the U.S. and Canadian distribution rights to theITC Entertainment library as part of a deal withITV Studios Global Entertainment.[47][48]
In 2014, the success Shout! was having with complete-series box sets of such series asAll in the Family,Route 66,[49] andBarney Miller[50] extended to such properties asThe Bob Newhart Show,[51]Hill Street Blues,[52] and a Blu-Ray release ofPee-Wee's Playhouse[53] andThe Jeffersons.[54] On May 8, 2014, Shout! announced[55] their acquisition of the rights toWKRP in Cincinnati, with the intention of restoring all four seasons of the show "complete" (i.e. complete as legally possible) with their original musical scores.[56] The 2014 release was a monumental event for fans of the show since the original DVD release in 2007 had been mired in squabbles regarding music rights.[57] That same year, Shout! became the distributor ofSuper Sentai in North America.[citation needed] Beginning the following year, Shout! releasedKyōryū Sentai Zyuranger under the name"Super Sentai Zyuranger: The Complete Series" with English subtitles.[citation needed]. In October, Shout! acquired Westchester Films, an independent film company whose library includes the films ofJohn Cassavetes,Elia Kazan, andOrson Welles, as well as some earlyUnited Artists films that were previously owned by the films' producers.[58]
IFC Midnight signed with Scream Factory by February 2015 for home distribution.[59] On February 5, 2015, Shout! Factory launched its flagship TV ad-supported streaming services online and via Roku. Available shows and movies included 16Werner Herzog films,Roger Corman cult films and TV shows includingFather Knows Best andIt's Garry Shandling's Show.[60] In June, a minority stake in the company was taken byCinedigm, while extending their home entertainment platform distribution agreement. Cinedigm and Shout would then relaunch the Factory's streaming service and cross market each other streaming services.[61]
On November 10, 2015, Shout! announced that it had acquired the rights toMystery Science Theater 3000 fromBest Brains Inc. and launched a "Bring Back MST3K"Kickstarter with the goal of producing up to 12 new feature-length episodes of the series, with series creatorJoel Hodgson serving as executive producer.[62] In January 2016,Concord Bicycle Music bought the Hightone from the company.[63] The same year, Shout! Factory had releasedThe Crush of 1993 under subsidiary brand Scream Factory[64] andLong Way North.[65]
The following year, Shout! (via its Westchester Films division) acquired the domestic rights to the entire library ofMorgan Creek Productions (with the exception of the originalYoung Guns, which is still owned byLionsgate, successor to the film's international distributor,Vestron Pictures).[citation needed]
On January 10, 2017, Shout Factory acquired the worldwide television format and ancillary rights toStarcade with plans to reboot the series.[66] On January 17, Shout! Factory announced their acquisition of the broadcast and home media distribution rights for the first threeDigimon Adventure tri. films with plans for a dual-language release on DVD and Blu-ray.[67] On May 18, Shout! Factory acquired the North American distribution rights toIn This Corner of the World, with aU.S. theatrical release to take place on August 11, 2017, co-released byFunimation Films.[68] In October 2017, it was revealed that Shout! Factory would be the distributor forGKIDS' re-releases ofStudio Ghibli films formerly owned by Disney in the US (although Disney has the Asian (including Japan/China/Taiwan) distribution rights themselves, thus replacing the titles' original Japanese theatrical distributors such asToho,Toei andShochiku);[69][70] afterwards, Shout! began distributing other GKIDS films.
On November 13, 2017, Shout! Factory announced the formation of Shout! Studios, a production and distribution arm that specializes in content development.[71] The first films to be distributed under the new banner includeHumor Me,Big Fish & Begonia (partnering with Funimation Films again for theatrical distribution[72])The House of Tomorrow, andBasmati Blues, all slated for a 2018 premiere. In addition to film projects, Shout! Studios will also develop original television productions.
In March 2018, Shout! Factory acquired theNew Horizons film library from its founderRoger Corman; Shout! will distribute this catalog in North America, Europe, Russia and Australia.[73] Shout! also expanded its U.S. and Canadian distribution deal with ITV Studios Global Entertainment to cover over 135 films and TV series from ITV's library, with the exception of select titles thatFilmRise distributed for streaming media, includingHell's Kitchen.[74] In August, Shout! struck a deal withSesame Workshop to distribute theSesame Street home video library, taking over fromWarner Bros. Home Entertainment.[75]
In February 2021, Shout! Factory made a deal with animation studioLaika to release their films on home entertainment in the US. This deal includes Laika's first four films, originally released byFocus Features, as well as brand new bonus material and packaging for each release.[76]
In February 2022, Shout! Factory acquired the US distribution rights to the TV seriesALF, including itsanimated prequel series and its spin-offALF Tales from Alien Productions andLionsgate.[77]
On August 9, 2022, Shout! Factory signed a worldwide distribution deal withThe Jim Henson Company to bring thirteen of Henson's programs and specials to home entertainment and streaming platforms in all territories, includingFarscape andThe Storyteller.[78] A similar worldwide distribution agreement with Henson went into effect on January 1, 2024 for streaming, video on demand, broadcast, digital download, packaged media and certain non-theatrical rights for the filmsLabyrinth andThe Dark Crystal, as well as behind the scenes specialsInside the Labyrinth andThe World of the Dark Crystal.[79]
Shout! Factory obtained digital distribution and streaming rights to 189 titles from theHalcyon Studios division ofChicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment on March 27, 2023.[80] On July 6, 2023, Shout! Factory announced that it had signed a North American distribution deal withAardman Animations covering four of Aardman's properties:Morph,Wallace and Gromit (exceptThe Curse of the Were-Rabbit),Shaun the Sheep andTimmy Time.[81] Eight days later, the company announced its rebranding to Shout! Studios to match with its film distribution division.[82] On May 2, 2024, Shout! Studios took over the US distribution rights toTatsunoko Production's 1967 animeSpeed Racer fromCrunchyroll, which began with the digital release of the original television series of the same name and its Japanese-language version on June 1st of that year.[83]
On October 20, 2024, Shout! Factory announced they had signed a muli-title distribution deal withNash Entertainment to bring a library of unscripted shows to streaming and other platforms all over the world.[84]
As of 2024[update], Shout! Factory has agreements withWarner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment,Paramount Home Entertainment,Universal Pictures Home Entertainment,MGM Home Entertainment,Sony Pictures Home Entertainment,Hasbro Entertainment,GKIDS,Eleven Arts,Sesame Workshop,IFC Films,ITV Studios,Major League Baseball,Motion Picture Corporation of America, the estate ofStephen J. Cannell,[85]The Jim Henson Company, Alien Productions, Library Rights Company (UK), Ltd., the Zelus Film Holding Company (including theIntermedia andLargo Entertainment libraries),[86] Satellite of Love,StudioCanal,Joe Camp,Toei Animation,Toei Company,Laika,Aardman Animations andTatsunoko Production.
Releases under these agreements have included the complete Joss Whedon/John Cassaday series ofAstonishing X-Men, plusThor & Loki: Blood Brothers andIron Man: Extremis on DVD and Blu-ray;[87] the originalTransformers,G.I. Joe,Jem andMy Little Pony cartoons,My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic,Power Rangers,VR Troopers,Sesame Street,Super Sentai,Kamen Rider, some Nickelodeon series likeRocko's Modern Life,Hey Arnold!,The Wild Thornberrys,CatDog,Danny Phantom,Hey Dude,The Angry Beavers,Aaahh!!! Real Monsters,The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius (under license fromParamount Home Entertainment), some Joe Camp in Benji: Ultimate Collection (under license fromMulberry Square Productions),The Magic Snowflake (under license fromLionsgate Home Entertainment in 77 minute format), andGravity Falls (under license fromWalt Disney Studios Home Entertainment in one at a time).
In mid-2012, Shout! Factory announced a horror sub-label called Scream Factory, specializing in classic and cult horror films such asHalloween II,Halloween III: Season of the Witch,They Live,The Howling,Lifeforce,The Return of the Living Dead, and others being released to DVD and Blu-ray.[88]
In July 2020, Shout! Factory announced to have struck a multi-year deal with Alliance Entertainment and Mill Creek Entertainment that granted them the exclusive SVOD and AVOD digital rights to theUltra series, 1,100 episodes and 20 films acquired by Mill Creek the previous year. Shout! Factory will stream the catalog in the United States and Canada through their services, Shout! TV and TokuSHOUTsu.[89]
In 2012, Shout! Factory acquired Oregon-based home entertainment companyTimeless Media Group, adding programs to its ever-expanding catalog:The Red Skelton Show,Peter Gunn,The Gene Autry Show,The Virginian,Wagon Train,Laramie, andThe Roy Rogers Show, among others.[90]
Shout! Factory also acquired blues/roots labelHighTone Records and continued to oversee its back catalog until 2016 whenConcord Bicycle Music bought the label.[91]
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| Other | |
