DreamWorks Classics

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Classic Media, LLC, also known as DreamWorks Classics, is an American entertainment company owned by DreamWorks Animation, a subsidiary of Universal Pictures, a division of NBCUniversal, which in turn is a subsidiary of Comcast. Founded in 2000 by Eric Ellenbogen and John Engelman,<ref name="DeMott1">Template:Cite web</ref> The studio's library consists of acquired intellectual property catalogs and character brands, as well as the licensing rights for various third-party properties. In 2012, Boomerang Media sold Classic Media to DreamWorks Animation, and began trading under the name DreamWorks Classics (the legal name is still Classic Media, LLC).<ref name="Verrier">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="Acuna">Template:Cite web</ref> DreamWorks Animation became a subsidiary of NBCUniversal in 2016.<ref name="McNary">Template:Cite web</ref>

History

Classic Media was founded by Eric Ellenbogen and John Engelman in May 2000 after acquiring the United Productions of America (UPA) catalog and assets from the estate of Henry Saperstein.<ref name="DeMott1"/> Frank Biondi, the former head of Universal Studios, and film producer Steve Tisch invested in the company.<ref name="icv2">Template:Cite web</ref> Classic Media then bought most assets of The Harvey Entertainment Company on March 11, 2001.<ref name=icv2/><ref name="DeMott2">Template:Cite web</ref> On August 16, 2001, Classic Media and Random House won a joint bid for the assets of Western Publishing, with Classic Media acquiring the entertainment division (including the Dell Comics and Gold Key Comics libraries<ref name="DeMott3">Template:Cite web</ref>) and Random House acquiring the Little Golden Books publishing properties. Classic then purchased the rights to the Jay Ward characters and formed Bullwinkle Studios, a joint venture with Jay Ward Productions, to manage them sometime in 2002.<ref name="DeMott4">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="cnn">Template:Cite web</ref> On October 31, 2003, Classic Media purchased the assets of the bankrupt Big Idea Entertainment catalog.<ref name="chicagotribune2003">Template:Cite web</ref> By 2007, Bullwinkle Studios became converted to a functioning studio.<ref name="Verrier"/><ref name="Elliot">Template:Cite news</ref>

On April 7, 2005, the company underwent a recapitalization led by a group of investors, including Spectrum Equity Investors and existing investors headed by Pegasus Capital Advisors. Additionally, a senior debt facility of $100 million was secured through a bank group led by JP Morgan Chase Bank. With the deal, Spectrum became the majority owner over the existing investors, with a representative on the company board of directors.<ref name="DeMott3"/>

In August 2006, Classic Media announced a joint venture with ION Media Networks, NBCUniversal, Corus Entertainment and book publisher Scholastic Corporation to launch Qubo, a kids' entertainment network.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

On December 14, 2006, it was announced that Classic Media would be acquired by UK-based rival Entertainment Rights for $210.0 million.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Before the acquisition was completed, both companies announced distribution and production agreements with Genius Products LLC, replacing the Sony Wonder deal.<ref>Template:Cite press release</ref>

Entertainment Rights fell in to administration on April 1, 2009. On the same day, Boomerang Media LLC, formed by Ellenbogen and Engelman in 2008 with equity funding from GTCR, announced that it would acquire Entertainment Rights' principal UK and American subsidiaries, including Classic Media, Inc. and Big Idea Entertainment, from its administrators.<ref name="Daswani">Template:Cite web</ref> On May 11, 2009, Boomerang Media announced that the former UK and American subsidiaries of Entertainment Rights would operate as a unified business under the name Classic Media, while Big Idea would operate under its own name.<ref name="homemedia"/><ref name="awn"/>

On February 20, 2010, Classic Media purchased the then-upcoming manga-inspired television series My Life Me from the bankrupt TV-Loonland AG.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Classic Media bought the Noddy<ref name="guardian1">Template:Cite web</ref> and Olivia brands on March 7 and 19, respectively in 2012 from Chorion.<ref name="cartoonbrew">Template:Cite web</ref>

Sale to DreamWorks Animation (2012–present)

On July 23, 2012, DreamWorks Animation announced that they would acquire Classic Media for $155 million from Boomerang Media, with the deal closing in September of that year.<ref name="Verrier"/><ref name="Acuna"/> Afterwards, Classic Media began trading as DreamWorks Classics to associate itself with its parent company, although the parent company remains under the Classic Media name.

On October 3, 2012, DreamWorks Classics made its first post-DreamWorks sale by securing licensing and distribution rights to Studio Hari's The Owl & Co outside of France and other French-speaking territories.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

On September 17, 2013, DreamWorks Animation announced they had purchased the programming library of the British animation studio Chapman Entertainment, and placed distribution through DreamWorks' UK-based TV distribution operation.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

On June 18, 2014, DreamWorks Animation bought the Felix the Cat brand and added it to the DreamWorks Classics portfolio.<ref name="licensemag1">Template:Cite web</ref>

On April 28, 2016, NBCUniversal announced it would buy out DreamWorks Animation in a $3.8 billion deal.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The buyout was completed on August 22.<ref name="McNary"/>

In January 2020, Classic Media pre-sold streaming rights to three series; Lassie, George of the Jungle and Mr. Magoo, by CBS All Access (now as Paramount+).<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Libraries

Catalogs

• United Productions of America (UPA) (Mr. Magoo, Gerald McBoing-Boing, and Dick Tracy)<ref name="DeMott1"/> (excluding theatrical shorts which are still owned by Sony Pictures via Columbia Pictures, and theatrical films owned by third-party companies)
  • Several Godzilla films (under license from Toho)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• The library of The Harvey Entertainment Company (under Harvey Entertainment, Inc.) (Casper the Friendly Ghost, Little Audrey, Richie Rich and Baby Huey)<ref name="icv2"/><ref name="DeMott2"/> (excluding co-productions owned by third-party companies and the live-action business)
• Golden Books Family Entertainment/Western Publishing/Gold Key Comics (Pat the Bunny, Magnus, Robot Fighter, Doctor Solar, Man of the Atom, Turok and Little Lulu),<ref name="DeMott3"/><ref name="DeMott4"/><ref name="cnn"/> including:
  • Broadway Video's former family entertainment library (Lassie, The Lone Ranger and Sergeant Preston of the Yukon),<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> including:
    • The pre-1974 Tomorrow Entertainment library
      • The pre-September 1974 Rankin/Bass Productions library (Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, The Little Drummer Boy, Frosty the Snowman, Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town and others)Template:Citation needed
    • Color Systems Technology, Inc. (Felix the Cat, The Mighty Hercules, The Count of Monte Cristo, The Man in the Iron Mask, Brewster's Millions)
    • Total TeleVision productions (Underdog and Tennessee Tuxedo and His Tales)Template:Citation needed (excluding the 2007 Underdog film, owned by Walt Disney Pictures)
  • Shari Lewis Enterprises (The Shari Lewis Show, Lamb Chop's Play-Along and The Charlie Horse Music Pizza)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• Big Idea Entertainment (VeggieTales, 3-2-1 Penguins! and Larryboy: The Cartoon Adventures)<ref name="chicagotribune2003"/>
• Entertainment Rights,<ref name="Daswani"/> including:
  • Carrington Productions International
  • Link Entertainment
  • Filmation (The Archie Show, Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe and BraveStarr)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> (excluding third-party licensed properties)
  • Woodland Animations (Postman Pat, Gran, Bertha and Charlie Chalk)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
  • Tell-Tale Productions (including Boo!, but excluding the rights to Tweenies, owned by BBC Studios)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
  • Sleepy Kids (Dr. Zitbag's Transylvania Pet Shop, Budgie the Little Helicopter and Potsworth & Co.)
  • Maddocks Animation (The Family-Ness, Jimbo and the Jet-Set, Penny Crayon and The Caribou Kitchen)
  • Other programs formerly under Entertainment Rights that were produced by other production companies, such as The Basil Brush Show
• The Chapman Entertainment library (Fifi and the Flowertots, Roary the Racing Car, Little Charley Bear and Raa Raa the Noisy Lion)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Character brands

• Noddy<ref name="guardian1"/>
• Olivia<ref name="cartoonbrew"/>
• Felix the Cat<ref name="licensemag1"/> (via the Golden Books catalog)
• Where's Waldo?<ref name=DWAPress>Template:Cite press release</ref>
• Rupert Bear<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• Masters of the Universe characters (via the Filmation catalog; under license from Mattel)Template:Citation needed
• Roger RamjetTemplate:Citation needed

Joint ventures

• Bullwinkle Studios, a joint venture with Jay Ward Productions to produce and manage the Jay Ward catalog (including The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle, Mr. Peabody & Sherman, Dudley Do-Right and George of the Jungle).<ref name="Verrier"/><ref name="Elliot"/> DreamWorks' partnership with Bullwinkle Studios ended in February 2022 when the Ward estate partnered with WildBrain.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> DreamWorks continues to own its co-productions with Bullwinkle Studios.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Other rights

• My Life Me<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• OOglies (worldwide distribution excluding UK television rights)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• Theodore Tugboat
• Tracy Beaker Returns (worldwide distribution excluding UK television rights)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• The Tribune Content Agency catalog (including Dick Tracy (via the UPA catalogue), Brenda Starr, Reporter, Gasoline Alley and Broom-Hilda)<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• Voltron<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> (under license from World Events Productions)
• The Owl & Co (Worldwide distribution excluding French-speaking territories)

External links

• Template:Official website