Jump to content

Sony Pictures Television

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Gial Ackbar (talk | contribs) at 09:52, 28 January 2015 (revert: unsourced, bad grammar, hard to understand). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Sony Pictures Television Inc.
Company typeDivision of Sony Pictures
IndustryTelevision production
Television syndication
FoundedSeptember 16, 2002
HeadquartersCulver City, California, United States
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Steve Mosko[1]
(President)
Andrea Wong
(President of international production)
OwnerSony Corporation
ParentSony Pictures Entertainment
DivisionsAdelaide Productions
CPT Holdings
Electric Ray
Huaso
Stellify Media
TriStar Productions
Victory Television
Subsidiaries2waytraffic
Califon Productions
Embassy Row
Floresta
Gogglebox Entertainment
Jeopardy Productions
Lean-M
Left Bank Pictures
Starling
Silver River Productions
Teleset
CSC Media Group
WebsiteSPT Website

Sony Pictures Television Inc. (SPT) is an American television production/distribution studio that operates internationally. Based in Culver City, California, it is a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment, which is part of the Japanese conglomerate Sony.

Background

In addition to the Sony Pictures Entertainment film library, SPT owns and distributes the shows from Tandem Productions, ELP Communications (from T.A.T. to ELP Communications), TeleVentures, Merv Griffin Enterprises, Four D Productions, Barris Industries, Barry & Enright Productions, Stewart Tele Enterprises, and 2waytraffic.

The company also operates the three SPE Networks: AXN, Animax, and Sony Entertainment Television.

SPT owns 58% of cable channel GSN (with DirecTV),[2] owner of Crackle, and jointly owns the rights to most of the post-1947 Bob Hope film library such as My Favorite Brunette, The Lemon Drop Kid, The Seven Little Foys, The Great Lover, and Son of Paleface with FremantleMedia.

Joining Jeff Arnold (founder of WebMD) and Dr. Mehmet Oz, SPT co-founded the online QA platform Sharecare, where users have their health and wellness-related questions answered by industry experts and institutions such as AARP, the American Cancer Society, the American Heart Association, the American Red Cross, the Cleveland Clinic and Johns Hopkins.[3] Additional co-founders in Sharecare include Harpo Productions, Discovery Communications, and HSW International.[4]

As of 2013, in Australia, SPT have non-exclusive licensing deals to replay movie and television content from television broadcasters, the Seven Network.

History

SPT was first known as Pioneer Telefilms in 1947, which was made by Ralph Cohn, who was the son of Jack Cohn, and nephew of Harry Cohn, the co-founders of Columbia Pictures. Columbia bought Pioneer and renamed it to Screen Gems in 1948, reincorporated as Columbia Pictures Television on May 6, 1974,[5] and merged with sister studio TriStar Television (formed in 1986 and relaunched in 1991) to form Columbia TriStar Television on February 21, 1994.[6] The name was changed to reflect the Sony brand on September 16, 2002.[7]

On November 24, 2004, Sony Pictures Television International formed a joint venture called Huaso with Hua Long Film Digital Production Co., Ltd. of the China Film Group that's based in Beijing, China.[8][9]

From 2005 until 2006, SPT also distributed MGM's TV shows and movie library (due in part to the Sony-led consortium's purchase of MGM). In 2006, SPT joined forces with Program Partners to handle ad-sales and distribution rights to foreign television series in the U.S., mostly shows produced in Canada. The same year, SPT signed Embassy Row a 3-year deal with for new game shows, game show revivals, and scripted and non-scripted series.

In Summer 2007, SPT introduced The Minisode Network; a digital channel for MySpace airing shows from the 1960s to early 2000s from four to five minutes. In Winter 2007, The Minisode Network was also added to a few more sites like AOL TV, YouTube, and its sister site Crackle site.

On March 27, 2008, SPTI acquired a minority stake in new started production company Gogglebox Entertainment, a production company founded by two former Lion Television executives, Matt Steiner and Adam Wood.[10][11] On June 4, 2008, SPT bought Hilversum, Netherlands-based production company 2waytraffic, international holders of the Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? franchise.[12]

On January 14, 2009, SPT acquired Embassy Row, a television and digital production company by British television producer Michael Davies. Fourteen days later, SPTI acquired a 50% stake in Colombian independent TV production company Teleset.[13] Three months later on April 1, Sony Pictures Entertainment consolidated its US and international television divisions into one roof. Sony Pictures Television International now operates in-name-only.[14]

On June 23, 2011, SPT formed Victory Television, a London-based television production company that's a joint venture with Victoria Ashbourne, who was the senior vice president of creative development for international production of SPT.[15] On September 25, 2011, Andrea Wong was tapped to head the international television production division of Sony Pictures Television to oversee all international businesses for the studio.[16]

On January 19, 2012, SPT acquired Dolphin Broadcast Services Ltd. and Dolphin was merged into Sony Pictures Television’s existing UK networks business. SPT also took a majority stake in Dolphin’s advertising sales business.[17][18] On March 1, 2012, SPT acquired a majority stake in UK independent production company Silver River Productions.[19] On May 31, SPT will launch Sony Movie Channel and AXN in Canada in partnership with Hollywood Suite. Two of Hollywood Suite's networks: Hollywood Festival will re-launch as Sony Movie Channel and Hollywood Storm as AXN Movies on September 4, 2012.[20] On August 23, 2012, SPT acquired a majority stake in Left Bank Pictures, a UK production company founded by Andy Harries, Francis Hopkinson, and Marigo Kehoe.[21][22]

On August 22, 2013, Sony Pictures Television acquired a majority stake in Simon Andrae's start up production company, Scarlet Media.[23] However, two months later, Andrae dropped his plans for Scarlet and was tapped to become executive vice-president of alternative entertainment for Fox.[24] On December 16, 2013, Tuvalu Media joined forces with financing firm Karmign and acquired SPT's 60% stakes to regain independence. SPT acquired 60% in Tuvalu in 2008.[25]

On January 15, 2014, former BBC entertainment commissioner Karl Warner teamed up with SPT to launch Electric Ray. Electric Ray will collaborate with SPT's U.S. and international companies on development for factual entertainment and entertainment. All of Electric Ray's formats and series will be exported by SPT. The new company name was the nickname for Warner's father, who was an electrician.[26][27] On March 20, 2014, SPT joined forces with execs Kieran Doherty and Matt Worthy to form Stellify Media. The new venture will be based in Northern Ireland. Just like Electric Ray, Stellify Media will collaborate with SPT's other production companies and UK shows and formats will be exported by SPT's distribution arm.[28] On June 26, 2014, SPT announced to acquire CSC Media Group including 16 of its cable channels.[29] the deal closed on August 15, 2014[30]

Television channels

These are the networks owned & operated and jointly operated by Sony Pictures Television. For channels owned under CSC Media Group, see CSC Media Group.

  • GSN (58%): Launched on December 1, 1994. Jointly owned by DirecTV (42%).
  • Sony Entertainment Television: Launched on September 30, 1995.
  • AXN: Launched on May 22, 1997.
  • Animax
  • Sony Movie Channel: Launched on October 1, 2010. Also operates in the United Kingdom (formerly Movies4Men 2), Ireland, and Canada.
  • GetTV: A movie-focused digital multicast network to air classic films by Sony Pictures, that was scheduled to launch in Fall 2013.[31] It was later launched on February 3, 2014.
  • Movies4Men: The network was launched on February 1, 2006 by Dolphin Broadcast Services Ltd. Acquired by SPT on January 19, 2012.
  • More Than Movies: Formerly Men&Movies, the network was launched on October 2010 by Dolphin Broadcast Services Ltd. Acquired by SPT on Jan. 19, 2012.
  • Cine Sony Television: A US/Spanish language network launched in August 2012.[32]

Notable programming

Current shows

Off-network syndication

Library shows

Shows from SPT and its previous incarnations

Shows from companies acquired by SPT

Notes and references

  1. ^ "Executive Team". Sony Pictures Television. Retrieved 2010-11-21.
  2. ^ Goetzl, David (June 30, 2011). "Sony Gains Control of GSN Even With Minority Stake". TVBlog. MediaPost. Retrieved June 30, 2011.
  3. ^ Elliott, Stuart (2010-10-06). "Web Site to Offer Health Advice, Some of It From Marketers". ""New York Times"". Retrieved 2011-04-02.
  4. ^ "Dr. Mehmet Oz and Internet Entrepreneur, Jeff Arnold, Announce Sharecare Inc.,a Web 3.0 Platform, Organizing and Answering the Questions of Health". Bloomberg L.P. November 2, 2009. Retrieved 2011-04-02.
  5. ^ "Remodeling at Screen Gems". Broadcasting: p. 39. 1974-05-06. {{cite journal}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); |page= has extra text (help)
  6. ^ "EBSCO Host Connection" Feltheimer heads new Columbia TriStar TV connection.ebscohost.com, Retrieved on December 18, 2012
  7. ^ Sony Pictures Entertainment Renames Television Operations; Domestic and International Divisions Take Sony Name, prnewswire.com
  8. ^ "PRNewswire" Sony Pictures Television International Forms First Fully Government Approved Television and Film Production Joint Venture in the People's Republic of China, prnewswire.com, Retrieved on September 30, 2012
  9. ^ "Indiantelevision.com" Sony forms TV production JV in China, indiantelevision.com, Retrieved on September 30, 2012
  10. ^ Jules Grant "C21Media" 27-03-2008 invests in new UK indie c21media.com, Retrieved on December 21, 2013
  11. ^ Jessica Rogers "Broadcast UK" Sony takes stake in ex-Lion duo start-up broadcastnow.co.uk, Retrieved on December 21, 2013
  12. ^ Emily Brookes "C21Media" 04-06-2008 Sony finalises 2waytraffic acquisition c21media.com, Retrieved on December 21, 2013
  13. ^ ANNA MARIE DE LA FUENTE "Variety" January 28, 2009 Sony TV into Teleset variety.com, Retrieved on February 15, 2013
  14. ^ Sony combines TV units, chollywood.org
  15. ^ "Digital Spy" Sony agrees new TV production tie-up digitalspy.com Retrieved on April 3, 2012
  16. ^ NELLIE ANDREEVA "Deadline" Andrea Wong Tapped As President Of Int’l Production At Sony Pictures TV & President International At Sony Pictures Entertainment deadline.com, Retrieved on October 1, 2013
  17. ^ "Sony dives in with Dolphin". C21Media. 19 January 2012.
  18. ^ Mark Sweney "The Guardian" 19 January 2012 Sony Pictures Television buys Dolphin Broadcasting to boost UK presence theguardian.com, Retrieved on December 22, 2013
  19. ^ "Sony Pictures Press Releases" Sony Pictures Television and Silver River Productions join forces UK expansion for SPT International Production sonypictures.com Retrieved on April 3, 2012
  20. ^ "Yahoo! Finance"Sony Pictures Television's Sony Movie Channel and AXN Movies to launch in Canada in partnership with Hollywood Suite.finance.yahoo.com, Retrieved on July 10, 2012
  21. ^ "London Deadline" Sony Pictures Television Acquires UK’s Left Bank Pictures deadline.com, Retrieved on August 23, 2012
  22. ^ "Variety" Sony Pictures TV buys stake in Left Bank variety.com, Retrieved on August 23, 2012
  23. ^ NANCY TARTAGLIONE "Deadline" Sony Pictures Television, Simon Andreae Launch UK Production Outfit Scarlet Media deadline.com, Retrieved on August 22, 2013
  24. ^ "Broadcast" Simon Andreae drops UK indie plans for job with Fox broadcastnow.co.uk, Retrieved on January 21, 2014
  25. ^ Report: Tuvalu Media Buys Out Sony Pictures’ Stakes To Regain Independence Elsa Keslassy variety.com, Retrieved on April 5, 2014
  26. ^ NANCY TARTAGLIONE "Deadline" Sony Pictures Television, Karl Warner Launch UK Production Outfit Electric Ray deadline.com, Retrieved on January 21, 2014
  27. ^ Lisa Campbell "Broadcast" Karl Warner launches Sony-backed indie broadcastnow.co.uk, Retrieved on January 21, 2014
  28. ^ Sony Pictures Television Launches Northern Ireland Production Company Stellify Media NANCY TARTAGLIONE deadline.com, Retrieved on March 20, 2014
  29. ^ "Fox Business" Sony to buy Britain's CSC media group in TV network push foxbusiness.com, Retrieved on June 26, 2014
  30. ^ Report: Sony Closes the CSC deal
  31. ^ "Sony Pictures TV To Launch Movies Diginet". TVNewsCheck. April 22, 2013. Retrieved April 24, 2013.
  32. ^ "Sony Pictures Press Releases" Sony Pictures Television Networks to Launch US Spanish Language Entertainment Channel, Debuting on Verizon FiOS TV Cine Sony Television will launch on FiOS TV in August sonypictures.com, Retrieved on September 12, 2012
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sony_Pictures_Television&oldid=644533341"