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
Formerly
Sony Kids’ Music
Subsidiary
IndustryEntertainment
FoundedJuly 26, 1991 (1991-07-26)
Headquarters
New York City, New York
,
United States
ProductsFamily films
OwnerSony Pictures Entertainment (2007–present)
ParentSony Music Entertainment (1991–2007)
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2007–present)
Websitewww.sonypictures.com/familyfun

History

It was founded in 1991 by Sony Music Entertainment as its children and family music and home video division. The division once distributed material from Sesame Workshop, Lyrick Studios (from 1992 to 1996) and Classic Media, and from Random House's home video division from 1995 to 2007.

On July 6, 1993, Sony Wonder acquired video distribution rights to Nickelodeon's series and re-released early Nick Jr. videos (including Eureeka's Castle) by Hi-Tops Video.[1][2]

On July 21, 1995, Sony Wonder and Sony Pictures Entertainment joined forces with The Jim Henson Company by releasing new movies with Columbia Pictures and TriStar Pictures through the joint venture Jim Henson Pictures and new sing-along-song programs on home video.[3][4] The next day, Nickelodeon and Sony Wonder launched Nick Jr. Video; the sub-label was the first to distribute tapes of shows from the block since Hi-Tops Video went out of business in 1992.[5] In 1996, two years after Viacom's merger with Paramount Pictures[6], Sony Wonder's deal with Nickelodeon expired, leaving Nickelodeon and Nick Jr. videos and DVDs to be distributed by Paramount Home Entertainment (and CIC Video internationally until 1999). Some Nickelodeon DVDs are released by Shout! Factory, a company founded in 2003.[7]

On May 4, 1998, Sony Wonder bought Sunbow Entertainment,[8] 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.[9][10][11] On May 14, 2008, Hasbro acquired the Sunbow programs based on its properties, which are now part of the Hasbro Studios library.[12][13][14][15]

In 2009, TV-Loonland filed for insolvency.[16] In 2011, Loonland sold its catalogue to m4e AG. [17] 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.[18]

Shut Down and 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.[13][14][15] 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.[19][20] 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.[20] Sesame Workshop's properties are currently distributed by Shout Factory.[21][22]

Relations with Sony Wonder Technology Lab

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.

Notes and references
  1. "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
  2. Ayscough, Suzan (1993-07-07). "Sony Wonder to issue Nick fare on vid/audio". Variety. Retrieved 2013-08-29.
  3. Brian Henson and Stephanie Allain to Chat on Entertainment Tonight Online thefreelibrary.com, Retrieved on August 28, 2013
  4. Eller, Claudia (1995-07-21). "Company Town: Muppets Cut Deal With Sony Pictures". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2013-08-28.
  5. "EBSCO Host" 7/22/95 Sony Wonder, Nickelodeon launch Nick Junior video connection.ebscohost.com, Retrieved on August 29, 2013
  6. 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.)
  7. Matzer, Marla "EBSCO Host" 6/03/96 Sony, Nick are quits connection.ebscohost.com, Retrieved on August 29, 2013
  8. Schneider, Michael "EBSCO Host" 05/04/98 Sony Wonder gets animated connection.ebscohost.com, Retrieved on August 29, 2013
  9. Saint Marc, Francoise Meaux (2000-10-03). "MIPCOM: TV-Loonland acquires Sony Wonder". ScreenDaily. Retrieved 2012-05-22.
  10. "TV Loonland buys up Sony Wonder units". Variety. 2000-10-03. Retrieved 2013-08-29.
  11. "Broadcast" 6 October 2000 TV-Loonland takes on Sony's Sunbow broadcastnow.co.uk, Retrieved on August 30, 2013
  12. "Hasbro Reacquires Sunbow Cartoons". ICv2. 2008-05-14. Retrieved 2013-04-06.
  13. Arnold, Thomas K. (2007-03-14). "Kids label Sony Wonder going under: sources". Reuters. Retrieved 2016-01-18.
  14. Arnold, Thomas K. (2007-03-14). "Sony ceases Wonder label". Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2016-01-18.
  15. Ball, Ryan (2007-03-15). "Sony Wonder Closing Shop?". Animation Magazine. Retrieved 2013-08-30.
  16. Roxborough, Scott (2009-12-09). "TV Loonland files for bankruptcy protection". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2015-07-19.
  17. Getzler, Wendy Goldman (2011-04-05). "m4e acquires TV Loonland content library". Kidscreen.
  18. https://www.licenseglobal.com/industry-news/studio-100-takes-stake-m4e
  19. "SPHE absorbs Wonder label". Variety. 2007-06-21. Retrieved 2013-12-08.
  20. DeMott, Rick (2007-07-11). "Sony Home Ent. Takes Over Sony Wonder". Animation World Network. Retrieved 2013-08-28.
  21. "TVShowsOnDVD.com - Goodbye". www.tvshowsondvd.com.
  22. https://deadline.com/2018/08/sesame-workshop-and-shout-factory-reach-multi-year-distribution-deal-1202436613
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