CBS Home Entertainment

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CBS Home Entertainment is the new home video entertainment arm of CBS Corporation.

[edit] CBS Video Enterprises

CBS, Inc. owned a home video arm, CBS Video Enterprises (CBSVE). The unit was formed by CBS, Inc. in 1978.

In 1979, CBSVE formed a joint venture with MGM, MGM/CBS Home Video licensed the film library of MGM for release on home videocassette, following the early leads of Paramount Home Video, 20th Century Fox's Magnetic Video division and Columbia Pictures Home Entertainment (now Sony Pictures Home Entertainment).

In addition to the MGM film library, the company released output from CBS News, CBS Records, the CBS television network, CBS Theatrical Films, and the motion picture division of Lorimar.

By 1981, MGM/CBS had expanded from VHS and Betamax to RCA's CED system as well. In 1982, CBS withdrew from the MGM joint venture. The MGM/CBS company reorganized into MGM/UA Home Video.

A short time later, CBS purchased a stake in 20th Century Fox's home video operation, and formed CBS/FOX Video. The new company reissued many of CBS' properties issued under the CBS/FOX label, in addition to films under the 20th Century Fox banner. Two speciality labels, Key Video, and Playhouse Video, were also created.

The CBS/FOX joint venture was reorganized in 1990, with Key Video and Playhouse Video ceasing operations, and Fox Video was created to release the mainstream output of 20th Century Fox. CBS continued to issue their product and programming under the Fox Video label until 1998, and utilized the CBS/FOX label for BBC Video programs until 1999.

In 1999, CBS/FOX ceased existence as a company, shutting the Fox partnership down, mainly because of CBS' merger talks with Viacom, which itself was once owned by CBS and now owned by National Amusements. FOX's distribution arm is now 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment.

[edit] The new division

The CBS/Viacom merger was completed in 1999, but then were split again at the end of 2005. However, both companies are still controlled by National Amusements. As such, distribution for all releases by CBS DVD (the new branding for CBS Video) is handled by Paramount Home Entertainment.

This includes:

  • Programs owned by CBS and CBS Paramount Television
  • The video rights to the television holdings of Republic Pictures (which CBS now owns partial copyright to)
  • The library of theatrical films owned by CBS (such as The African Queen [originally released through United Artists], those produced by Cinema Center Films, and several features produced in the 1980s that were originally distributed theatrically by Warner Bros.)
    • The only exception is My Fair Lady, whose video rights are currently controlled by WB.

CBS Corp. formed CBS Home Entertainment as a new home entertainment arm in 2007.[citation needed]