Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
In May 1980, MCA Videocassette released twenty-four films on Betamax and VHS. Gene Giaquinto served as president of the new division that year. The initial catalog included Jaws, Animal House, and The Deer Hunter alongside classics like Dracula and Scarface. Before this date, Castle Films handled Universal's home distribution under the name Universal 8 after 1977. By late 1983, the company consolidated its LaserDisc label with its videocassette operations into a single entity called MCA Home Video.
The division changed names multiple times to reflect shifting corporate ownership structures. In 1990, it became MCA/Universal Home Video during the studio's seventy-fifth anniversary celebration. On the 9th of December 1996, the name shifted again to Universal Studios Home Video following MCA's reincorporation. Seagram purchased PolyGram Filmed Entertainment in 1998, bringing comedy titles from Roy Chubby Brown and Jim Davidson into the fold. The merger of Universal Studios and NBC created NBC Universal in 2004, leading to further rebranding efforts. By 2016, the entity officially adopted the name Universal Pictures Home Entertainment.
Universal supported the HD DVD format until Toshiba discontinued production in 2008. Starting the 22nd of July 2008, the studio released Blu-ray Discs as the last major Hollywood movie studio to do so. The first three Blu-ray releases were The Mummy, The Mummy Returns, and The Scorpion King. the 9th of August 2016 marked the beginning of 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray distribution. Early DVD releases from 1997 were licensed to Image Entertainment before Universal began manufacturing their own discs. These early editions quickly went out of print when internal production started.
Before 1999, CIC Video distributed Universal releases internationally alongside Paramount Pictures. In South Africa, the company moved from CIC Video to Ster-Kinekor Home Entertainment after 1999. On the 28th of February 1999, a multi-year deal with Columbia-TriStar Home Video allowed them to distribute DVDs outside North America. A joint venture called UCA formed in June 2002 between Universal Pictures UK Ltd and Columbia-Tristar. In Australia, New Zealand, and Scandinavia, Universal Sony Pictures Home Entertainment handles titles for both companies. By late 2023, Plaion Pictures signed deals to handle titles in Italy while Spirit Entertainment took over the United Kingdom market.
Universal 1440 Entertainment launched as an internal production arm in 2005. The entity succeeded MCA Family Entertainment and previously operated under names like Universal Studios Family Productions. the 10th of January 2012 saw the release of The Scorpion King 3: Battle for Redemption through this label. Subsequent titles included Werewolf: The Beast Among Us on the 9th of October 2012 and Death Race 3: Inferno on the 22nd of January 2013. The division also produced Curious George sequels and various horror films like Cult of Chucky released on the 3rd of October 2017. Universal Animation Studios remains a subsidiary within this direct-to-video structure.
In 2005, Universal acquired distribution rights to the Barbie film series after negotiations with Lionsgate fell apart. The company distributed DreamWorks Pictures titles until 2006 when Viacom purchased the studio. Funimation formed a multi-year deal with UPHE in 2015 before Sony Pictures Television took over distribution two years later. By the 5th of June 2018, Universal re-distributed all DreamWorks Animation back catalogues following their acquisition by Comcast. In 2014, they took over HIT Entertainment/Mattel titles from Lionsgate Home Entertainment, though that arrangement ended in 2020. Universal continues distributing Barbie direct-to-video titles for Mattel today.
Common questions
When did MCA Videocassette release its first films on Betamax and VHS?
MCA Videocassette released twenty-four films on Betamax and VHS in May 1980. Gene Giaquinto served as president of the new division that year.
What was the original name of Universal Pictures Home Entertainment before 2016?
The entity officially adopted the name Universal Pictures Home Video following MCA's reincorporation on the 9th of December 1996. It changed names multiple times to reflect shifting corporate ownership structures until 2016.
Which three movies were the first Blu-ray Disc releases by Universal Studios Home Video?
Starting the 22nd of July 2008, the studio released The Mummy, The Mummy Returns, and The Scorpion King as its first three Blu-ray Discs. This made it the last major Hollywood movie studio to begin releasing Blu-ray Discs.
Who distributed Universal titles internationally outside North America after 1999?
On the 28th of February 1999, a multi-year deal with Columbia-TriStar Home Video allowed them to distribute DVDs outside North America. By late 2023, Plaion Pictures signed deals to handle titles in Italy while Spirit Entertainment took over the United Kingdom market.
When did Universal 1440 Entertainment release The Scorpion King 3: Battle for Redemption?
Universal 1440 Entertainment launched as an internal production arm in 2005. The entity released The Scorpion King 3: Battle for Redemption on the 10th of January 2012 through this label.