w***@msn.com
2010-09-14 16:59:34 UTC
Vivendi Entertainment Acquires Assets From Genius Products, Inc. and
Becomes
Leader in Independent Home Entertainment
Distribution Rights for Premium Brands Acquired Include World
Wrestling
Entertainment(R),Classic Media, Sesame Street(R) & RHI
Entertainment(TM)
Genius Products Enters into a New Multi-Year Distribution Deal with
Vivendi
Entertainment for its Remaining Catalog and Future Releases
PR Newswire
LOS ANGELES, Sept. 14
LOS ANGELES, Sept. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- In a move that significantly
alters the
landscape of the independent home entertainment industry, Vivendi
Entertainment (VE) has acquired from Genius Products, Inc. (Genius
Products),
the exclusive distribution rights to a collection of marquee brands
including
World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE(R)), Sesame Street, Classic Media
and RHI
Entertainment. The distribution rights are for North America, except
RHI and
WWE(R) which are for the U.S. only. The announcement was made today by
Tom
O'Malley, President of VE, and Trevor Drinkwater, CEO of Genius
Products, Inc.
As a result of the transaction, Vivendi Entertainment significantly
increases
its revenues and becomes a market leader in the independent home
entertainment
industry.
As part of this acquisition, Genius Products will continue operations
and has
entered into a new multi-year distribution deal with Vivendi
Entertainment to
distribute Genius' remaining catalog and future releases.
"We have long admired the brands that will now be part of the Vivendi
Entertainment family and are excited to get started with our new
partnerships," stated Mr. O'Malley. "With the addition of many Genius
sales
and marketing personnel, we have a team loaded with talent, and enjoy
strong
retail relationships. Further, we provide financial stability to our
partners
at a time when it is especially important. With this transaction, our
company
becomes an ideal home for other top brands seeking a DVD and digital
distribution partner."
"This alliance will allow our company to fully focus on our core
strengths
including content creation, development, production and management,"
said
Trevor Drinkwater, CEO Genius Products. "We believe VE is the perfect
home for
these strong brands as well as other independent content providers,
and we
look forward to leveraging our relationship with VE to accelerate our
developing business model by enhancing our presence in film,
television, video
games, DVD and music while expanding into other entertainment based
categories
such as toys, electronics and graphic novels."
As an important part of the transaction, Vivendi has hired several key
Genius
executives to join the company including Mitch Budin who has been
appointed
Executive Vice President & General Manager of Vivendi Home
Entertainment.
"Mitch is recognized and respected as a leader within the industry and
will
play a vital role in expanding our home entertainment business even
further.
We are thrilled to have him on the team," added Mr. O'Malley, to whom
Mr.
Budin reports.
The Genius transaction encompasses the distribution rights for a wide
array of
home entertainment offerings, including: World Wrestling Entertainment
(WWE(R)) with its many consistently chart-topping releases including
the
perennial best seller WrestleMania series; made-for-television movies
and
miniseries from RHI Entertainment (including Tin Man and Lonesome
Dove);
Classic Media's beloved titles which include Frosty the Snowman,
Rudolph the
Red-Nosed Reindeer and VeggieTales; and Sesame Workshop, the non-
profit
organization behind Sesame Street, celebrating its 40th year as a
vital
educational and entertainment organization, and bringing over 130
catalog
titles (along with its much anticipated 40th anniversary special
collection).
About Vivendi Entertainment
Vivendi Entertainment is a full service independent film distribution
company
operating in the United States and Canada. Representing a vast range
of genres
including action, comedy, thriller, urban, family and stand-up
comedies.
Vivendi Entertainment has been a favorite choice of independent
content
providers. The company has built an extensive catalog of over 1,500
titles and
its customer-centric business model was founded on the principles of
collaboration and financial transparency. Vivendi Entertainment also
provides
best in class digital distribution services. Theatrically, the company
will
release the highly anticipated anthology New York, I Love You on
October 16,
2009. Vivendi Entertainment is a division of Universal Music Group
Distribution, the award-winning sales, marketing and distribution arm
of
Universal Music Group, the world's leading music company.
About Genius Products, Inc.
Genius Products, Inc. (Pink Sheets: GNPR) is the owner of Genius
Products,
LLC, a leading independent home-entertainment content management
company
focused on producing, licenses and managing intellectual property from
multiple third party partners and an internal library of motion
pictures,
television programming, family, lifestyle and trend entertainment on
DVD, TV,
film and other emerging platforms through its expansive network of
multiple
outlets including retailers throughout the U.S.
SOURCE Universal Music Group
Becomes
Leader in Independent Home Entertainment
Distribution Rights for Premium Brands Acquired Include World
Wrestling
Entertainment(R),Classic Media, Sesame Street(R) & RHI
Entertainment(TM)
Genius Products Enters into a New Multi-Year Distribution Deal with
Vivendi
Entertainment for its Remaining Catalog and Future Releases
PR Newswire
LOS ANGELES, Sept. 14
LOS ANGELES, Sept. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- In a move that significantly
alters the
landscape of the independent home entertainment industry, Vivendi
Entertainment (VE) has acquired from Genius Products, Inc. (Genius
Products),
the exclusive distribution rights to a collection of marquee brands
including
World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE(R)), Sesame Street, Classic Media
and RHI
Entertainment. The distribution rights are for North America, except
RHI and
WWE(R) which are for the U.S. only. The announcement was made today by
Tom
O'Malley, President of VE, and Trevor Drinkwater, CEO of Genius
Products, Inc.
As a result of the transaction, Vivendi Entertainment significantly
increases
its revenues and becomes a market leader in the independent home
entertainment
industry.
As part of this acquisition, Genius Products will continue operations
and has
entered into a new multi-year distribution deal with Vivendi
Entertainment to
distribute Genius' remaining catalog and future releases.
"We have long admired the brands that will now be part of the Vivendi
Entertainment family and are excited to get started with our new
partnerships," stated Mr. O'Malley. "With the addition of many Genius
sales
and marketing personnel, we have a team loaded with talent, and enjoy
strong
retail relationships. Further, we provide financial stability to our
partners
at a time when it is especially important. With this transaction, our
company
becomes an ideal home for other top brands seeking a DVD and digital
distribution partner."
"This alliance will allow our company to fully focus on our core
strengths
including content creation, development, production and management,"
said
Trevor Drinkwater, CEO Genius Products. "We believe VE is the perfect
home for
these strong brands as well as other independent content providers,
and we
look forward to leveraging our relationship with VE to accelerate our
developing business model by enhancing our presence in film,
television, video
games, DVD and music while expanding into other entertainment based
categories
such as toys, electronics and graphic novels."
As an important part of the transaction, Vivendi has hired several key
Genius
executives to join the company including Mitch Budin who has been
appointed
Executive Vice President & General Manager of Vivendi Home
Entertainment.
"Mitch is recognized and respected as a leader within the industry and
will
play a vital role in expanding our home entertainment business even
further.
We are thrilled to have him on the team," added Mr. O'Malley, to whom
Mr.
Budin reports.
The Genius transaction encompasses the distribution rights for a wide
array of
home entertainment offerings, including: World Wrestling Entertainment
(WWE(R)) with its many consistently chart-topping releases including
the
perennial best seller WrestleMania series; made-for-television movies
and
miniseries from RHI Entertainment (including Tin Man and Lonesome
Dove);
Classic Media's beloved titles which include Frosty the Snowman,
Rudolph the
Red-Nosed Reindeer and VeggieTales; and Sesame Workshop, the non-
profit
organization behind Sesame Street, celebrating its 40th year as a
vital
educational and entertainment organization, and bringing over 130
catalog
titles (along with its much anticipated 40th anniversary special
collection).
About Vivendi Entertainment
Vivendi Entertainment is a full service independent film distribution
company
operating in the United States and Canada. Representing a vast range
of genres
including action, comedy, thriller, urban, family and stand-up
comedies.
Vivendi Entertainment has been a favorite choice of independent
content
providers. The company has built an extensive catalog of over 1,500
titles and
its customer-centric business model was founded on the principles of
collaboration and financial transparency. Vivendi Entertainment also
provides
best in class digital distribution services. Theatrically, the company
will
release the highly anticipated anthology New York, I Love You on
October 16,
2009. Vivendi Entertainment is a division of Universal Music Group
Distribution, the award-winning sales, marketing and distribution arm
of
Universal Music Group, the world's leading music company.
About Genius Products, Inc.
Genius Products, Inc. (Pink Sheets: GNPR) is the owner of Genius
Products,
LLC, a leading independent home-entertainment content management
company
focused on producing, licenses and managing intellectual property from
multiple third party partners and an internal library of motion
pictures,
television programming, family, lifestyle and trend entertainment on
DVD, TV,
film and other emerging platforms through its expansive network of
multiple
outlets including retailers throughout the U.S.
SOURCE Universal Music Group