Syco Entertainment is a British media entertainment company, headquartered in London, founded and owned by British entrepreneur and record executive
Simon Cowell. The company focuses on TV production. The company was formed in 2005 through
Sony Music Entertainment entering a joint venture by purchasing Cowell's shares of his record label
S Records
Syco Music is a defunct division of Syco Entertainment founded by British entrepreneur and record executive Simon Cowell. Originally founded as S Records, the label launched while Cowell was still employed by BMG, the label oversaw music rele ...
and television company Syco Television. In 2009, Sony and Cowell entered a
joint venture agreement that covered the joint ownership of Syco's television formats, which include the ''
Got Talent'' and ''
The X Factor'' franchises. Until 2020, the company operated high profile television and music projects with Sony Music labels around the world and television production company
Fremantle
Fremantle () () is a port city in Western Australia, located at the mouth of the Swan River in the metropolitan area of Perth, the state capital. Fremantle Harbour serves as the port of Perth. The Western Australian vernacular diminutive for ...
. It employs a staff of more than 50 in offices in London and Los Angeles, and manages a string of high-profile television and music brands through partnerships with the label Sony Music and the television production company.
Retail billionaire Sir
Philip Green, a close friend of Cowell, served as an advisor to the company until 2018. Through its divisions: Music, Film and TV, Syco has produced the ''Got Talent'' and ''The X Factor'' franchises which encompassed local versions in numerous countries and have launched the careers of
One Direction,
Leona Lewis,
Little Mix
Little Mix are a British girl group, composed of group members Leigh-Anne Pinnock, Jade Thirlwall, and Perrie Edwards. Jesy Nelson was originally part of the group before she left in 2020. After becoming the first group to win the British ver ...
,
Susan Boyle
Susan Magdalane Boyle (born 1 April 1961) is a Scottish singer. She rose to fame in 2009 after appearing as a contestant on the third series of ''Britain's Got Talent'', singing "I Dreamed a Dream" from '.
Boyle's debut studio album, ''I D ...
and
Fifth Harmony amongst others. Syco have also been instrumental in the careers of artists not originating from its franchises, including
Il Divo and Westlife. It has also produced films such as ''
One Direction: This Is Us'' (2013) and ''The X Factor'' parody musical, ''
I Can't Sing!'' (2014). In July 2020, Cowell bought Sony Music's stake in Syco Entertainment, with exception for
Syco Music. The record label and its artists and back catalogue were retained by Sony Music and subsequently absorbed. TV rights and assets were transferred over to the newly created Syco Entertainment Ltd, which is owned 100% by Cowell.
Formation and history
Cowell founded
S Records
Syco Music is a defunct division of Syco Entertainment founded by British entrepreneur and record executive Simon Cowell. Originally founded as S Records, the label launched while Cowell was still employed by BMG, the label oversaw music rele ...
whilst employed by
BMG BMG may refer to:
Organizations
* Music publishing companies:
** Bertelsmann Music Group, a 1987–2008 division of Bertelsmann that was purchased by Sony on October 1, 2008
*** Sony BMG, a 2004–2008 joint venture of Bertelsmann and Sony that wa ...
back in 2004. The label oversaw music by
Robson & Jerome,
Five,
Westlife and
Teletubbies. A year later, BMG, now named
Sony BMG
Sony BMG Music Entertainment was an American record company owned as a 50–50 joint venture between Sony Corporation of America and Bertelsmann. The venture's successor, the revived Sony Music, is wholly owned by Sony, following their buyout o ...
, bought Cowell's share in both Syco Music and Syco Television. In 2010, a new company was formed as a 50/50 partnership between Cowell and Sony Music, keeping the name Syco but titled as Syco Entertainment. In 2015, it was announced that the Syco Entertainment joint venture would be extended for a further 6 years. Retail Billionaire Sir
Philip Green, a close friend of Cowell, served as an advisor to the company until 2018.
It was initially divided into three units:
Syco Music, Syco TV and Syco Film. A few years later in July 2020, it was announced that Cowell had agreed to buy out Sony Music's stake in the company, with Sony Music retaining the company's artist roster and catalogue.
Operations
Syco's television operations were founded originally as Sycos TV, primarily operating in the UK and US with key franchises ''
The X Factor'' and ''
Got Talent''. It was launched by Simon Cowell in 2003. Following Cowell's purchase of
Sony Music Entertainment's stake in the business in 2020, Cowell went on to expand his existing TV arrangements with
NBCUniversal in 2021. The new deal will see a range of non-scripted series for the streaming service
Peacock developed (though this does not include ''Walk the Line''). As part of the deal, Cowell will appear as a judge on ''
AGT: Extreme'', a spin-off from ''
America's Got Talent
''America's Got Talent'' (often abbreviated as ''AGT'') is a televised American talent show competition, and is part of the global ''Got Talent'' franchise created by Simon Cowell. The program is produced by Fremantle (as well as distribut ...
''.
''The X Factor''
The X Factor, which launched in September 2004, was one of the most popular television shows in the UK. Syco and Fremantle Media launched ''
The X Factor USA'' in September 2011, which averaged 12 million viewers and a 4.0 rating in the adults 18–49 demographic in its first season, leading FOX to nightly wins on Wednesdays and Thursdays and topping all other fall season reality competition.
Internationally, ''The X Factor'' is produced individually in 41 countries including major markets like
France, the
Netherlands,
Indonesia and
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
. Additionally, ''The X Factor USA'' is screened in 166 countries around the world.
''Got Talent''
''
Britain's Got Talent'' consistently tops UK ratings when it is broadcast in April, May and June. In 2009, nearly 20 million people (approximately one third of the UK population) tuned into the
series 3 final to see
Diversity crowned winners.
''
America's Got Talent
''America's Got Talent'' (often abbreviated as ''AGT'') is a televised American talent show competition, and is part of the global ''Got Talent'' franchise created by Simon Cowell. The program is produced by Fremantle (as well as distribut ...
'' matched a series high 4.6 rating amongst adults 18–49 in the summer of 2011 for its
sixth season. Since launching in 2006, ''America's Got Talent'' has consistently been the most watched show of the summer in the US and topped the ratings in the key adults 18–49 demographic.
Other projects
Syco produces other shows outside its key brands. In 2011, ITV series ''
Red or Black?'' was met with mixed reaction. Syco were also behind ''
American Inventor'' which ran for two seasons on
ABC and the unsuccessful ''
Celebrity Duets'' on Fox. In addition to its major formats, Syco also produces entertainment specials. This includes ''
I Dreamed a Dream: The Susan Boyle Story'', which broke ratings records in the US on TV Guide network and scored 10 million viewers on ITV in the UK.
In 2013, Syco and Optomen launched ITV series ''
Food Glorious Food
"Food, Glorious Food", written by Lionel Bart, is the opening song from the 1960s West End and Broadway musical (and 1968 film) '' Oliver!''
Musical theme
The song is sung from the point of view of the children of a workhouse for orphans where t ...
'', which aired on Wednesday evenings in the UK.
Syco Entertainment were the executive producers of the film ''One Direction: This Is Us'' from director Morgan Spurlock, which follows the life of pop sensations
One Direction. The band had come third in the 2010 UK ''X Factor'' series, before being signed to Syco.
In January 2013, Syco set up a new London-based television division called Over The Top Productions. This production company was run by Syco's Global Head of Television, Nigel Hall, and would be responsible for formats such as ITV's ''
Rolling In It
''Rolling In It'' is a British game show that has aired on ITV from 8 August 2020 to 18 December 2021 and is hosted by Stephen Mulhern.
Gameplay
Main game
Three teams compete, each consisting of a celebrity and a civilian contestant. The cent ...
''.
In July 2016,
The Investigator: A British Crime Story was a co-production between Syco &
ITV which was broadcast for four consecutive weeks on ITV at 9pm. The series was inspired by Simons Cowell’s interest in the crime series
Making a Murder, and
the Jinx. The Investigator: A British Crime Story was broadcast globally via Netflix until 21st August 2021. The series looked in to the murder of
Carole Packman who disappeared from her family home in
Bournemouth
Bournemouth () is a coastal resort town in the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole council area of Dorset, England. At the 2011 census, the town had a population of 183,491, making it the largest town in Dorset. It is situated on the Southern ...
in June 1985. Carole’s husband, Russell Causley was convicted of her murder in 1996 and again in 2004 following a successful appeal.
You Generation
In March 2013, Syco in partnership with YouTube, launched The You Generation channel which is listed as the 'world's first global audition'. In May 2014, Syco and
Univision announced an upcoming TV show called ''La Banda'' which will focus on searching contestants from Hispanic America to find the "ultimate Latino boy band" with the winner receiving a recording contract for
Sony Music Latin
Sony Music Entertainment US Latin LLC (often referred to as Sony Music Latin) is a record label owned by Sony Music. The label focuses on artists of Latin music.
History
In 1979, CBS Records (now Columbia Records) ended its partnership with C ...
and Syco.
''I Can't Sing!''
2014 saw Syco launch ''
I Can't Sing!'', a parody musical based on ''The X Factor''. After technical issues and poor critical reception, the show was pulled from the
West End of London less than two months after it opened. Cowell later said of the venture that occasionally things didn't work out and that they had been too ambitious trying to launch a new show in the West End.
Shows produced
Current productions
* ''
America's Got Talent
''America's Got Talent'' (often abbreviated as ''AGT'') is a televised American talent show competition, and is part of the global ''Got Talent'' franchise created by Simon Cowell. The program is produced by Fremantle (as well as distribut ...
'' (2006–present)
* ''
Britain's Got Talent'' (2007–present)
Former productions
* ''
America's Got Talent: The Champions'' (2019–2020)
* ''
American Inventor'' (2006–2007)
* ''
Britain's Got More Talent'' (2007–2019)
* ''
Britain's Got Talent: The Champions'' (2019)
* ''
Celebrity Duets'' (2006)
* ''
Food Glorious Food
"Food, Glorious Food", written by Lionel Bart, is the opening song from the 1960s West End and Broadway musical (and 1968 film) '' Oliver!''
Musical theme
The song is sung from the point of view of the children of a workhouse for orphans where t ...
'' (2013)
* ''
Grease is the Word'' (2007)
* ''
I Dreamed a Dream: The Susan Boyle Story'' (2009)
* ''
La Banda
La Banda is a city in the province of Santiago del Estero, Argentina. It has about 95,000 inhabitants as per the , making it the second largest in the province. It is the head town of the Banda Department.
La Banda is located only 8 km awa ...
'' (2015–2016)
* ''Planet's Got Talent'' (2015–2016)
* ''
Red or Black?'' (2011–2012)
* ''
That Dog Can Dance'' (2012)
* ''
The Greatest Dancer
''The Greatest Dancer'' is a British dance competition television series created by Simon Cowell and produced by Syco Entertainment. The first BBC programme created by Cowell, ''The Greatest Dancer'' sees previously undiscovered dance acts perfo ...
'' (2019–2020)
* ''
The X Factor'' (2004–2018)
* ''
The Xtra Factor'' (also called ''The Xtra Factor Live'') (2004–2016)
* ''
The X Factor: Battle of the Stars'' (2006)
*''
The X Factor: Celebrity'' (2019)
* ''
The X Factor: The Band'' (2019)
* ''
The You Generation
''The You Generation'' is an online video-sharing competition launched by Simon Cowell in partnership with YouTube. It comprises a series of themed competitions where contestants can upload videos to win prizes. A new contest runs every two weeks ...
'' (2013–2014)
* ''
Walk the Line'' (2021)
* ''Your Song'' (2017)
Screen and stage
* ''
I Can't Sing! The X Factor Musical'' (2014)
* ''
One Direction: This Is Us'' (2013)
See also
*
Syco Music - spun out from Syco Entertainment in July 2020.
*
The Investigator: A British Crime Story
*
Murder of Carole Packman
Veronica Anne Packman (née Thornton, c. 1945 – June 1985), known as Carole Packman, was a 40-year-old British woman who disappeared from her home in Bournemouth, England in June 1985. Her husband, Russell Causley (né Packman), was found guilt ...
References
External links
Syco TVat
IMDb
{{Authority control
British companies established in 2003
Companies based in Los Angeles
Companies based in London
Film production companies of the United Kingdom
Mass media companies of the United Kingdom
Publishing companies based in London
Publishing companies established in 2003
Talent agencies
Television production companies of the United Kingdom
Former Sony subsidiaries