Classic Media, LLC, doing business as DreamWorks Classics, is an American entertainment company owned by

DreamWorks Animation DreamWorks Animation LLC (DWA, also known as DreamWorks Animation Studios and simply known as DreamWorks) is an American animation studio that produces animated films and television programs and is a subsidiary of Universal Pictures, a divisio ...

, which is a subsidiary of

Universal Pictures Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Americ ...

and a division of

Comcast Comcast Corporation (formerly known as American Cable Systems and Comcast Holdings),Before the AT&T merger in 2001, the parent company was Comcast Holdings Corporation. Comcast Holdings Corporation now refers to a subsidiary of Comcast Corpora ...

NBCUniversal NBCUniversal Media, LLC is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate corporation owned by Comcast and headquartered at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, United States. NBCUniversal is primar ...

. It was founded as Classic Media in 2000 by

Eric Ellenbogen Eric Ellenbogen is an American entertainment executive known for co-founding Classic Media and serving as CEO of Marvel Enterprises from 1998 to 1999. He is the chief executive officer and vice chairman of WildBrain. Education Ellenbogen gradua ...

and John Engelman. The studio's library consists of acquired

intellectual property Intellectual property (IP) is a category of property that includes intangible creations of the human intellect. There are many types of intellectual property, and some countries recognize more than others. The best-known types are patents, co ...

catalogs and character brands, as well as the licensing rights for various third-party properties. In 2012, Boomerang Media sold Classic Media to DreamWorks Animation, who rebranded the company as DreamWorks Classics. DreamWorks Animation became a subsidiary of NBCUniversal in 2016.

History

Classic Media (2000–2012)

Classic Media was founded by Eric Ellenbogen and John Engelman in May 2000 and acquired the UPA catalog from Henry Saperstein's estate. Frank Biondi, the former head of

Universal Studios Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Americ ...

, and movie producer Steve Tisch invested in the company. Classic Media then bought the

Harvey Entertainment Harvey Films (also known as Harvey Entertainment, The Harvey Entertainment Company or simply Harvey) is the production arm of comic book publisher Harvey Comics. It was a family business formed in the 1940s and was founded in 1957. In the early ...

catalog on March 11, 2001. On August 16, 2001, Classic Media and

Random House Random House is an American book publisher and the largest general-interest paperback publisher in the world. The company has several independently managed subsidiaries around the world. It is part of Penguin Random House, which is owned by Germ ...

won a joint bid for the assets of Golden Books, with Random House, and Classic Media acquiring Golden Books' entertainment division (including the

Dell Comics Dell Comics was the comic book publishing arm of Dell Publishing, which got its start in pulp magazines. It published comics from 1929 to 1974. At its peak, it was the most prominent and successful American company in the medium.Evanier, Mark" ...

and

Gold Key Comics Gold Key Comics was originally an imprint of American company Western Publishing, created for comic books distributed to newsstands. Also known as Whitman Comics, Gold Key operated this way from 1962 to 1984. Currently, Gold Key Comics is owned b ...

libraries) and Random House acquiring Golden Books' book publishing properties. On October 31, 2003, Classic Media purchased the assets of the bankrupt Big Idea Entertainment. By 2007, Classic had formed Bullwinkle Studios, a joint venture with Jay Ward Productions, to manage the Jay Ward characters. On April 7, 2005, the company was recapitalized by a group of investors consisting of

Spectrum Equity Investors Spectrum Equity is an American growth equity firm that invests in businesses related to the information economy. The company operates out of offices in Boston, MA and San Francisco, CA. The company was an early investor in Ancestry.com and Grub ...

plus existing investors led by Pegasus Capital Advisors. A $100 million senior debt facility was also arranged from JP Morgan Chase Bank-led bank group. With the deal, Spectrum became a majority owner over the existing investors, with a representative on the company board of directors. In August 2006, Classic Media announced a joint venture with ION Media Networks,

Corus Entertainment Corus Entertainment Inc. is a Canadian mass media company. Formed in 1999 as a spin-off from Shaw Communications, it has prominent holdings in the radio, publishing, and television industries. It is headquartered at Corus Quay in Toronto, Ont ...

and book publisher

Scholastic Corporation Scholastic Corporation () is an American multinational publishing, education, and media company that publishes and distributes books, comics, and educational materials for schools, parents, and children. Products are distributed via retail and on ...

to launch Qubo, a kids' entertainment network. On December 14, 2006, it was announced that Classic Media would be acquired by UK-based rival

Entertainment Rights Entertainment Rights PLC (formally known as Sleepy Kids) was a British multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate that specialized in TV-shows and cartoons, children’s media, films, and distribution. In May 2009, the company was ...

for $210.0 million. Before the acquisition was completed, both companies announced distribution and production agreements with Genius Products, LLC, replacing the Sony Wonder deal. Entertainment Rights fell in to administration on April 1, 2009. On the same day, Boomerang Media LLC, formed by Ellenbogen and Engelman in 2008 with equity funding from GTCR, announced that it would acquire Entertainment Rights' principal UK and American subsidiaries, including Classic Media, Inc. and Big Idea Entertainment, from its administrators. On May 11, 2009, Boomerang Media announced that the former UK and American subsidiaries of Entertainment Rights would operate as a unified business under the name Classic Media, while Big Idea would operate under its own name. On March 7, 2012, Classic Media brought the '' Noddy'' brand from Chorion and later brought the '' Olivia'' brand from them on March 19.

DreamWorks Classics (2012–present)

On July 23, 2012,

acquired Classic Media from Boomerang Media for $155 million; the company became a unit of DreamWorks Animation and was renamed DreamWorks Classics. On June 18, 2014, DreamWorks Animation bought the '' Felix the Cat'' brand and added it to the DreamWorks Classics portfolio. On April 28, 2016,

, a part of the

group, announced a $3.8 billion deal to buy DreamWorks Animation. The acquisition was completed on August 22. Three series, ''

Lassie Lassie is a fictional female Rough Collie dog and is featured in a short story by Eric Knight that was later expanded to a full-length novel called '' Lassie Come-Home''. Knight's portrayal of Lassie bears some features in common with another ...

'', ''George of the Jungle'' and ''Mr. Magoo'', were picked up from DreamWorks Classics' library by

CBS All Access Paramount+ is an American subscription video on-demand service owned by Paramount Global. The service's content is drawn primarily from the libraries of CBS Media Ventures (including CBS Studios), Paramount Media Networks (formerly Viacom Media ...

(

Paramount Global Paramount Global ( doing business as Paramount) is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate owned and operated by National Amusements (79.4%) and headquartered at One Astor Plaza in Midtown Manhattan, New York. ...

's streaming service, now known as Paramount+) in January 2020.

Libraries

Catalogs

* The UPA catalog ('' Mr. Magoo'' and '' Gerald McBoing-Boing'') including several ''

Godzilla is a fictional monster, or '' kaiju'', originating from a series of Japanese films. The character first appeared in the 1954 film '' Godzilla'' and became a worldwide pop culture icon, appearing in various media, including 32 films produ ...

'' films under license from Toho * The Harvey Films catalog ('' Casper the Friendly Ghost'', ''

Little Audrey Little Audrey (full name: Audrey Smith) is a fictional character, appearing in early 20th century folklore prior to starring in a series of Paramount Pictures' Famous Studios cartoons from 1947 to 1958. She is considered a variation of the better ...

'', '' Richie Rich'', and ''

Baby Huey Baby Huey is a gigantic and naïve duckling cartoon character. He was created by Martin Taras for Paramount Pictures' Famous Studios, and became a Paramount cartoon star during the 1950s. Huey first appeared in ''Quack-a-Doodle-Doo'', a ''Nov ...

'') * The

Western Publishing Western Publishing, also known as Western Printing and Lithographing Company, was a Racine, Wisconsin, firm responsible for publishing the Little Golden Books. Its Golden Books Family Entertainment division also produced children's books and ...

/Golden Books/

/ Golden Book Video catalog ('' Pat the Bunny'', '' Magnus, Robot Fighter'', ''

Doctor Solar, Man of the Atom Solar is an American fictional comic book superhero created by writer Paul S. Newman, editor Matt Murphy, and artist Bob Fujitani. The character first appeared in ''Doctor Solar, Man of the Atom'' #1 in 1962 by Gold Key Comics and has since appeare ...

'', '' Turok'', and ''

Little Lulu ''Little Lulu'' is a comic strip created in 1935 by American author Marjorie Henderson Buell. The character, Lulu Moppet, debuted in ''The Saturday Evening Post'' on February 23, 1935, in a single panel, appearing as a flower girl at a wedding ...

''), including: **

Broadway Video Broadway Video is an American multimedia entertainment studio founded by Lorne Michaels, creator of the sketch comedy TV series ''Saturday Night Live'' and producer of other television programs and movies. Broadway Video also held the rights to ...

's former family entertainment catalog (''

'', '' The Lone Ranger'', and '' Sergeant Preston of the Yukon'') including: *** The pre-September 1974

Rankin/Bass Productions Rankin/Bass Animated Entertainment (founded and formerly known as Videocraft International, Ltd. and Rankin/Bass Productions, Inc.) was an American production company located in New York City, and known for its seasonal television specials, usua ...

catalog ('' Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer'', ''

The Little Drummer Boy "The Little Drummer Boy" (originally known as "Carol of the Drum") is a popular Christmas song written by American composer Katherine Kennicott Davis in 1941. First recorded in 1951 by the Trapp Family, the song was further popularized by a 19 ...

'', '' Frosty the Snowman'', '' Santa Claus Is Coming to Town'', and others) *** The Total Television catalog (''

Underdog An underdog is a person or group in a competition, usually in sports and creative works, who is largely expected to lose. The party, team, or individual expected to win is called the favorite or top dog. In the case where an underdog wins, the ...

'' and ''

Tennessee Tuxedo and His Tales ''Tennessee Tuxedo and His Tales'' is an animated television series that originally aired Saturday mornings on CBS from 1963 to 1966 as one of the earliest Saturday morning cartoons. It was produced by Total Television, the same company that prod ...

'') ** Shari Lewis' two PBS series ('' Lamb Chop's Play Along'' and '' Charlie Horse Music Pizza'') * The Big Idea Entertainment catalog ('' VeggieTales'', '' 3-2-1 Penguins!'', '' Larryboy: The Cartoon Adventures'') * The Entertainment Rights catalog, including: ** The

Filmation Filmation Associates was an American production company that produced animation and live-action programming for television from 1963 until 1989. Located in Reseda, California, the animation studio was founded in 1962. Filmation's founders and ...

catalog ('' The Archie Show'', '' Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids'', ''

He-Man and the Masters of the Universe ''He-Man and the Masters of the Universe'' is an American animated television series produced by Filmation based on Mattel's toy line ''Masters of the Universe''. The show, often referred to as simply ''He-Man'', was one of the most popular anim ...

'', and '' BraveStarr'') ** The

Woodland Animations Ivor Sydney Wood (4 May 1932 – 13 October 2004) was a prolific Anglo-French' animator, director, producer and writer. He was known for his work on children's television series. Born in Leeds to an English father and a French mother, his famil ...

catalog (''

Postman Pat ''Postman Pat'' is a British stop-motion animated television series first produced by Woodland Animations. The series follows the adventures of Pat Clifton, a postman who works for Royal Mail postal service in the fictional village of Greendal ...

'', ''

Gran Gran may refer to: People * Grandmother, affectionately known as "gran" *Gran (name) Places * Gran, the historical German name for Esztergom, a city and the primatial metropolitan see of Hungary * Gran, Norway, a municipality in Innlandet cou ...

'', '' Bertha'' and ''

Charlie Chalk ''Charlie Chalk'' is a British stop motion animation series produced in 1987 in the United Kingdom by Woodland Animations, who also produced the children's television programmes ''Postman Pat'', '' Gran'', and '' Bertha''. Reception to the show ...

'') ** The Tell-Tale Productions catalog (including '' Boo!'' but excluding the rights to '' Tweenies'') ** The Sleepy Kids catalog ('' Dr. Zitbag's Transylvania Pet Shop'', '' Budgie the Little Helicopter'' and '' Potsworth & Co.'') * The Chapman Entertainment catalog ('' Fifi and the Flowertots'', ''

Roary the Racing Car ''Roary the Racing Car'' (stylised as ''ROARY: The Racing Car'') is a British-stop-motion children's television series created by David Jenkins and produced by Chapman Entertainment and Cosgrove Hall Films. It follows the adventures of Roary ...

'' and ''

Raa Raa the Noisy Lion ''Raa Raa the Noisy Lion'' is a British stop motion animated children's television programme first broadcast in May 2011, which is shown on CBeebies. It features a group of animal-based characters and their adventures and activities through the ...

'')

Character brands

* '' Noddy'' * '' Olivia'' * '' Felix the Cat'' * ''

Where's Waldo? ''Where's Wally?'' (called ''Where's Waldo?'' in North America) is a British series of children's puzzle books created by English illustrator Martin Handford. The books consist of a series of detailed double-page spread illustrations depicti ...

'' * '' She-Ra'' (via the Filmation catalog; co-ownership with

Mattel Mattel, Inc. ( ) is an American multinational toy manufacturing and entertainment company founded in January 1945 and headquartered in El Segundo, California. The company has presence in 35 countries and territories and sells products in mor ...

) * ''

Roger Ramjet ''Roger Ramjet'' is a 1965–1969 American animated television series, starring Roger Ramjet and the American Eagle Squadron. The show was known for its simple animation, frenetic pace, and frequent references to pop culture which appealed to adu ...

Joint ventures

Bullwinkle Studios Bullwinkle or Bullwinkel may refer to: * Bullwinkle J. Moose, a character in the television shows ''Rocky and His Friends'' and ''The Bullwinkle Show'' * Captain Horatio Bullwinkle, Tugboat Annie's antagonist in films and a TV series * Vivian Bullw ...

, a joint venture with Jay Ward Productions to produce and manage the Jay Ward catalog (including '' The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle'', '' Mr. Peabody & Sherman'', and ''

George of the Jungle ''George of the Jungle'' is an American animated television series produced and created by Jay Ward and Bill Scott, who also created '' The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show''. The character George was inspired by the story of Tarzan and a cartoon ch ...

''). DreamWorks' partnership with Bullwinkle Studios ended in February 2022 when the Ward estate partnered with WildBrain. DreamWorks continues to own its co-productions with Bullwinkle Studios.

Other rights

* ''

My Life Me ''My Life Me'' (French: ''Trois et moi'') is a short-running animated television series created by JC Little, Cindy Filipenko and Svetlana Chmakova, co-directed by Mr. Niko. The teen slice-of-life comedy follows Birch Small, a manga and anime fan ...

'' * '' Voltron'' (under license from World Events Productions) * The Tribune Content Agency catalog (including ''

Dick Tracy ''Dick Tracy'' is an American comic strip featuring Dick Tracy (character), Dick Tracy (originally Plainclothes Tracy), a tough and intelligent police detective created by Chester Gould. It made its debut on Sunday, October 4, 1931, in the ''De ...

'', ''

Brenda Starr, Reporter ''Brenda Starr, Reporter'' (often referred to simply as ''Brenda Starr'') is a comic strip about a glamorous, adventurous reporter. It was created in 1940 by Dale Messick for the Chicago Tribune Syndicate. History Although set in Chicago, ''Bre ...

'', '' Gasoline Alley'', and ''

Broom-Hilda ''Broom-Hilda'' is an American newspaper comic strip created by cartoonist Russell Myers. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, it depicts the misadventures of a man-crazy, cigar-smoking, beer-guzzling, 1,500-year-old witch and her motley cr ...

'') * '' OOglies'' (worldwide distribution excluding U.K. TV.)

References

External links

* {{NBCUniversal 2000 establishments in New York City 2007 mergers and acquisitions 2009 mergers and acquisitions 2012 mergers and acquisitions American companies established in 2000 DreamWorks Animation Entertainment companies based in New York City Mass media companies based in New York City Mass media companies established in 2000