Echo Bridge Home Entertainment#History

{{For|the real bridge this company's logo was based on|Echo Bridge}}

{{Infobox company

| name = Echo Bridge Entertainment

| logo = Echo Bridge Home Entertainment Logo.jpg

| logo_size = 200px

| predecessor = Alliance Atlantis (television distribution assets)

| successor = SP Distribution
WildBrain

| type =

| industry =

| foundation = {{start date and age|1995}} (as Platinum Disc Corporation)
{{start date and age|2005}} (as Echo Bridge Home Entertainment)

| defunct = 2021

| fate = Folded into SP Distribution

| location_city = La Crosse, Wisconsin (home entertainment)
White Plains, New York (international sales)
Needham, Massachusetts (headquarters)
Beverly Hills, California (acquisitions)

| area_served = International

| parent =

| key_people = Michael Rosenblatt, CEO; Nathan Hart, President (home entertainment); Emilia Nuccio, President (international)

| services = Video, digital, television distribution

| subsid = Alliance Atlantis International Distribution
PM Entertainment

}}

Echo Bridge Entertainment was an American independent distribution company. It acquired and distributed feature films, scripted and non-scripted series, documentaries, and children's programming for home video, digital and television in the United States and throughout the world. Since its acquisition of Alliance Atlantis International Distribution and recent distribution partnerships with Miramax{{Cite news|url = https://www.miramax.com/company/press/echo-bridge-and-miramax-enter-into-distribution-partnership|title = Echo Bridge And Miramax Enter Into Distribution Partnership|publisher = Miramax|date = February 17, 2011|access-date = May 18, 2014|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130619010130/http://www.miramax.com/company/press/echo-bridge-and-miramax-enter-into-distribution-partnership|archive-date = June 19, 2013|url-status = dead}} and ABC Disney/Buena Vista, Echo Bridge Entertainment had a combined portfolio of over 11,000 titles, including Degrassi: The Next Generation (a co-production with DHX Media's Epitome Pictures), until DHX Media acquired the family library in November 2014.

History

Echo Bridge Home Entertainment, a division of Echo Bridge Entertainment, was founded in 1995 as Platinum Disc Corporation, initially distributed DVDs of low-budget and public domain films. It was named and had its logo inspired from the real Echo Bridge in Massachusetts. In February 2004, Echo Bridge Entertainment was founded at the American Film Market, with the acquisition of the libraries of CineTel Films and PM Entertainment.{{cite news|url= https://variety.com/2004/film/markets-festivals/afm-set-to-hear-an-echo-1117899984/|title=AFM set to her an echo|magazine=Variety|date=February 11, 2004|access-date=July 23, 2024}}{{cite news|url= https://www.screendaily.com/echo-bridge-to-launch-at-afm-armed-with-pm-library-and-94-cinetel-titles/4017303.article|title=Echo Bridge to launch at AFM, armed with PM library and 94 CineTel titles|magazine=Screen Daily|date=February 12, 2004|access-date=July 23, 2024}} In September 2004, Echo Bridge announced that it would acquire the Green Communications library.{{cite news|url= https://www.screendaily.com/echo-bridge-buys-green-communications-library/4020334.article|title=Echo Bridge buys Green Communications library|website=Screen Daily|date=September 29, 2004|access-date=July 23, 2024}} In July 2005, Platinum Disc Corporation and Echo Bridge Entertainment merged to form Echo Bridge Home Entertainment.{{Cite news|url = https://www.echobridgeentertainment.com/corporate/pressreleases.php?article=35|title = Echo Bridge Entertainment Merges With Leading Home Entertainment Distributor, Platinum Disc Corporation|publisher = Echo Bridge Entertainment|date = July 5, 2005|access-date = October 22, 2012|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131015162213/https://www.echobridgeentertainment.com/corporate/pressreleases.php?article=35|archive-date = October 15, 2013|url-status = dead}} In April 2008, Echo Bridge acquired the international operations, including television distribution rights to Alliance Atlantis library from Goldman Sachs, with the exception of the CSI franchise, which was retained by CBS.{{Cite news|url = https://www.onscreenasia.com/article/echo-bridge-to-acquire-alliance-atlantis-international-distribution/2668|title = Echo Bridge to acquire Alliance Atlantis International Distribution|date = April 7, 2008|access-date = October 22, 2012|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131015162921/http://www.onscreenasia.com/article/echo-bridge-to-acquire-alliance-atlantis-international-distribution/2668|archive-date = October 15, 2013|url-status = dead}} In 2011, Echo Bridge Entertainment and Miramax made a distribution deal in which Echo Bridge would release 251 films from the Miramax catalog, with the other 550 going to Lionsgate and StudioCanal as Miramax had a similar distribution deal with them.{{cite news|url=https://variety.com/2011/film/news/miramax-echo-bridge-team-for-dvd-distrib-1118032499/|title=Miramax, Echo Bridge team for DVD distrib|magazine=Variety|date=February 17, 2011|access-date=July 23, 2024}}{{cite news|url=https://deadline.com/2011/02/echo-bridge-takes-on-miramax-dvd-titles-107321/|title=Echo Bridge takes on Miramax DVD titles|website=Deadline Hollywood|date=February 17, 2011|access-date=July 23, 2024}} On March 17, 2014, after Echo Bridge lost the distribution rights to the Miramax titles, the Miramax releases all went out of print and any mention of them was removed from their website. Lionsgate later expanded their deal with Miramax to include the 251 films previously released by Echo Bridge until 2020, when Paramount Home Entertainment (which parent company acquired a 49% stake of Miramax in 2019) extended their own deal with Miramax to include those 251 films. In 2014, Echo Bridge sold its family library to DHX Media (now known as WildBrain).[http://www.dhxmedia.com/trade-news/includes-international-distribution-rights-for-degrassi/ DHX Media acquires library of children's and family TV content]

In January 2017, filmmaker and producer Steven Paul purchased the non-family assets of Echo Bridge, which in turn renamed as Echo Bridge Acquisition Corp, later becoming dormant and then folded into SP Distribution in 2021, with the distribution rights to the Echo Bridge/PM/Alliance Atlantis library in turn acquired by the New York City-based distributor and streaming service FilmRise for digital distribution.{{Cite news|url = https://variety.com/2017/film/news/steven-paul-echo-bridge-1201958518/|title = Producer Steven Paul Buys Distributor Echo Bridge|language = en-US}}

Filmography

[https://www.imdb.com/search/title/?companies=co0087301 Platinum Disc Library]
[https://www.imdb.com/search/title/?companies=co0165912 Echo Bridge Home Entertainment Library]