NBCUniversal Entertainment Japan
{{Short description|Japanese entertainment company}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2021}}
{{Use American English|date=February 2021}}
{{Expand Japanese| NBCユニバーサル・エンターテイメントジャパン|date=December 2024}}
{{Infobox company
| name = NBCUniversal Entertainment Japan LLC
| native_name = NBCユニバーサル・エンターテイメントジャパン合同会社
| native_name_lang = ja
| romanized_name = EnubīshīYunibāsaru Entāteimento Japan gōdō gaisha
| logo = NBCUniversal Entertainment Japan logo.svg
| logo_size = 250px
| image = Atago_Green_Hills_Mori_Tower.jpg
| image_caption = Headquarters at Atago Green Hills in Atago, Minato, Tokyo
| former_names = LaserDisc Corporation (1981–1989)
Pioneer LDC, Inc. (1989–2003)
Geneon Entertainment Inc. (2003–2009)
Geneon Universal Entertainment Japan, LLC. (2009–2013)
| type = Subsidiary
| foundation = {{start date and age|1981|3}}
| founder = Pioneer Corporation
| location = Atago
| location_city = Minato, Tokyo
| location_country = Japan
| key_people = Shoji Doyama (CEO and president)
| num_employees =
| area_served = Japan
| industry = Mass media
| revenue =
| owner =
| parent = {{Unbulleted list|Pioneer Corporation (1981–2003)|Dentsu (2003–2008)|Universal Pictures (2008–present)}}
| divisions =
| subsid =
| services = {{Unbulleted list|Broadcasting|Licensing|Publishing}}
| products = {{ubl|Anime|Film|Music}}
| homepage = {{URL|https://www.nbcuni.co.jp/}}
}}
{{Nihongo|NBCUniversal Entertainment Japan LLC|NBCユニバーサル・エンターテイメントジャパン合同会社|Enubīshī Yunibāsaru Entāteimento Japan Gōdō gaisha|lead=yes}} (abbreviated as NBCUEJ) is a Japanese music, anime, and home entertainment production and distribution enterprise that is a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, owned by American telecommunications/media company Comcast headquartered in Akasaka, Minato, Tokyo. It is primarily involved in the production and distribution of anime within Japan.
The company was founded in March 1981 by Pioneer Corporation as LaserDisc Corporation, a LaserDisc player production company. In 1989, the company was renamed Pioneer LDC, Inc. as it branched into the anime, music, and film industries, and later Geneon Entertainment Inc. (after being acquired by Dentsu in 2003). In 2008, Geneon merged with Universal Pictures Japan to form Geneon Universal Entertainment Japan, LLC; in 2013, the company changed its name to the current NBCUniversal Entertainment Japan. Some of the well-known anime series the company has produced are A Certain Magical Index, The Heroic Legend of Arslan, Danganronpa: The Animation, Golden Kamuy, Seraph of the End, The Quintessential Quintuplets and Is the Order a Rabbit? among many others.
Despite the name, NBCUniversal Entertainment Japan does not distribute Universal Pictures films theatrically in Japan; Toho (through Toho-Towa) exclusively distributes them for Japanese theaters.
History
{{Evolution of Comcast NBCUniversal}}
= Founding =
Pioneer Corporation founded the {{nihongo|LaserDisc Corporation|レーザーディスク株式会社|RēzāDisuku Kabushiki-gaisha}} in March 1981 to produce LaserDisc players in Japan.{{cite web|url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2009-01-14/pioneer-stops-making-laserdisc-players-after-27-years|title=Pioneer Stops Making Laserdisc Players After 27 Years|publisher=Anime News Network|date=2009-01-14|access-date=2019-05-29}} The LaserDisc Corporation changed its name to {{nihongo|Pioneer LDC, Inc.|パイオニア エル・ディー・シー株式会社|Paionia Eru Dī Shī Kabushiki-gaisha}} in 1989 as part of an attempt to branch off into the anime, film, and music industries. As Pioneer LDC, they developed and published several video games for the Sega Saturn and PlayStation, such as games based on Magical Girl Pretty Sammy, Tenchi Muyo!, and Serial Experiments Lain.{{cite web|title=Magical Girl Pretty Samy Part 2: In the Julyhelm [Japan Import]|url=https://www.amazon.com/Magical-Girl-Pretty-Samy-PlayStation1-PlayStation2/dp/B000069TSP/|website=Amazon.com|access-date=February 20, 2021}}{{cite web|title=Tenchi Muyou! Rensa Hitsuyou [Japan Import]|url=https://www.amazon.com/Tenchi-Muyou-Rensa-Hitsuyou-Sega-Saturn/dp/B000069TSQ/|website=Amazon.com|access-date=February 20, 2021}}{{cite web|title=serial experiments lain [Japan Import]|url=https://www.amazon.com/serial-experiments-lain-Japan-PlayStation1-PlayStation2/dp/B00005OVPO/|website=Amazon.com|access-date=February 20, 2021}}
In December 1985, Pioneer LDC made an effort to expand into the North American business, by establishing a subsidiary in the region named LaserDisc Corporation of America in an effort to consolidate the Pioneer Video and Pioneer Audio units, who maintained the Pioneer Artists label, which was initially based near New Jersey, following the introduction of a combined CD/laserdisc player.{{Cite magazine |last=Seideman |first=Tony |date=January 11, 1986 |title=Laser Players, Disks Carve Market Niche |pages=47 |magazine=Billboard |url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Billboard-Index/IDX/1986/1986-01-11-Billboard-Page-0069.pdf |access-date=October 16, 2023}}
In late 1991, Pioneer LDC established a European division, Pioneer LDCE (short for LaserDisc Corporation of Europe), hoping to revive interest of Laserdiscs in the European market after Philips' Laserdisc players flopped in Europe.{{Cite magazine |last=Clark-Meads |first=Jeff |date=February 22, 1992 |title=Pioneer Pushing Laserdiscs In Europe |pages=45 |magazine=Billboard |url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Billboard-Index/IDX/1992/1992-02-22-Billboard-Page-0037.pdf |access-date=October 16, 2023}} Around the same time, the company begin licensing titles from Guild Film Distribution to release 140 films to Laserdisc for the United Kingdom market, and additionally licensed titles from VCL Communications/Carolco Pictures to release 20 titles to the German market.{{Cite magazine |last=Dean |first=Peter |date=March 7, 1992 |title=Pioneer Laserdisc Europe Filling Film Void |pages=35 |magazine=Billboard |url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Billboard-Index/IDX/1992/1992-03-07-Billboard-Page-0035.pdf |access-date=October 18, 2023}}
In 1992, LaserDisc released their first anime title Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-Ohki.
On July 21, 2003, the company was acquired by Japanese advertising and marketing company firm Dentsu and renamed to {{nihongo|Geneon Entertainment Inc.|ジェネオン エンタテインメント株式会社|Jeneon Entateinmento Kabushiki-gaisha}}, while its North American division, Pioneer Entertainment, was renamed Geneon USA.{{cite web|url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2003-07-21/dentsu-acquires-pioneer |title=Dentsu acquires Pioneer - News |publisher=Anime News Network |date=2003-07-21 |access-date=2013-11-05}}{{cite web|title=Pioneer Entertainment Inc. to Become Geneon|url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/press-release/2003-09-26/pioneer-entertainment-inc-to-become-geneon|website=Anime News Network|date=September 26, 2003|access-date=February 18, 2021}}
= Sale to NBC Universal =
File:Geneonuniversal.jpg logo (used from 1996 to 2011), used from 2009 to 2013]]
On November 12, 2008, Dentsu announced that it was selling 80.1% of its ownership in the company to NBC Universal's Universal Pictures International Entertainment (UPIE), who planned to merge the company with its Universal Pictures Japan division—which had no longer theatrically distributed Universal Pictures films in Japan, having delegated its theatrical distribution tasks to Toho subsidiary Toho-Towa since the dissolution of United International Pictures Japan in 2007—to form a new company.{{cite web|url=https://www.dentsu.co.jp/news/release/pdf-cms/2008099-1112.pdf|title=ジェネオン エンタテインメント㈱一部株式のUPIEへの譲渡とジェネオン エンタテインメント㈱とUPIE子会社との合併について|publisher=Dentsu|date=2008-11-12|access-date=2019-05-29|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714160622/https://www.dentsu.co.jp/news/release/pdf-cms/2008099-1112.pdf|archive-date=2014-07-14|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2008-11-12/geneon-to-merge-with-universal-pictures-japan |title=Geneon to Merge with Universal Pictures Japan - News |publisher=Anime News Network |date=2008-11-12 |access-date=2013-11-05}} The merger later closed, with the new company known as {{nihongo|Geneon Universal Entertainment Japan, LLC.|ジェネオン・ユニバーサル・エンターテイメントジャパン合同会社|Jeneon Yunibāsaru Entāteimento Japan Gōdō-kaisha}}.{{cite web |url=http://www.geneonuniversal.jp/ |title=Geneon Universal Entertainment |publisher=Geneonuniversal.jp |access-date=2013-11-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130521212929/http://www.geneonuniversal.jp/ |archive-date=2013-05-21 |url-status=dead }} On December 9, 2013, the company once again changed its name to NBCUniversal Entertainment Japan LLC.{{cite web|title=Geneon Universal Ent. Japan is Now Known as NBCUniversal Entertainment Japan|url=https://nbcuni.co.jp/core_sys/images/others/news/20131209_press.pdf|publisher=NBCUniversal Entertainment Japan|date=2013-12-09|access-date=9 December 2013|language=ja|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140824060336/https://nbcuni.co.jp/core_sys/images/others/news/20131209_press.pdf|archive-date=2014-08-24|url-status=live}}
File:NBCUniversal Entertainment Japan globe logo.png
On February 17, 2013, they made a partnership with Universal Sony Pictures Home Entertainment to distribute their anime titles directly in Australia and New Zealand.{{cite web|title=Universal Sony Home Pictures to Release Anime in Australia|url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2013-02-18/universal-sony-home-pictures-to-release-anime-in-australia|website=Anime News Network|date=February 17, 2013|access-date=February 20, 2021}}
= Purchase of Paramount Japan =
On January 1, 2016, Paramount Japan was purchased by NBCUniversal and dissolved shortly afterwards.{{cite web|url=https://ssl.paramount.jp/close/pcs/|script-title=ja:サイト閉鎖のお知らせ|trans-title=Site Closure Notification|language=ja|publisher=Paramount Japan|date=January 1, 2016|access-date=May 22, 2016|archive-date=March 4, 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304113410/https://ssl.paramount.jp/close/pcs/}} This was due to Paramount Pictures establishing a joint-venture with Toho-Towa named Towa Pictures Company Limited, which would distribute Paramount's films in Japan.{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2015/biz/asia/paramount-titles-to-distribute-through-toho-towa-in-japan-1201613098/|title=Paramount Titles to Distribute Through Toho-Towa in Japan|publisher=Variety|date=2015-10-07|access-date=2020-04-29}}
On July 12, 2017, they announced a partnership with Crunchyroll to co-produce anime with "international appeal".{{cite web|title=Crunchyroll Partners With NBCUniversal Entertainment Japan to Co-Develop Anime|url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2017-07-12/crunchyroll-partners-with-nbcuniversal-entertainment-japan-to-co-develop-anime/.118652|website=Anime News Network|date=July 12, 2017|access-date=February 18, 2021}}
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
External links
- {{Official website|https://www.nbcuni.co.jp/}} {{in lang|ja}}
{{NBC Universal}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:2003 mergers and acquisitions
Category:2008 mergers and acquisitions
Category:2016 mergers and acquisitions
Category:Entertainment companies of Japan
Category:Mass media companies based in Tokyo
Category:Entertainment companies established in 1981
Category:Mass media companies established in 1981
Category:Japanese companies established in 1981
Category:Former Vivendi subsidiaries
Category:Japanese subsidiaries of foreign companies