Lionsgate Home Entertainment

Lionsgate Home Entertainment is home video distribution arm of Lionsgate.

Background
Before LGHE was formed, company video releases were distributed by Universal Pictures Home Entertainment and Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. Lionsgate Films decided to create 2 home video labels Avalanche Home Entertainment, which released smaller Canadian B movies on VHS and DVD and Sterling Home Entertainment a joint venture with Scanbox International, Danish film company, which released American low budget movies on VHS and DVD in 1990. In June 2000, Lionsgate purchased Trimark Pictures and it in house home video unit. These 3 companies Avalanche, Sterling, and Trimark Home Video were merged into Lions Gate Home Entertainment in 2001. In 2003, Lionsgate acquired Artisan Entertainment, expanding Lionsgate home video library.

It library of more than 8,000 films owes some of it size to output deals with other studios. Mainly concerned with distribution of Lions Gate film library, it also distributes Mattel Barbie branded videos, as well as Clifford Big Red Dog videos from Scholastic, Stickin Around videos from Nelvana, and MGA Entertainment,. Lionsgate Home Entertainment also previously distributed videos from HIT Entertainment and Jim Henson Home Entertainment until 2012 and 2014 respectively when studios made new deals with Universal Pictures Home Entertainment and Gaiam Vivendi Entertainment.

In 2001, in Quebec it was renamed Crystal Films, and in Ontario and other provinces, Maple Pictures.

In 2001, Lions Gate Home Entertainment sign a deal with DIC Entertainment to distribute their back animated titles on video and DVD in US, replacing DIC long time partner Buena Vista Home Entertainment.. Partnership only lasted a year, as in 2003 DIC started to distribute their shows through Sterling Entertainment Group no connection to ex Lionsgate subsidiary Sterling Home Entertainment and later other distribution companies like Shout Factory, 20 Century Fox Home Entertainment and Ncircle Entertainment.

Lionsgate movies are released on DVD and Blu ray as well as on PSP through Universal Media Disc.

Since 2012, LGHE started distributing Summit Entertainment releases as a result of Lionsgate acquiring that company.

Lionsgate film releases in US are distributed on home video by 20 Century Fox Home Entertainment and by Entertainment 1 in Canada.

On August 4, 2008, Lionsgate announced that it had completed a deal with Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment to acquire distribution rights to several ABC Studios Touchstone TV shows including According To Jim, Reaper, Hope And Faith, 8 Simple Rules and Boy Meets World.

Until 2012, Lionsgate also distributed most of theatrical properties held by Republic Pictures on DVD under license from Paramount Pictures. Deal also expanded to include some marquee films originally released by Paramount themselves. Recently, with folding of Republic, Lionsgate function was transferred to Olive Films.

On February 11, 2011, Lionsgate and Studiocanal made an agreement to release 550 titles from Miramax film library worldwide.

On December 8, 2016, Lionsgate acquired Starz making Lionsgate parent company of NA branches of Anchor Bay Entertainment and Manga Entertainment. Former was folded into Lionsgate Home Entertainment short after buyout and latter is planned to be relaunched in near future.

Past names

 * Vidmark Entertainment (1984–1997)
 * Trimark Home Video (1997–2000)
 * Family Home Entertainment (1980–2005)
 * USA Home Video (1983–1986)
 * International Video Entertainment (1986–1990)
 * LIVE Home Video (1990–1995)
 * LIVE Entertainment (1995–1998)
 * Artisan Entertainment (1998–2004)
 * Vestron Video (1981–1992, 2016–present)
 * Children Video Library (1985–1988)
 * Celebrity Home Entertainment (1986–1998)
 * Just For Kids Home Video (1987–2000)