MGM Home Entertainment

Metro Goldwyn Mayer Home Entertainment is home video arm of American media company Metro Goldwyn Mayer.

History
Company was established as MGM Home Video, releasing MGM films and TV shows. In 1979, MGM joined forces with CBS Video Enterprises, home video division of CBS television network, and established MGM CBS Home Video. In October of that year, they released their 1 batch of Betamax and VHS tapes.

Initial printings of all 24 films were packaged in brown leather clamshell cases with gold lettering they were presented to CBS executives. Later printings of these films, as well as all printings of later releases by MGM CBS, were packaged in oversized gray book style boxes with either MGM Abstract Lion print logo or CBS Video print logo in upper right hand corner of pack. MGM CBS also issued some early tapes of Lorimar product those releases would instead bear Lorimar print logo where MGM or CBS Video print logo would normally be.

In 1982, a year after MGM bought and merged with near bankrupt United Artists, CBS drop out of video partnership with MGM and move to 20 Century Fox to create CBS Fox Video. MGM video division became known as MGM UA Home Entertainment Group, more commonly known as MGM UA Home Video. MGM UA continued to license pre 1981 UA and pre 1950 Warner Bros films as well as some post 1981 titles to CBS Fox due to an agreement UA had with Fox years early dating back to when CBS Fox Home Video was called Magnetic Video.

In 1986, MGM pre May 1986 library also including pre 1950 Warner Bros library, Bugs Bunny Superstar, Fleischer Studios Famous Studios Popeye cartoons, and most US rights to RKO Pictures library, was acquired by Ted Turner and his company Turner Entertainment After library was acquired, MGM UA signed a deal with Turner to continue distributing pre May 1986 MGM and to begin distributing pre 1950 Warner Bros. libraries for video release rest of library went to Turner Home Entertainment.

In 1990, after Pathe bought MGM, MGM UA Home Video struck a deal with Warner Home Video to have them distribute MGM UA titles exclusively on home video. MGM UA began distributing UA library after it contract with CBS Fox end. In 1995, MGM UA Home Video founded kids and family label MGM UA Family Entertainment. In 1996, Warner made an exclusive deal with Image Entertainment to distribute MGM UA titles on Laserdisc.

In 1997, MGM UA, along with other studios that were distributed by Warner Home Video, began releasing it titles on DVD. Some of films MGM released on DVD were from Turner catalog, which they were still allow to keep after Turner merged into Warnermedia some time before because of their distribution deal. That same year, MGM acquired Orion Pictures. As a result, Orion Home Video Orion home video division was bought out by MGM UA, and was retained as an in name only division until acquisition deal was finalized in 1998. In 1998, company was renamed MGM Home Entertainment and MGM UA Family Entertainment was renamed MGM Family Entertainment.

In 1999, MGM paid Warner Bros $225 million to end their distribution agreement in 2000 initial deal was to have expired in 2003. As a result of deal, MGM gave up home video rights to MGM UA films owned by Turner to Warner Home Video. Upon expiration of Warner deal, MGM sold overseas video rights to 20 Century Fox Home Entertainment.

In 2001, MGM and Amazon launch MGM Movie Vault to distribute VHS copies of selected films, either previously unreleased on video or long out of print, exclusively through Amazon.

In 2003, MGM Family Entertainment was renamed MGM Kids.

In 2005, follow MGM acquisition by the Sony led consortium, company was under Sony Pictures Home Entertainment label but not using MGM Home Entertainment name on any releases, which has distributed MGM library, though under MGM label. Deal end a year later.

In 2006, after MGM end their distribution agreement with Sony, they announced that they would be sign a new distribution deal with 20 Century Fox Home Entertainment. Originally, DVD releases of MGM UA and Columbia Pictures Tristar Pictures co releases continued to be distributed by SPHE, since Sony then still own 100% of MGM, whereas Fox has no controlling interest however, Fox has since released DVD editions of films based on MGM IP. On April 14, 2011, Fox deal distributing MGM library is extended until end of 2016. On June 27, 2016, Fox deal distributing MGM library is extended again until June 2020.

In 2008, MGM Kids was discontinued and was folded into MGM Home Entertainment, but on October 5, 2010, MGM Kids was revived.

In 2010, parent company Metro Goldwyn Mayer had emerged from bankruptcy. As of 2011, MGM no longer releases or markets it own movies. Instead, MGM now resorts to co distributing with other studios that handle all distribution and marketing for MGM projects. Since then, only some of MGM most recent movies, such as Skyfall, Red Dawn, Saturn, Carrie, Robocop, If You Stay, Poltergeist, Upside Mystery 3 which Fox co distributes, and Spectre have all been released on DVD and Blu ray by it home video output and 20 Century Fox Home Entertainment. Others, such as Swan Dream Pool, Puma Race, Hobbit, Hansel And Gretel Witch Hunters, GI Joe 2 Retaliation, Mansion Warrior, Hercules, Hot Tub Time Machine 2, Creed, Barbershop: Next Cut, 22 Jump Street, Lily And Lester, Ben Hur and Magnificent 7 have been released by home video output of co distributor, in this case Warner Home Video, Paramount Home Media Distribution and Sony Pictures Home Entertainment respectively. MGM also did not release Orion Pictures remake of Town That Dreaded Sundown on DVD or Blu ray. That title was released by Image Entertainment. MGM Fox did not handle DVD Blu ray release of Operation Finale on December 4, 2018. Instead, Universal Pictures Home Entertainment distributes this title.

In 2011, MGM launch MGM Limited Edition Collection, a manufactured on demand MOD DVD service that puts out unreleased and out of print titles from MGM own library. It releases are sold through Warner Archive Collection.