20th Century Home Entertainment
History[edit]
In 1995, FoxVideo was reorganized, becoming 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment after Fox acquired CBS' share in the CBS/Fox Video joint venture. In addition, the company also created additional distribution operations (Fox Kids Video, CBS Video, and CBS/Fox Video) and two new media units, Fox Interactive and Magnet Interactive Studios.
The company's earliest hits under the name were the 1995 releases of the Star Wars trilogy and the 1996 release of Independence Day. In 1996, the company begin distributing titles by Saban Entertainment after losing WarnerVision, but it was transferred to BVHE in 2001 after Disney acquired Fox Family Worldwide. In 1997, the Fox Kids Video label was extended to include CBS-owned titles, along with Marvel releases.
The company initially abstained from releasing DVDs, instead advocated for digital VHS, then the disposable DIVX. Fox eventually signed a deal with Time Warner Cable, in order to secure a lower cable position for Fox Family Channel, so the company begin releasing DVDs.
The company utilized the TV-on-DVD model with hits like The Simpsons, The X-Files, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and 24. When the BBC's distribution agreement, along with that of CBS expired in 2000 and the loss of popular sports titles like NBA and the NHL to PolyGram Video/USA Home Entertainment and the dropping of the CBS/Fox Video name in 2001, Fox filled the void by distributing titles from Marvel Entertainment, DIC Entertainment, American Greetings and HIT Entertainment, although Fox would later lose distribution rights to the latter two to Lions Gate Home Entertainment in 2008.
In 1999, MGM signed with 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment for worldwide distribution. The company's deal initially expired in 2003, but begin distributing titles from 2006 to 2020, when Warner Bros. Home Entertainment reclaimed the distribution rights to the MGM catalog.
In 2002, the company adopted the D-Theater format, and when the D-Theater format failed in 2005, the company begin releasing titles on Blu-ray.
In 2019, after Disney merged with 21st Century Fox, the company was folded into Buena Vista Home Entertainment and the name became a label, eventually becoming 20th Century Home Entertainment when Fox became 20th Century Studios. Home video releases since 2020 use either the 20th Century Studios logo or the Searchlight Pictures logo without any video indicator.