Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment

History

WCI Home Video was founded in 1978 and launched in the United States with twenty films on Betamax and VHS videocassettes in late 1979. The company later expanded its line to include additional titles throughout 1979 and 1980.

Warner Bros. began to branch out into the videodisc market, licensing titles to MCA DiscoVision and RCA's SelectaVision videodisc formats, allowing both companies to market and distribute the films under their labels. By 1985, Warner Bros. was releasing material under their own label in both formats. Titles from Warner Home Video are distributed and manufactured by Roadshow Home Video in Australia and New Zealand because of its film counterpart's films released by Village Roadshow.

Warner Home Video also experimented with the "rental-only" market for videos, a method also used by 20th Century Fox for their first release of Star Wars in 1982. Two known films released in this manner were Superman II and Excalibur. Other films released for rental use include Dirty Harry, The Enforcer, Prince of the City, and Sharky's Machine. In 1990, Warner Home Video acquired the worldwide home video rights to the MGM/UA catalog. The $125 million purchase was used to finance MGM/UA's acquisition by the Pathé Communications Corporation. The intended 12½-year-long deal was cut short in February 2000, with MGM paying Warner Home Video $225 million to regain video rights to a number of its films. In exchange, Warner Home Video gained full control over the video rights to MGM's pre-May 1986 library, an asset the studio had acquired outright from Turner Entertainment Co., but due to a pre-existing licensing deal with MGM, was originally expected to expire in 2003.

On December 20, 1996, Warner Home Video was one of the first major American distributors for the then-new DVD format, by releasing the films Assassins, Blade Runner: Director's Cut, Eraser, and The Fugitive on DVD in Japan and on March 24, 1997, in the United States with Twister also being a launch title for the region there. Warner Bros. executive Warren Lieberfarb is often seen as "the father of DVD". Lieberfarb's successor, Warner Bros. executive James F. Cardwell was recognized in paving the way for Warner Home Video's strategic positioning in next generation technologies such as High Definition DVD (HD DVD), electronic sell-through and portable video. In 2003, Warner Home Video became the first home video releasing company to release movies only on DVD with no VHS equivalent.

In 2009, Warner Home Video introduced the Warner Archive Collection, which allows the public to order custom-made DVDs of rarely seen films and television series from the Warner and Turner libraries. The films are also available as digital downloads. Warner Archive DVDs and downloads can be ordered online on Warner's website, on Amazon.com or one-time Turner Classic Movies-affiliated DVD website MoviesUnlimited.com.

From June 30, 2020 to January 12, 2026, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment had regained the home video rights to the post-May 1986 MGM catalog after 21 years, although pre-May 1986 titles continue to lack MGM logos on packaging.

Starting in 2022, due to the finalization of the Warner Bros. Discovery merger, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment started distributing the television libraries of Discovery-owned networks including the flagship Discovery Channel and Animal Planet.

Studio Distribution Services

Main article: Studio Distribution Services

On January 14, 2020, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment and Universal Pictures Home Entertainment announced that they would partner on a 10-year multinational joint-venture. In North America, their physical distribution operations were merged into a company named Studio Distribution Services, LLC. Internationally, Universal distributes Warner Bros.' titles in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Japan (until 2025) (and Spain since May 2022); while Warner distributes Universal's titles in the United Kingdom (until 2025), Italy (until 2024) and Benelux. On April 7, 2020, the European Commission approved the merger. Since June 1, 2021, SDS' logo took the Warner Bros. Home Entertainment logo's place on the back covers of the home releases; while there have been several exceptions, mainly manufactured on demand titles including 4K (also steelbooks) and Blu-ray releases.

On June 24, 2024, it was reported that Sony Pictures Home Entertainment had entered into a distribution deal with SDS to handle the physical distribution of their titles.

References

References

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2. Prince, Stephen. (2002). "A New Pot of Gold: Hollywood Under the Electronic Rainbow, 1980–1989". University of California Press.
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4. (March 30, 1982). "RCA and Warner Home Video in Video Disc Agreements".
5. Eller, Claudia. (December 10, 1997). "Warner, Village Roadshow Plan 20-Movie Joint Venture". [[Los Angeles Times]].
6. Lev, Michael. (October 24, 1990). "THE MEDIA BUSINESS; Pathe Settles Time Warner Dispute". [[The New York Times]].
7. Peers, Martin. (March 16, 1999). "MGM presses stop on WB homevid deal".
8. Taylor, Jim. (March 21, 1997). "DVD Frequently Asked Questions (with answers!)". Video Discovery.
9. Burr, Ty. (March 28, 2009). "Classic movies made to order in the Warner Archive Collection". [[Boston.com]].
10. Gruenwedel, Erik. (2026-01-12). "Alliance Entertainment Inks North American Packaged Media-Distribution Deal With Amazon MGM Studios".
11. Hunt, Bill. (April 23, 2021). "Bill's on the Latest Home Theater United Podcast, Plus an Apple Digital Purchase Lawsuit & Warner and Universal Combine Their Physical Media Operations".
12. (15 January 2020). "Universal & Warner Bros. Form Home Entertainment Joint Venture".
13. (April 8, 2020). "European Commission Approves Warner, Universal Home Entertainment Joint Venture – Media Play News". Media Play News.
14. "Curious George 5-Movie Collection DVD (Curious George / Curious George 2: Follow That Monkey / Curious George 3: Back to the Jungle / Curious George: Royal Monkey / Curious George: Go West, Go Wild)".
15. "Daniel Radcliffe Collection DVD (Jungle / Escape from Pretoria / Beast of Burden)".
16. "Boogie Blu-ray (Blu-ray + Digital HD)".
17. "Howard the Duck 4K Blu-ray (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital)".
18. "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World 4K Blu-ray (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital HD)".
19. "The Thing 4K Blu-ray (Best Buy Exclusive SteelBook)".
20. "Rear Window 4K Blu-ray (Best Buy Exclusive SteelBook)".
21. "Vertigo 4K Blu-ray (Best Buy Exclusive SteelBook)".
22. "Inglourious Basterds 4K Blu-ray (SteelBook)".
23. "Old 4K Blu-ray (Best Buy Exclusive SteelBook)".
24. "Carlito's Way 4K Blu-ray (Best Buy Exclusive SteelBook)".
25. "F9: The Fast Saga 4K Blu-ray (Best Buy Exclusive SteelBook)".
26. "The Woody Woodpecker Screwball Collection Blu-ray".
27. "Beethoven's Christmas Adventure Blu-ray".
28. "How to Train Your Dragon: Holiday Double Feature Blu-ray (Gift of the Night Fury / Homecoming)".
29. "Spirit Riding Free: Spirit of Christmas Blu-ray".
30. "Trolls: Holiday Double Feature Blu-ray (Trolls Holiday / Trolls: Holiday in Harmony)".
31. (24 June 2024). "Paramount sets Bringing Out the Dead for 4K Ultra HD, plus Sony signs a new distribution deal with SDS that includes Lionsgate, Disney & 20th Century".