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MCA, Seagram and Universal: Holdings

Holdings

This listing is under development and is indicative only, illustrating the spead of corporate interests before dismantling of the empire gathered pace.

It thus does not provide a definitive inventory, instead highlighting film, music and other interests acquired by Vivendi through for example the Seagram takeover.

It covers -

  • Film production and distribution interests
  • Television and video production & distribution
  • Cable and broadcast television
  • stakes in other media groups
  • Interactive
  • Music recording
  • Music Publishing and Distribution
  • Theme Parks
  • Merchandising
  • Cinemas

Film Production & Distribution

Film production and distribution interests included -

  • Universal Studio
  • Universal Pictures
  • October Films (majority interest)
  • Universal Studios Home Video
  • United International Pictures (33%) - international distribution
  • Cinema International BV (49%) - video distribution
  • Interscope
  • Propaganda
  • Working Title
  • Cinea (50%) France
  • PolyGram DA
  • Pan Europeenee Production (70%)
  • Noe
  • PolyGram Television
  • Working Title Television
  • Propaganda Television
  • TedPoly (50%) - Hong Kong
  • Meteor Films - Netherlands
  • PolyGram Filmed Entertainment Australia
  • PolyGram Filmed Entertainment Benelux
  • Sogepaq (50%) - Spain
  • PolyGram Film International
  • PolyGram Television USA
  • PolyGram Television International

The group had production or distribution agreements with the independent -

  • Havoc Inc
  • Island Pictures
  • Egg Pictures
  • Def Pictures
  • Dirty Hand Productions
  • The Jones Company

Television and video production & distribution

Program production and distribution interests included -

  • Universal Television Group - production and distribution
  • Brillstein-Grey Entertainment (50%) - production
  • Multimedia Entertainment - Jerry Springer talk show
  • PolyGram Films
  • Gramercy
  • PolyGram Filmed Entertainment UK
  • PolyGram Filmed Entertainment Canada
  • PolyGram Film Distribution
  • PolyGram Video
  • Vision Video
  • Abbey Home Entertainment
  • PolyGram Video US/International

Cable and broadcast television

Broadcast and cable television interests included -

  • USA Networks Inc - formerly Home Shopping Network headed by Barry Diller, former Fox Network czar
  • Universal Pay Television - international distribution
  • Echostar - US satellite tv (10%)

Stakes in other media groups

Vivendi had stakes in other media groups and channels, including -

  • HBO Asia - controlled by AOL Time Warner
  • Telecine (Brazil)
  • Showtime (Australia)
  • Star Channel (Japan)
  • Kirch Group - German film and television production, broadcasting and publishing (now defunct)
  • RTL7 (Poland) - RTL subsidiary
  • Sogecable (Spain)
  • VIVA (20%)
  • MTV Asia (50%) - with Viacom
  • Atomic TV (40%) - Poland
  • Sundance Channel (10% USA and 75% International)
  • Really Useful Holdings (30%) - Andrew Lloyd Webber theatrical productions and copyrights

Interactive

  • Universal Studios Online
  • Universal.com
  • Universal Interactive Studios - software and video games
  • Universal Digital Arts
  • Interplay - video game producer
  • GetMusic - online music retailer

Music recording

Recording interests included the following labels -

  • MCA Records
  • MCA Records Nashville
  • Decca Records
  • GRP Recording Company
  • Geffen/DGC Records
  • Universal Records
  • Rising Tide
  • Interscope Records
  • Hip-O Records
  • A&M
  • Decca
  • Def Jam
  • Deutsche Grammophon
  • Island
  • London
  • Mercury
  • Motown
  • Phillips Classics
  • Polydor
  • Verve

The group had manufacturing facilities in Amersfoot (Netherlands), Blackburn (UK), Hannover (Germany), Kings Mountain (USA) and Louviers (France)

Music Publishing and Distribution

Publishing and promotion interests included -

  • PolyGram Music Publishing
  • Island Music
  • Leonard Bernstein Music Publishing (50%)
  • Universal Music & Video Distribution
  • Universal Music International
  • MCA Music Publishing
  • Interscope Music Publishing
  • All Nations Catalog
  • Universal Concerts (concert promotion)

Theme Parks

  • Universal Studios Hollywood
  • Universal Studios Florida (joint venture with UK Rank Group)
  • Universal's Islands of Adventure
  • Universal Studios Japan
  • Sega Game Works (partial ownership - local entertainment centers)

Merchandising

  • Spencer Gifts chain
  • PolyGram Merchandising (80%)
  • Britannia (UK) - direct marketing

Cinemas

  • Cineplex Odeon Corporation (42%) - cinemas in US and Canada
  • Cinema International Corporation (49%) - cinemas
  • United Cinemas International (49%) - cinemas in partnership with Viacom