DIC Entertainment

The logo for the company used during most of the Disney ownership.

DIC Entertainment was an animation studio based in Burbank, California that focused on the production of animated material. It was founded by Jean Chapolin in 1971.

The Walt Disney Company owned DIC through a Limited Partnership through DIC's CEO Andy Heyward from 1996 to 2000.

Connection with Disney

DIC originally signed a home video deal with Buena Vista Home Video in 1991, which would allow BVHV to distribute DIC shows onto VHS in a semi-exclusive contract. On July 12, 1993, Disney signed a new video deal with the company, allowing BVHV to distribute DIC releases under their own video label which would eventually be called DIC Toon-Time Video. The Home Video deal remained semi-exclusive, as DIC would continue on to release some shows through other distributors.

In 1993, DIC's parent company DIC Animation City formed a limited partnership with Capital Cities/ABC called DIC Entertainment L.P. which Andy Heyward, DIC's CEO took a smaller ownership stake in. Eventually the former company was folded, meaning CC/ABC fully owned DIC through DIC Entertainment L.P. Due to the Limited Partnership status, the company was allowed to continue to produce shows outside of ABC as well as make their own marketing decisions.

In August 1995, the Walt Disney Company announced they would acquire Capital Cities/ABC for $19 billion. The purchase was closed in January 1996 and so DIC became a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Company. continuing to trade the same way as before as a Limited Partnership. All of DIC’s newer programmes began to be distributed by Buena Vista International Television outside the United States and Canada after the purchase, with some shows in the United States being distributed through Buena Vista Television.

DIC also launched a film division titled DIC Films in 1996, which would produce live action movies. The division signed a first-look deal with Walt Disney Pictures in the same year and through this deal, the movies Meet the Deedles, the Disney Channel Original Movie Genius and the live action Inspector Gadget were all created.

When Toon Disney launched in 1998, various DIC Entertainment shows aired on the channel. Outside the United States, DIC shows would also air on the international Disney networks.

On November 18, 2000, Disney announced they would sell the company alongside its programming library back to Andy Heyward through Bain Capital, Inc. The deal was closed on November 25, 2000, but the 2 companies still continued on with a partnership, which would include:

• Sabrina: The Animated Series to remain part of the Disney's One Saturday Morning and Disney's One Too blocks (And later Disney Channel and Toon Disney)
• A third season of The New Adventures of Madeline to air on Disney Channel
• Mary-Kate and Ashley in Action! to air on Disney's One Saturday Morning (And later Toon Disney)
• Work on a sequel to Inspector Gadget
• DIC programs remaining as part of a portion of Toon Disney's schedule.
• 2 direct-to-video movies distributed through Buena Vista Home Entertainment (This wouldn’t come to be in the end)
• International distribution (Buena Vista International Television) and broadcast rights to future DIC shows alongside the existing post-1990 library in some regions

DIC Toon-Time Video

DIC Toon-Time Video was a video label distributed in the United States by Buena Vista Home Video, that focused on distributing most of DIC's shows onto VHS. The label was created in 1994, replacing the regular DIC branding on Buena Vista-distributed DIC releases. The partnership was semi-exclusive, as some DIC shows were also released through other distributors, even during Disney's ownership of the company. The label would be retired in 2000, with the last release through the label being a Sailor Moon VHS boxset.

Outside North America, Buena Vista Home Video would release some of DIC's programmes onto VHS in some regions like Latin America and Australia, but distribution overseas was mostly done through other home video distributors.

Shows/movies produced during Disney ownership

• The Legend of Sarmoti: Siegfried & Roy (1996)
• Where on Earth is Carmen Sandiego? (Season 4, 1996)
• Inspector Gadget's Field Trip (1996-1998)
• Pocket Dragon Adventures (1996, produced for Bohbot Entertainment)
• Gadget Boy's Adventures in History (1997)
• Extreme Dinosaurs (1997, produced for Bohbot Entertainment)
• Mummies Alive! (1997)
• The Wacky World of Tex Avery (1997)
• A Christmas Carol (Movie, 1997)
• Meet the Deedles (Movie, 1998)
• Sonic Underground (1998/1999)
• Our Friend, Martin (Movie, 1999)
• Inspector Gadget (Movie, 1999)
• Sherlock Holmes in the 22nd Century (1999)
• Genius (1999)
• Madeline: Lost in Paris (Movie, 1999)
• Sabrina, The Animated Series (1999)
• Archie's Weird Mysteries (1999)
• Monster Mash (Movie, 2000)
• The New Adventures of Madeline (Season 3, 2000)

Aftermath

In 2001, The Walt Disney Company purchased Fox Family Worldwide, who owned Saban Entertainment, who themselves owned the distribution to DIC’s pre-1990 catalogue. Eventually, DIC re-acquired the International distribution rights to the Post-1990 catalogue while Disney (through BVS Entertainment and Fox Kids Europe ) remained with the Pre-1990 catalogue.

In 2004, Heyward purchased Bain Capital's stake in DIC Entertainment and took the company public in the United Kingdom stock market the following year.

In 2006, DIC purchased back the international distribution rights to the Pre-1990 catalogue from Disney and Jetix Europe.

In July 2008, Cookie Jar Entertainment purchased and folded DIC Entertainment. Since 2019, most of DIC's former assets and library are owned by DHX Media, who acquired Cookie Jar in October 2012. Some exceptions include the live action films they produced with Disney, which the latter retains full ownership to.