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SPT was previously known as Screen Gems, Columbia Pictures Television, TriStar Television and Columbia TriStar Television. The name was changed to reflect the Sony brand in 2002. The company also owns and distributes the shows from Tandem Productions, ELP Communications (from TAT to ELP Communications), TeleVentures, Merv Griffin Enterprises, Barris Industries, Barry & Enright Productions, Stewart Tele Enterprises, and 2waytraffic. From 2005 until 2006, SPT also distributed MGM's TV shows and movie library (due in part to the Sony-led consortium's purchase of MGM). In 2006, SPT joined forces with Program Partners to handle ad-sales and distribution rights to foreign television series in the U.S., mostly shows produced in Canada. In Summer 2007, the company introduced The Minisode Network; a digital channel for MySpace airing shows from the 1960s to early 2000s from four to five minutes. In Winter 2007, The Minisode Network was also added to a few more sites like AOL TV and their Crackle site. SPT owns one-half of cable channel GSN (with DirecTV), owner of Crackle, a partner in FEARnet; the horror/thriller website and VOD service (with Lions Gate Entertainment and Comcast), and jointly owns the rights to most of the post-1947 Bob Hope film library such as My Favorite Brunette, The Lemon Drop Kid, The Seven Little Foys, The Great Lover, and Son of Paleface with FremantleMedia. On June 4, 2008, SPT bought Hilversum, Netherlands-based production company 2waytraffic, international holders of the Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? franchise. On January 14, 2009, SPT acquired Embassy Row, a television and digital production company by British television producer Michael Davies. |
