Lionsgate Canada

Origins and Early Growth as a Music Distributor

The company's foundation traces back to June 1, 1973, when brothers Vito and Don Ierullo established Records on Wheels Limited as a Canadian music distributor. The business model evolved when the music retail chain CD Plus acquired Records on Wheels on June 11, 2001, as part of a strategy to bolster its wholesale operations in music and home video. Darren Throop, who had joined the company after CD Plus bought his Nova Scotia-based record store chain Urban Sound Exchange, became president and CEO of the combined entity, which was renamed ROW Entertainment. The company listed itself on the Toronto Stock Exchange as an income trust, a structure where taxes were paid by shareholders rather than the corporation itself, and this early period established the company's core competency in distribution, a strength it would carry forward into new media.

On June 1, 2005, ROW Entertainment acquired the U.S. independent music distributor and home entertainment publisher Koch Entertainment. Afterwards, the company was re-incorporated as the Entertainment One Income Fund. On March 29, 2007, the company accepted a $188 million public equity takeover by Marwyn Investment Management to fund its expansion. The company was then listed on London's Alternative Investment Market as Entertainment One Ltd.

Strategic Shift to Film and Television Under eOne

Entertainment One aggressively expanded its film and television portfolio beginning in 2007. On June 14 of that year, it acquired Montreal-based film distributor Seville Pictures and the British distributor Contender Entertainment Group, and that same year, it secured its first film output agreement with Summit Entertainment, handling distribution in Canada and the United Kingdom. The acquisition spree continued into 2008 with the purchase of Benelux distributor RCV Entertainment, television studios Blueprint and Barna-Alper, and international television distributor Oasis International. The company also listed on the London Stock Exchange on July 4, 2008, marking its growing international stature, and after briefly rebranding as E1 Entertainment in early 2009, the company reverted to the Entertainment One name in July 2010, adopting the abbreviation eOne.

On May 28, 2012, eOne placed a bid to purchase the Canadian film distributor Alliance Films. The deal was completed on January 9, 2013, giving eOne Canadian distribution rights for titles from The Weinstein Company, Lionsgate, CBS Films, FilmDistrict and Focus Features. In 2012, the company announced it would acquire Alliance Films for CDN$225 million, which also added the assets of Maple Pictures and Momentum Pictures to its holdings. On June 2, 2014, eOne acquired Phase 4 Films, and on January 5, 2015, eOne acquired a 51% stake in Mark Gordon's self-named studio.

• June 14, 2007: Acquired Seville Pictures and Contender Entertainment Group.
• January 9, 2013: Completed acquisition of Alliance Films.
• May 28, 2014: Acquired Phase 4 Films, bringing in CEO Berry Meyerowitz.
• January 5, 2015: Acquired a 51% stake in The Mark Gordon Company.
• September 30, 2015: Acquired a 70% stake in animation studio Astley Baker Davies, producer of Peppa Pig.
• December 16, 2015: Became an investor in the joint venture Amblin Partners.

Production Focus and International Expansion

eOne consolidated its film and television studios into a single structure in 2017 as part of an effort to reposition its operations towards production. On January 29, 2018, eOne acquired the remaining 49% of The Mark Gordon Company, and Gordon was named eOne's new president and chief content officer of film, television and digital. On April 9, 2018, eOne acquired UK non-scripted production company Whizz Kid Entertainment. In 2019, eOne acquired U.S. unscripted programme company Blackfin, hiring its founder and CEO Geno McDermott as president of U.S. alternative programming. On May 8, 2015, eOne consolidated its film production and international sales units into a new unit known as eOne Features, with a goal to self-produce and finance six-to-eight films per-year. eOne also handled the Canadian distribution rights to the Miramax library, as well as the pre-2005 Dimension Films library from 2013 to 2024. The company distributed films such as Spotlight and Green Book. In 2020, eOne was the top distributor in the United Kingdom by market share.

Acquisition by Hasbro and Subsequent Restructuring

On August 22, 2019, American toy and media conglomerate Hasbro announced an agreement to acquire Entertainment One for US$4 billion. The deal was completed on December 30, 2019, with eOne becoming a wholly owned Hasbro subsidiary and Darren Throop remaining as CEO, and Hasbro's primary interest was in eOne's Family & Brands division, particularly the lucrative Peppa Pig franchise, which it planned to integrate into its merchandising business. Under Hasbro's ownership, eOne began developing content based on Hasbro properties like Transformers and My Little Pony, with head of family brands Olivier Dumont stating eOne acted as the content arm while Hasbro handled consumer products. The United Kingdom's Competition and Markets Authority investigated the purchase but cleared it the following month.

On April 26, 2021, eOne announced that it would sell its music division to The Blackstone Group for $385 million. The acquisition was closed in June 2021, after which it was renamed MNRK Music Group. On June 29, 2022, it was reported that Entertainment One was closing its theatrical distribution operations in Canada and Spain, with minor layoffs taking place in Canada. In July 2023, it was reported that Entertainment One was closing down distribution operations in the UK. On August 22, 2022, it was reported that CEO Darren Throop would step down at the end of the year.

Sale to Lionsgate and Rebranding as Lionsgate Canada

On August 3, 2023, Hasbro announced that it had reached an agreement to sell eOne's entertainment assets to Lionsgate for $500 million, with Lionsgate paying $375 million in cash and assuming $125 million in production financing loans. The deal closed on December 27, 2023. Following the acquisition, eOne was rebranded to eOne Canada, eOne Films became part of Lionsgate Films, and eOne Television merged into Lionsgate Alternative Television. On June 7, 2024, it was exclusively revealed to Playback that eOne Canada was rebranded as Lionsgate Canada.

In an interview, president of television Jocelyn Hamilton said the rebranding to Lionsgate Canada made sense because Lionsgate is domiciled in Canada. She stated they were adding to that to make it an even stronger and bigger entity in Canada, while still being a separate entity and a Canadian business. In May 2024, Lionsgate spun off its film and television business, including the company, into Lionsgate Studios. The 'eOne' brand remains in use outside of Canada.

Selected Film Productions and Co-Productions

Entertainment One Films Ltd., trading as eOne Films, was formed on January 22, 2009. Initially involved primarily in acquiring films for international distribution, eOne Films has since shifted its resources towards producing and funding its own films. The company distributed films such as Xavier Dolan's Juste la fin du monde. It often partnered with major Hollywood studios to finance and distribute projects internationally. Its portfolio includes various genres of films.

• Insidious: Chapter 2 (2013) and Insidious: Chapter 3 (2015)
• Snowtime! (2015. English language version)
• Stan & Ollie (2018)
• Wild Rose (2019)
• Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (2019) - co-production with Lionsgate and CBS Films
• Queen & Slim (2019) - co-production with Universal Pictures and Makeready
• Love and Monsters (2020) - co-production with Paramount Pictures
• Happiest Season (2020) - co-production with TriStar Pictures

The company held studio credits on larger studio productions such as Midway (2019) and Snake Eyes (2021). This reflects its role as a financier and international distribution partner. Its diverse output includes various co-productions. This illustrates the company's varied contributions to the film industry.

Market Position and Distribution Performance

The company's distribution arm was a market leader in several territories, particularly in Canada and the United Kingdom. Its acquisition of Alliance Films in 2013 made it one of the largest distributors in Canada. In the United Kingdom, eOne's operations grew to become the top distributor by market share in 2020. The company's success was built on output deals with major studios, acquisitions of local distributors, and its own productions.

The company was the subject of several major transactions. On August 10, 2016, eOne rejected an offer to be acquired by British television broadcaster ITV plc for £1 billion. On December 30, 2019, eOne was acquired by Hasbro for US$4 billion. On August 3, 2023, Hasbro announced it would sell eOne's assets to Lionsgate for $500 million. These transactions show the company's value within the global entertainment industry.

Questions about Lionsgate Canada

What is Lionsgate Canada and what does it do?

Lionsgate Canada is a Canadian entertainment company based in Toronto, primarily involved in the acquisition, production, and distribution of films and television series. It operates as a subsidiary of Lionsgate Studios. The company was originally founded in 1973 as a music distributor called Records on Wheels and has evolved through several names, most notably Entertainment One (eOne), before adopting its current name in June 2024. Its operations contribute significantly to Canada's film and television production sector, handling both domestic projects and international co-productions.

Who owns Lionsgate Canada?

Lionsgate Canada is owned by Lionsgate Studios. Lionsgate, another company founded in Canada, acquired the entertainment assets of what was then eOne from Hasbro in December 2023. In May 2024, Lionsgate spun off its film and television business, including Lionsgate Canada, into the separate Lionsgate Studios entity. Prior to Lionsgate, the company was owned by Hasbro from 2019 to 2023, and before that, it was a publicly traded company listed on the London Stock Exchange.

What happened to the eOne name after the Lionsgate purchase?

Following Lionsgate's acquisition in late 2023, the Canadian operations were initially rebranded as eOne Canada. In June 2024, the company was renamed Lionsgate Canada, a change reported exclusively by Playback. According to company leadership, this rebranding made strategic sense as Lionsgate is domiciled in Canada. The 'eOne' brand continues to be used for the company's operations and assets outside of Canada, while the film division was integrated into Lionsgate Films and the television assets merged into Lionsgate Alternative Television.

What are some notable films distributed by this company?

The company distributed films such as Spotlight and Green Book. It also distributed Xavier Dolan's Juste la fin du monde. It handled the Canadian distribution rights to the Miramax library and the pre-2005 Dimension Films library. The company held studio credits on productions such as Midway (2019) and Snake Eyes (2021).

When was the company originally founded?

The company began on June 1, 1973 as the Canadian music distributor Records on Wheels Limited. It was established by brothers Vito and Don Ierullo. It later became known as ROW Entertainment and then Entertainment One. It was rebranded as Lionsgate Canada in 2024.

Why did Hasbro sell eOne to Lionsgate?

Hasbro sold eOne's film and television assets to Lionsgate as part of a plan to focus on strategic investment in key franchise brands. This decision followed a period of cutbacks under Hasbro's ownership, which included closing eOne's theatrical distribution operations in several countries. The sale specifically excluded the assets of eOne's Family & Brands division, which had been folded into Hasbro's merchandising and licensing business to create a new subsidiary called Hasbro Entertainment. Hasbro's goal was to divest entertainment assets not strongly tied to its core children's entertainment brands, such as Peppa Pig. The company announced the sale agreement on August 3, 2023, and the deal closed on December 27, 2023, for a total of $500 million.

Sources and further reading

• Lionsgate Canada (Wikipedia)
• Lionsgate Canada, Canadian Audiovisual Company (rdvcanada.ca)
• Lionsgate Canada, Toronto (rca.on.ca)

Checked by the Yadude Books desk. Last updated 2026-11-04.