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British film and TV rights and distribution histories
Please note: all information detailed here is subject to change and different circumstances may apply in other territories or for certain usages. This material is offered as a starting point for research and is based on the information available to the BFI at the time at which this page was updated.
Many UK films are independent productions or co-productions and, unlike much Hollywood studio output, are often not handled through integrated distribution and rights structures.
Two of the larger current rights holders to the catalogues of past British film and television companies are Canal + Image UK and ITV Global Entertainment (formerly known as Granada International).
Canal + Image UK
Canal + Image UK (part of the European media company Canal+) acquired the UGC (DA) film library in 1996 (previously the EMI/Cannon/Weintraub/Lumiere catalogue). This library includes material produced by Associated British, British Lion and Ealing Studios.
ITV Global Entertainment (formerly Granada International)
ITV Global Entertainment owns the rights to material produced by Rank, Gainsborough Pictures, London Films and the ITC Group amongst others. As a division of ITV plc, ITV Global also owns the rights to the in-house productions of ITV plc's regional broadcasters.
Current information on selected British film and TV companies and past collections
- Anglo-Amalgamated films were bought by EMI, then Cannon, then Weintraub Entertainment, then Movie Acquisitions Corporation, which was renamed Lumiere Pictures, then UGC (DA), now with Canal + Image UK.
- Associated British Picture Corporation (ABPC) films were bought by EMI, then Cannon, then Weintraub Entertainment, then Movie Acquisitions Corporation, which was renamed Lumiere Pictures, then UGC (DA), now with Canal + Image UK.
- Associated British Film Distributors (ABFD) as Associated British Picture Corporation above.
- Associated Rediffusion film and television library is owned by Archbuild Ltd.
- ATV productions were bought by ITC, the collection was subsequently bought by PolyGram Television then Carlton International and is now owned by ITV Global Entertainment.
- British Lion Film Corporation was taken over by EMI in 1976, the collection was subsequently sold to Cannon, then Weintraub Entertainment, then Movie Acquisitions Corporation, which was renamed Lumiere Pictures, then UGC (DA), now with Canal + Image UK. The British Lion name continued post-1976 in an independent production capacity.
- British Transport Films all rights for British Rail films currently with BFI. The various transport bodies may otherwise hold rights for their respective areas of activity.
- Cannon bought library previously owned by EMI, subsequently bought by Weintraub Entertainment, then Movie Acquisitions Corporation, which was renamed Lumiere Pictures, then UGC (DA), now with Canal + Image UK.
- Carlton International merged with Granada International in 2004, now ITV Global Entertainment.
- Central Office of Information (COI) library acquired by BFI in 2007.
- Ealing Studios (1930s - 1950s) productions went to Cannon, then Weintraub Entertainment, then Movie Acquisitions Corporation, which was renamed Lumiere Pictures, then UGC (DA), now with Canal + Image UK.
- EMI Film Distributors was sold to Cannon in 1986, then Weintraub Entertainment, then Movie Acquisitions Corporation, which was renamed Lumiere Pictures, then UGC (DA), now with Canal + Image UK.
- Euston Films was a subsidiary of Thames Television, now owned by Fremantle Media.
- Gainsborough Pictures went to Rank Film Distributors; the Rank film library was subsequently bought by Carlton International and is now owned by ITV Global Entertainment.
- Gaumont-British Picture Corporation feature films went to Rank Film Distributors; the Rank film library was subsequently bought by Carlton International and is now owned by ITV Global Entertainment.
- Gaumont-British News was handled by Visnews, which became Reuters TV; the Reuters archive is now handled by ITN Archive.
- General Film Distributors (GFD) became Rank Film Distributors; the Rank film library was subsequently bought by Carlton International and is now owned by ITV Global Entertainment.
- Granada International merged with Carlton International in 2004. Continued under the Granada International name until 2008, then re-branded as ITV Global Entertainment.
- ITC film and television library was bought by PolyGram Television then Carlton International and is now owned by ITV Global Entertainment.
- London Electronic Arts merged with The London Filmmakers' Co-op in 1999 to form The Lux.
- London Filmmakers' Co-op merged with London Electronic Arts in 1999 to form The Lux.
- London Films was founded by Alexander Korda. All Korda titles were bought by Central TV, and are therefore now owned by ITV Global Entertainment. London Films still exist as a production company.
- Lumiere Pictures catalogue was bought by UGC (DA) and is now with Canal + Image UK.
- Movie Acquisitions Corporation formed to buy library from Weintraub Entertainment which was subsequently renamed Lumiere Pictures, then bought by UGC (DA), now with Canal + Image UK.
- Pearson Television was renamed Fremantle Media in 2001.
- PolyGram Filmed Entertainment was bought by Seagram and re-named Universal Pictures International (UPI). The ITC collection was sold to Carlton; pre-1996 PolyGram productions were sold to MGM.
- Rank Film Distributors catalogue was bought by Carlton International in 1997 and is now owned by ITV Global Entertainment.
- Redbus Film Distribution was acquired by Lions Gate in 2005 and renamed Lionsgate UK in 2006.
- Rediffusion, see Associated Rediffusion above.
- Romulus film rights are with ITV Global Entertainment.
- Thames Television is owned by Fremantle Media.
- Two Cities Films productions were handled by General/Rank Film Distributors. The Rank film library was subsequently bought by Carlton International and is now owned by ITV Global Entertainment.
- UGC (DA) (Union General Cinematographique) bought the Lumiere Pictures library, subsequently bought by Canal + Image UK.
- Weintraub Entertainment Group bought the Cannon film library in 1987, then bought by Movie Acquisitions Corporation, which was renamed Lumiere Pictures, then UGC (DA), now with Canal + Image UK.
