9 Story Media Group Inc.
Formerly9 Story Entertainment (2002–2014)
TypePrivate
IndustryTelevision production
FoundedSeptember 2002 (2002-09)
Founders
  • Vince Commisso
  • Steven Jarosz
  • Blake Tohana
Headquarters23 Fraser Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, Canada[1]
Key people
Vince Commisso (President, CEO)
Cathal Gaffney (COO)
Angela C. Santomero (2019–2023) (CCO)[2]
Neil Court (Executive Chairman)
OwnersZelnick Media Capital
Neil Court[3][4][5][6]
Number of employees
1,100 (2019)
Divisions
  • 9 Story Brands
  • 9 Story Creative Affairs
  • 9 Story Distribution International
  • Brown Bag Films
Subsidiaries
  • 9 Story Interactive
  • 9 Story USA
  • Brown Bag Films Bali
  • Brown Bag Films Dublin
  • Brown Bag Films Toronto
  • Colorforms
Website9story.com

9 Story Media Group Inc. (formerly known as 9 Story Entertainment Inc.) is a Canadian media production, animation studio, and distribution company founded in September 2002 by Vince Commisso, Steve Jarosz, and Blake Tohana.

History

As 9 Story Entertainment

The company was founded in September 2002 as 9 Story Entertainment by Vince Commisso and Steven Jarosz. On September 21, 2006, 9 Story launched an international distribution division headed by former Universal Studios executive, Natalie Osborne, known as 9 Story Enterprises.[7]

9 Story produced its first live-action series, Survive This, from 2008 to 2010.

On September 20, 2011, 9 Story Entertainment became the co-producer and distributor of the animated series Arthur. 9 Story would produce the series from seasons 16 to 19.[8][9]

On April 8, 2013, 9 Story announced that it would acquire the children's and family distribution library of CCI Entertainment;[10] the acquisition was completed on July 24.[11]

As 9 Story Media Group

On October 10, 2014, 9 Story Entertainment rebranded as 9 Story Media Group, following Neil Court and Zelnick Media Capital becoming majority owners a few months prior.[12][13]

On August 18, 2015, 9 Story Media Group acquired the Dublin-based animation studio Brown Bag Films.[14][15]

On October 6, 2015, 9 Story announced an agreement with American toy manufacturer Mattel to relaunch/reboot Barney & Friends and Angelina Ballerina under license from HIT Entertainment for planned releases in 2017, but nothing was heard from them in terms of either production or release since then.[16][17]

On May 25, 2016, 9 Story acquired the global distribution rights to Garfield and Friends.[18][19]

On October 21, 2016, 9 Story's distribution arm, 9 Story Enterprises, was rebranded as 9 Story Distribution International and relocated operations from Toronto to Dublin.[20]

On October 15, 2017, 9 Story rebranded its Toronto 2D animation studio after Brown Bag Films, with the Irish studio becoming 9 Story's production arm for both 2D and 3D animation across Dublin, Manchester, and Toronto. At the same time, Brown Bag Films became one of 9 Story's main divisions, alongside 9 Story Distribution International.[21][22]

On January 12, 2018, 9 Story announced that they had acquired production company, Out of the Blue Enterprises, for an undisclosed amount and rebranded them to 9 Story USA. 9 Story would also acquire the rights to the Colorforms brand.[23][24]

On May 13, 2018, 9 Story unveiled an updated logo and announced the launch of 9 Story Brands, a consumer products division.[25]

On July 10, 2018, 9 Story acquired the children's and family distribution catalog and development slate of Breakthrough Entertainment.[26] On February 4, 2019, 9 Story announced that they had acquired Bali-based animation studio BASE for an undisclosed amount, and rebranded it after Brown Bag Films.[27][28]

On April 1, 2019, 9 Story signed a deal with Scholastic Corporation to distribute 230 half hours of programming, which would bring 9 Story's overall content library at the time to 4,000 half hours of programming.[29] In 2022, Vince Commisso was named alongside John Galway as a winner of the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television's Board of Directors Tribute Award at the 10th Canadian Screen Awards.[30]

Programming

References

  1. "Contact". 9 Story. Retrieved June 17, 2019.
  2. "9 Story Appoints Angela C. Santomero as Chief Creative Officer". 9 Story. June 18, 2018. Retrieved June 17, 2019.
  3. "9 Story Media Group". Zelnick Media Capital. Archived from the original on November 5, 2016. Retrieved January 1, 2017.
  4. "Media entrepreneur Neil Court and ZM Capital make equity investment in 9 Story Limited". Canada Newswire. PR Newswire. July 13, 2014. Retrieved January 1, 2019.
  5. Littleton, Cynthia (November 10, 2015). "Geraldine Laybourne Returns to Kids TV In 9 Story Media Group Pact". Variety. Retrieved July 10, 2016.
  6. "Instant Lessons to Learn from 9 Story Media Group's President and CEO". The Insider. May 17, 2017. Archived from the original on July 29, 2018. Retrieved July 29, 2018.
  7. "9 Story Launches New Distribution Division Led by Former Universal Studios Executive". September 21, 2006. Archived from the original on May 21, 2012. Retrieved June 14, 2019.
  8. "9 Story becomes the Co-Producer and Distributor of new season of WGBH children's series ARTHUR®". 9 Story. September 20, 2011. Retrieved July 5, 2018.
  9. Wolfe, Jennifer (September 29, 2015). "Oasis Animation Tapped for New Seasons of 'Arthur'". Animation World Network. Retrieved February 1, 2016.
  10. "9 Story Entertainment to acquire CCI Entertainment's extensive Children's and Family Catalogue" (Press release). 9 Story. April 8, 2013. Retrieved June 14, 2019.
  11. "9 Story completes acquisition of CCI Entertainment's Children's and Family Catalogue". 9 Story. July 24, 2013. Retrieved June 14, 2019.
  12. "ZM Capital and Neil Court make equity investment in 9 Story Limited". Zelnick Media Capital. July 13, 2014. Retrieved June 14, 2019.
  13. Wolfe, Jennifer (October 10, 2014). "9 Story Entertainment Rebrands as 9 Story Media Group". Animation World Network. Retrieved June 17, 2019.
  14. "9 Story Media Group Acquires Award-Winning Animation Studio Brown Bag Films" (Press release). 9 Story. August 18, 2015. Retrieved June 15, 2019.
  15. "Irish Producer Brown Bag Acquired". The Hollywood Reporter. August 18, 2015. Retrieved March 7, 2016.
  16. Vlessing, Etan (October 6, 2015). "MIPCOM: 'Barney & Friends' Set for Relaunch by Mattel, 9 Story". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  17. "Mattel Inc Together with 9 Story Announce New Partnership to Relaunch Iconic Pre-School Brands 'Barney & Friends' and 'Angelina Ballerina'" (Press release). 9 Story. October 6, 2015. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  18. "9 Story Media Group Acquires Worldwide Rights to Iconic Series Garfield and Friends" (Press release). 9 Story. May 25, 2016. Retrieved June 15, 2019.
  19. "9 Story acquires global rights to Garfield toon". Kidscreen. Brunico Communications. May 25, 2016. Retrieved January 1, 2018.
  20. "9 Story Media Group Launches International Distribution Operation in Dublin, Ireland" (Press release). 9 Story. October 21, 2016. Retrieved June 15, 2019.
  21. "9 Story Media Group Rebrands Toronto Studio To Brown Bag Films" (Press release). 9 Story. October 15, 2017. Retrieved June 16, 2019.
  22. "Mipcom: 9 Story Media Group's Toronto Animation Studio Rebranding as Brown Bag Films (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. October 15, 2017. Retrieved February 1, 2017.
  23. "9 Story Media Group Acquires Out of the Blue Enterprises". 9 Story (Press release). Retrieved June 16, 2019.
  24. "9 Story bolsters US presence with Out of the Blue buy". Kidscreen. Brunico Communications. Retrieved January 19, 2018.
  25. "9 Story gets a New Look!" (Press release). 9 Story. May 13, 2018. Retrieved June 17, 2019.
  26. Dickson, Jeremy (July 10, 2018). "9 Story buys Breakthrough's kids library and slate". Kidscreen. Brunico Communications. Retrieved July 19, 2018.
  27. "9 Story Media Group Acquires Asian Animation Studio" (Press release). 9 Story. February 4, 2019. Retrieved June 17, 2019.
  28. "9 Story Media Group Acquires BASE Animation Studio in Indonesia". Animation Magazine. February 4, 2019. Retrieved March 1, 2019.
  29. Dickson, Jeremy (April 1, 2019). "9 Story to distribute 230 hours of Scholastic content". Kidscreen. Brunico Communications. Retrieved July 1, 2019.
  30. Atad, Corey (January 18, 2022). "Canadian Screen Award Academy Announces 2022 Special Award Honourees And Changemakers". ET Canada. Archived from the original on January 18, 2022. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
  31. Milligan, Mercedes (August 1, 2023). "New 'Open Season' Series in the Works at 9 Story".
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