Gōdō gaisha Subsidiary |
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Industry | Mass media |
Founded | March, 1981 (as Pioneer LDC) October, 2003 (as Geneon Entertainment) February, 2009 (as Geneon Universal Entertainment) December, 2013 (as NBCUniversal Entertainment Japan) |
Founder | Pioneer Corporation |
Headquarters | Minato, Tokyo, Japan |
Products | Anime, Film, Music |
Owner |
NBCUniversal (Comcast Corporation) |
Parent | Universal Pictures International Entertainment (100%) |
Divisions | Paramount Home Media Distribution Japan |
Website | www |
NBCUniversal Entertainment Japan LLC (NBCユニバーサル・エンターテイメントジャパン合同会社 Enubīshī Yunibāsaru Entāteimento Japan Gōdō-gaisha?) (formerly known as Geneon Universal Entertainment and previously Pioneer LDC – Pioneer LaserDisc Company, a former subsidiary of Pioneer Corporation) is a Japanese music, anime and home entertainment production and distribution enterprise headquartered in Akasaka, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. From its days as Geneon Universal Entertainment, Geneon has been involved in the production and distribution of several anime in Japan. Geneon's North American branch (founded as Pioneer Entertainment) specialized in translating and distributing anime and related merchandise, such as soundtracks across the region. Geneon is a portmanteau of the English words, generate and eon. On February 1, 2009, Geneon merged with Universal Pictures Japan into Geneon Universal Entertainment. On December 9, 2013, the company changed its name to the current NBCUniversal Entertainment Japan. Outside Japan, the majority of NBCUniversal Entertainment Japan's anime titles are distributed in the Oceanic region by Universal Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Australia. In 2016, it expanded into the UK market with the release of Seraph of the End and The Heroic Legend of Arslan.
NBCUniversal Entertainment was formed under the name Pioneer LDC in 1981, related to Pioneer's Laserdisc business - originally Universal Pioneer, a joint venture with MCA Discovision.
In July 2003, the company was acquired by Japanese advertising and marketing company firm Dentsu and renamed to Geneon Entertainment, while its North American division, Pioneer Entertainment, was renamed to Geneon USA.