Editing Universal Studios, Inc. (section)

==History==
{{See also|MCA Inc.#History}}
===Seagram===
On December 9, 1996, a year after its acquisition by [[Seagram]], MCA was rebranded to Universal Studios, Inc.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/orlando/stories/1996/12/09/daily1.html| title=MCA changes name to Universal Studios Inc.| work=[[American City Business Journals|Orlando Business Journal]]| date=December 9, 1996| first=E. Scott| last=Reckard}}</ref> and MCA's music division, MCA Music Entertainment Group, was renamed [[Universal Music Group]]. [[MCA Records]] continued to live on as a label within the Universal Music Group. The following year, [[G. P. Putnam's Sons]] was sold to the [[Penguin Group]] subsidiary of [[Pearson PLC]].

In 1996, Universal Studios filed a lawsuit against [[Viacom (1952–2006)|Viacom]] over Viacom's launch of the [[TV Land]] cable network. Viacom had purchased Paramount in 1994, and the contract for USA Network prohibited either of their owners from owning cable channels outside the joint venture.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1996/04/30/business/media-business-mca-sues-viacom-saying-new-channel-violates-their-usa-network.html| title=MCA Sues Viacom, Saying New Channel Violates Their USA Network Partnership| date=30 April 1996| work=The New York Times| access-date=29 November 2015| first=Geraldine| last=Fabrikant}}</ref> Viacom had owned [[Viacom Media Networks|MTV Networks]] (the parent of TV Land) since 1985. The suit was settled when Viacom sold MCA its half of the joint venture. TV Land eventually added shows from the MCA/Universal library in 1999.

=== Vivendi and NBCUniversal ===
To raise money, Seagram head [[Edgar Bronfman Jr.]] sold Universal's television holdings, including cable network [[USA Network|USA]], to [[Barry Diller]] (these same properties would be bought back later at greatly inflated prices). In June 2000, Seagram was sold to [[France|French]] water utility and media company [[Vivendi]], which owned [[StudioCanal]]; the conglomerate then became known as Vivendi Universal.

In the spring of 2003, MCA Records was folded into [[Geffen Records]].{{citation needed|date=July 2022}} Its [[country music]] label, [[Universal Music Group Nashville|MCA Nashville Records]], is still in operation. MCA's classical music catalog is managed by [[Deutsche Grammophon]].{{Citation needed|date=July 2023}}

Burdened with debt, in 2004, Vivendi Universal sold 80% of Vivendi Universal Entertainment (including the studio and theme parks) to [[General Electric]] (GE), parent of [[NBC]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Ahrens |first=Frank |date=May 13, 2004 |title=GE, Vivendi Give Rise To a Giant |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/business/2004/05/13/ge-vivendi-give-rise-to-a-giant/be0e1f0d-5548-45bf-9a55-ae9722b15039/ |access-date=March 28, 2022 |newspaper=Washington Post |language=en-US |issn=0190-8286}}</ref> However, the sale of Universal to NBC and GE did not include [[Universal Music Group]], which had been a part of the film company since 1962. UMG was placed under separate management through Vivendi.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2004-05-12 |title=NBC closes merger with Universal |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna4960838 |access-date=2023-10-09 |website=NBC News |language=en}}</ref> The resulting company was named [[NBCUniversal]], while Universal Studios Inc. remained the name of the production subsidiary. After that deal, GE owned 80% of NBC Universal; Vivendi held the remaining 20%, with an option to sell its share in 2006.

In late 2005, Viacom's [[Paramount Pictures]] acquired [[DreamWorks Pictures|DreamWorks SKG]] after acquisition talks between GE and DreamWorks stalled. Universal's long-time chairperson, Stacey Snider, left the company in early 2006 to head up DreamWorks. Snider was replaced by then-Vice chairman [[Marc Shmuger]] and [[Focus Features]] head [[David Linde]]. On October 5, 2009, Marc Shmuger and David Linde were ousted, and their co-chairperson jobs were consolidated under former president of worldwide marketing and distribution Adam Fogelson, becoming the single chairperson. Donna Langley was also upped to co-chairperson.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Andreeva |first=Nellie |date=October 5, 2009 |title='Two And A Half Men' Cast's Holiday Gifts For The Show's Crew And Staff |url=https://deadline.com/2009/10/adam-fogelson-named-new-chairman-of-universal-pictures-16985/ |magazine=Deadline}}</ref> In 2009, Stephanie Sperber founded Universal Partnerships & Licensing within Universal to license consumer products for Universal.<ref name="tw">{{cite news |last1=Goldstein |first1=Lindsay |date=June 19, 2014 |title=Universal Partnerships & Licensing to Expand to Consumer Products Covering NBC and Sprout |url=https://www.thewrap.com/universal-partnerships-licensing-to-expand-to-consumer-products-covering-nbc-and-sprout/ |access-date=June 27, 2014 |work=The Wrap}}</ref> GE purchased Vivendi's share in NBCUniversal in 2011.<ref name="vivendiinitsale">{{cite news |last=James |first=Meg |date=January 27, 2011 |title=GE completes its purchase of Vivendi's stake in NBC Universal |url=https://www.latimes.com/business/la-xpm-2011-jan-27-fi-ct-ge-vivendi-20110127-story.html |access-date=April 22, 2013 |newspaper=Los Angeles Times}}</ref>

=== Comcast ===
GE sold 51% of the company to cable provider [[Comcast]] in 2011.  Comcast merged the former GE subsidiary with its own cable-television programming assets, creating the current NBCUniversal. Following [[Federal Communications Commission]] (FCC) approval, the Comcast-GE deal was closed on January 29, 2011.<ref>{{cite news |last=Lafayette |first=Jon |date=January 29, 2011 |title=Comcast Competes Deal |url=http://www.multichannel.com/article/463142-Comcast_Completes_Deal.php |access-date=May 21, 2011 |newspaper=Multichannel News}}</ref> In March 2013, Comcast bought the remaining 49% of NBCUniversal for $16.7&nbsp;billion.<ref name="dl">{{cite web |last=Lieberman |first=David |date=March 19, 2013 |title=Comcast Completes Acquisition Of GE's 49% Stake In NBCUniversal |url=https://deadline.com/2013/03/comcast-completes-acquisition-nbcuniversal-457181/ |access-date=June 9, 2020 |website=Deadline}}</ref>