BVS Entertainment

BVS Entertainment, Inc.

Company type	Division
Industry	Entertainment, television production, distribution
Predecessor	Saban Productions, Saban Entertainment, Saban International
Founded	April 24, 1980 (1980-04-24)
Founder	Haim Saban, Shuki Levy
Fate	Became division of Walt Disney Company
Area served	North America, international
Products	Children's television programs, music production, dubbing and localization of Japanese media, live-action series
Owner	The Walt Disney Company
Parent	The Walt Disney Company

BVS Entertainment, Inc., previously known as Saban Productions, Saban Entertainment, and Saban International, operates as a division of the Walt Disney Company. Established on April 24, 1980, by business partners Haim Saban and Shuki Levy, the company originated as a music production firm before expanding into a significant force in television content creation and distribution. It gained prominence through its production and distribution of children's programs for Fox Family/ABC Family as well as the now-defunct Fox Kids and Jetix networks.

The company focused on acquiring, dubbing, and localizing Japanese media titles such as Maple Town, Noozles, Funky Fables, Samurai Pizza Cats, along with the initial three seasons of Digimon for audiences in North America and internationally. Additionally, it adapted tokusatsu series from Toei Company, notably the immensely popular Power Rangers franchise (derived from Super Sentai), alongside shows like Big Bad Beetleborgs, VR Troopers, and Masked Rider.

Apart from its proprietary productions, Saban also handled distribution and provided musical scores for externally produced series including The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!, Inspector Gadget, and the early dubbed episodes of Dragon Ball Z.

During the 1990s, Saban operated under the Libra Pictures label to target an older demographic beyond its usual children’s programming. It also maintained a syndication branch named Saban Domestic Distribution, which concentrated on first-run and off-network syndication, thereby broadening its influence in television distribution.

Initial phase

Founded on April 24, 1980, as Saban Productions, Inc., the company initially concentrated on music production. By 1981, it had formed collaborations with DIC Audiovisuel and DIC Enterprises, creating soundtracks and composing music for firms such as Ruby-Spears and Filmation.

In 1984, Saban transitioned into television production with its debut series, Kidd Video, co-produced alongside DIC and broadcast on NBC’s Saturday morning schedule. This was followed by the production of Macron 1, an English-language adaptation of GoShogun, which was syndicated by Orbis Communications in 1986.

In 1986, Saban acquired international rights to DIC’s children’s programming catalog but subsequently sold these rights to Créativité et Développement, resulting in legal proceedings that concluded in 1991. The following year, Saban deepened its collaboration with DIC to co-produce programs and oversee global distribution, delivering titles such as I'm Telling! and The New Archies for NBC.

On June 10, 1987, Saban expanded into live-action television and theatrical film development, producing pilots like Love on Trial and Hidden Rage, although these projects did not move forward. Later that year, it secured contracts for game shows and teen dance series intended for syndication and NBC broadcast.

In 1988, Saban teamed up with columnist Jack Anderson to produce quarterly specials under the title American Expose, featuring producers John Langley and Malcolm Barbour. Distribution responsibilities were managed by Orbis Communications alongside Saban International N.V., which also handled international sales of DIC programs prior to litigation in 1990.

By early 1989, Saban launched the Saban/Scherick Productions division with Edgar Scherick to concentrate on miniseries and television films. The company also syndicated the film catalog of New World Pictures through Trans-Atlantic Entertainment. To support expansion into prime time content, Saban established an international distribution entity named Saban International N.V., headed by Stan Golden. In August 1989, Tom Palmieri joined from MTM Enterprises as president. The firm rebranded itself as Saban Entertainment, Inc. on September 13. That same year, CLT Luxembourg entered into an agreement with Saban for television program marketing.

In 1990, Saban collaborated with video game publisher Acclaim Entertainment and syndicator Bohbot Entertainment to create the show Video Power. This year also marked the launch of Saban Video, distributed through Anchor Bay Entertainment. In 1991, a home video agreement with Prism Entertainment granted international film distribution rights to Saban International. By 1992, Saban secured a domestic syndication deal with Bohbot Communications to distribute Saban's Around the World in Eighty Dreams and Saban's Gulliver's Travels within Bohbot Kids Network's Amazin' Adventures programming block.

Collaboration with Marvel Entertainment Group

In 1992, Saban joined forces with Marvel Entertainment Group, PolyGram Filmed Entertainment, and Fox Kids Network to create the acclaimed X-Men: The Animated Series, marking a pivotal success for Saban. The subsequent year saw the debut of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, an adaptation of the Japanese Super Sentai franchise, which generated licensed merchandise revenues exceeding one billion dollars in 1994 alone. Prior efforts by Saban and Margaret Loesch to adapt similar properties had been consistently declined by television networks.

Later that same year, Saban launched a syndication division named Saban Domestic Distribution, announcing a $50 million development slate with David Goodman appointed as senior vice president. In 1994, Saban introduced Libra Pictures to cater to mature audiences while maintaining the Saban brand for children’s entertainment, adopting a strategy comparable to Disney’s Touchstone Pictures. That year also saw Saban secure a home video distribution agreement with A*Vision Entertainment, releasing titles under both Saban Home Entertainment and Libra Home Entertainment labels.

In December 1994, Saban entered into a joint venture with UPN—owned by Paramount and Chris-Craft Industries—to establish the UPN Kids programming block. This block launched in September 1995, featuring series such as Space Strikers and Teknoman. The following year, Saban Interactive was created to develop CD-ROM software based on the Power Rangers property.

On October 17, 1995, Lance Robbins transitioned from Libra Pictures to assume the role of president of motion pictures and television at Saban. Shortly thereafter, on November 3, 1995, Saban forged a partnership with Fox Broadcasting Company aimed at developing children’s programming channels, expanding global licensing and merchandising efforts, and enhancing distribution of its content.

February 1996 marked the launch of "The Saban Network for Kids!" by Saban Domestic Distribution—a syndicated television block in the United States featuring the North American dub of Dragon Ball Z, a newly dubbed version of Gatchaman renamed Eagle Riders, original series such as Saban's Adventures of Oliver Twist and The Why Why Family, alongside episodes of Masked Rider and VR Troopers. This programming block adhered to FCC regulations; notably, The Why Why Family was Saban’s inaugural FCC-compliant show. The block primarily aired on Fox, UPN, and WB affiliates. Due to strong ratings during its initial season, Dragon Ball Z’s slot was expanded into an hour-long segment in its second season from late 1997 through mid-1998.

Saban within Fox Family Worldwide

In July 1996, Fox Kids Network acquired rights from Marvel Entertainment Group for series including Captain America, Daredevil, and Silver Surfer, planning four shows totaling 52 episodes over seven years. That same month, Saban established Saban Enterprises International to oversee global licensing and merchandising operations under president Michael Welter; Oliver Spiner took on operational management while Eric S. Rollman was elevated to executive vice president of Saban Animation.

Also in 1996, News Corporation’s Fox Kids Network merged with Saban Entertainment to form Fox Kids Worldwide. Prior to this merger, Fox Kids had acquired Marvel Productions’ animation library as well as Marvel Films Animation in July 1995. During preliminary negotiations, Rupert Murdoch proposed acquiring Saban outright; however, Saban opted for a partnership arrangement instead. Consequently, Saban ended its home video distribution contract with WarnerVision Entertainment and transitioned to Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment. In December 1996, Saban Domestic Distribution announced "X-Men … and More!"—a syndicated block set for Fall 1997 featuring X-Men: The Animated Series alongside other Marvel shows like Iron Man and Fantastic Four. Plans were also made to revive Captain Kangaroo for the Saban Kids Network syndication lineup.

Despite the Fox merger, Saban sustained its collaboration with UPN by co-producing animated series such as Bureau of Alien Detectors and The Mouse and the Monster for UPN Kids during 1996-97. Additionally, they composed music for the first season of the new animated Incredible Hulk series and became co-producers in its second season following the merger. The show Sweet Valley High moved to UPN Kids for its concluding season in late 1997. Furthermore, UPN Kids aired reruns of former Fox Kids programs including X-Men: The Animated Series, Big Bad Beetleborgs, and Spider-Man: The Animated Series through 1998.

By 1998, Saban Entertainment concentrated solely on creating content for Fox Kids and Fox Family channels while its syndication division shifted focus toward film development outside those networks. Their final North American production not affiliated with Fox was the live-action comedy series Breaker High, which premiered on UPN Kids in late 1997.

Marvel had been developing a Captain America animated series with Saban planned for Fox Kids’ fall 1998 schedule; however, this project was canceled due to Marvel’s bankruptcy before it could air.

Throughout the 1990s, Marvel sold film rights for various characters amid financial difficulties—20th Century Fox obtained rights to the X-Men intellectual property in 1994 and released a live-action film in 2000. This agreement excluded rights related to animated adaptations, allowing shows like X-Men: Evolution to broadcast on Kids' WB without involvement from Fox or Saban. Ultimately, entities including Saban (renamed BVS Entertainment), Marvel, and 20th Century Fox were all acquired by The Walt Disney Company, with these transactions completed between 2001 and 2019.

Sale to The Walt Disney Company

On July 23, 2001, Haim Saban and News Corporation revealed their agreement to sell Fox Family Worldwide/Fox Kids Worldwide to The Walt Disney Company for $5.3 billion. The deal was finalized on October 24, 2001, and shortly thereafter, on November 29, 2001, Saban Entertainment, Inc. was renamed BVS (Buena Vista Studios) Entertainment, Inc. The last program entirely produced and distributed by Saban Entertainment and Saban International N.V. was Power Rangers Time Force (2001), while the final series developed and pre-produced by Saban under MMPR Productions was Power Rangers Wild Force.

Post-acquisition, several subsidiaries underwent rebranding: Saban International N.V. transitioned to BVS International N.V., and Saban International Services, Inc. became BVS International Services, Inc. Included in the Fox Family Worldwide purchase was Saban’s 49.6% share in Saban International Paris; following Saban’s exit, the studio was renamed "SIP Animation" in October 2002 due to branding limitations.

On May 1, 2002, Saban's distribution division merged into Buena Vista Television. Prior to this merger, Fox Kids Europe announced that Buena Vista International Television would take over distribution responsibilities for Saban’s children’s content library from Saban International. This arrangement preserved Fox Kids Europe's control over television rights in Europe and the Middle East, while Buena Vista managed distribution in all other regions.

The European licensing branch of Saban based in the UK—which had been part of Fox Kids Europe since 2000—was renamed Active Licensing Europe on April 13, 2003, and later rebranded as Jetix Consumer Products on May 4, 2004.

Legacy

Before being acquired by Disney, the company had only one title from Saban Entertainment in its portfolio: Susie Q, produced in 1996 by Saban's adult division Libra Pictures for Super RTL and Disney Channel. When Disney purchased Saban in 2001, it also obtained the rights to Susie Q, which remains the sole BVS Entertainment property directly branded under Disney.

Following the acquisition, Disney shuttered Saban Entertainment’s animation division; however, production persisted at SIP Animation, where BVS held a minority interest. All programming from BVS and SIP Animation was distributed under Buena Vista International Television branding. In 2002, ABC Family Worldwide renamed the ADR and post-production anime dubbing unit "Sensation Animation" to continue localizing episodes of Digimon. Sensation Animation ceased operations in 2003 and was absorbed into Walt Disney Television Animation. Subsequent dubbing for Digimon films and television seasons was handled by Studiopolis.

Throughout the 2000s, BVS Entertainment continued producing content for the Power Rangers franchise. In 2010, Haim Saban reacquired Power Rangers and related intellectual properties through Saban Capital Group and Saban Brands, launching new seasons starting with Power Rangers Samurai as well as shows like Glitter Force. Operations of Saban Brands ended in 2018, with many assets acquired by Hasbro.

In 2009, ABC Family produced a third installment of the Au Pair film series originally created by Saban, featuring Heidi Saban, Haim Saban’s stepdaughter. Disney refrained from developing additional projects based on BVS properties until the announcement of X-Men '97 in 2024, which revived the original series’ cast and creative team.

After acquiring these assets, Disney mainly retained copyrights for existing Saban properties. Although legally active following its final production—Power Rangers RPM (2009)—the company undertook limited initiatives beyond consolidating subsidiaries such as Teen Dream Productions, Interprod Inc., Laurel Way Productions, and SIP Animation into BVS Entertainment. Since the late 2000s, most BVS properties have seen minimal exploitation under Disney’s ownership.

Subsidiaries and divisions

The corporation maintained numerous subsidiaries worldwide, some created primarily for fiscal advantages. Although not every subsidiary was directly involved in show production, many supported either production or distribution efforts. Eventually, Disney integrated these entities under BVS Entertainment or other divisions within its organization.

SIP Animation

SIP Animation, initially known as Saban International Paris, was a French TV production company active between 1977 and 2009. Established by Haim Saban and Jacqueline Tordjman originally as a record label, it transitioned to animation production in 1989. By 1991, it operated as an independent company with Saban Entertainment owning close to half of its shares. Disney acquired this stake in 2001 through its Fox Family Worldwide acquisition. The studio was renamed SIP Animation in 2002 and continued producing content until ceasing operations in 2009. Although it had multiple shareholders until 2012, BVS International N.V. held the brand rights from 2002 until that year. In 2012, Disney became the sole owner via BVS Entertainment and ultimately shut down SIP Animation in October 2023. Following closure, all assets were transferred to BVS Entertainment, strengthening Disney’s global content portfolio and operational reach.

Créativité et Développement (1987–1998): This French entity was a rebranded division of DIC led by Jean Chalopin after separating from DIC’s U.S. branch. It produced shows throughout the mid-1990s and owned early DIC properties. In 1996, Saban International Paris acquired this unit (including rights for a Diabolik series), but by 1998 Saban liquidated its assets. Some of these properties remain under Disney’s ownership, enhancing its extensive media holdings.

Jetix Europe N.V.

Jetix Europe N.V., previously Fox Kids Europe N.V. from 1996 to 2009, was principally owned (73.3% priority shares) by BVS Entertainment on behalf of ABC Family Worldwide Inc., its parent company. Based in the Netherlands, Jetix Europe managed financing, sales, and operations across European markets. Ownership of these shares was later transferred to Disney Holdings B.V.

• Jetix Consumer Products: Operating out of the UK, formerly known as Saban Consumer Products and later Active Licensing Europe.

Other subsidiaries and divisions

• BVS International N.V. (1989–2016), formerly called Saban International N.V., functioned as Saban’s international distribution division headquartered in Curaçao. It held majority stakes in Jetix Europe alongside BVS Entertainment and controlled commercial rights to the SIP Animation trademark after 2002. This entity was dissolved in 2016.
  • Vesical Limited: Managed the non-U.S. distribution rights for the DIC Entertainment catalog, including titles such as Inspector Gadget and Dennis the Menace. These assets were acquired by Saban but later reacquired by DIC in 2006.
• BVS International Services Inc. (1986–2011), initially launched as Shinwa Productions, underwent multiple renamings and handled dubbing along with licensing copyrights for imported programming before merging with the parent company in 2011.
• BVS International Programming A.V.V. (1994–2007), an offshore Aruba-based firm originally named Fox Kids International Programming A.V.V., owned copyrights for series like Xyber 9: New Dawn and NASCAR Racers. It was formally dissolved in 2007.
• Saban/Sherick Productions: Created in 1989 alongside Edgar Sherick to focus on live-action film and television production; fully acquired by Saban later and closed down in May 2001 prior to Disney’s acquisition.
• Laurel Way Productions Inc.: Served as co-producer and copyright holder for Xyber 9: New Dawn, merged into the parent company in 2011.
• Teen Dream Productions Inc. (1994–2011): Exclusively involved with producing Sweet Valley High, merged with the main entity in 2011.
• MMPR Productions Inc.: Credited as a subcontractor on Power Rangers series from 1993 to 2001; current status is unknown.
• Interprod Inc.: Appeared in credits for live-action TV shows and home video films; held copyrights on certain titles; merged into the parent company in 2011.
• Ventura Film Distributors B.V.: A Netherlands-based affiliate credited on productions by Saban International Paris; mentioned in Disney acquisition records; current operational status is unclear.
• Sensation Animation: Rebranded by Disney from Saban ADR/post-production studio responsible for dubbing the fourth season of Digimon: Digital Monsters. It was closed and absorbed into Walt Disney Television Animation on July 14, 2003.

Libra Pictures

Libra was created with the purpose of producing content targeted at mature viewers, primarily through collaborative projects with Shavick Entertainment and O'Hara-Horowitz. Functioning solely as a label without forming a separate legal entity, Libra specialized in low-budget B-movies, including erotic thrillers, intended for television networks and direct-to-video distribution. Shuki Levy, who partnered with Saban in business, generally managed Libra’s productions and received credit on the majority of its projects. Productions from Levy’s firm, Vertigo Pictures, were licensed by Saban through Libra and remain under Disney's ownership; however, Vertigo ceased operations in 2004. Disney acquired the trademark rights for Libra alongside Saban in 2001 and subsequently phased out the label. Because of numerous co-productions and rights transfers prior to Disney’s purchase, the complete scope of Libra’s catalog now owned by Disney is uncertain.

Notable works include Susie Q, which stands as the only Disney-branded film in Saban’s portfolio, titles from NBC’s Moment of Truth collection, as well as the erotic thriller Blindfold: Acts of Obsession featuring Shannen Doherty and Judd Nelson. Libra also played a role in the Hollywood Pictures/Buena Vista theatrical release Terminal Velocity.

Filmography

Until late 2001, the U.S. division produced and distributed television programs and movies under the Saban Entertainment name. Following that period, BVS Entertainment continued to develop the Power Rangers franchise, while SIP Animation handled animated content. Although BVS remained the corporate parent overseeing subsidiaries, productions created by these subsidiaries are not credited to BVS itself.

Media releases

During the early 1990s, most Saban Entertainment media was distributed on VHS. From the late 1990s onward, releases were largely confined to Australia and New Zealand Region 4 VHS formats. The current North American rights holder, Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, has no announced plans to issue DVDs or Blu-rays; nevertheless, some titles have aired on networks such as Disney XD, formerly known as Toon Disney and ABC Family. In Europe, Fox Kids Europe/Jetix Europe broadcast various Saban shows through their sister channel Fox Kids Play/Jetix Play. Independent distributors like Maximum Entertainment have issued some DVDs and VHS tapes in the United Kingdom.

Several Marvel-related series once distributed by Saban and live-action films such as Richie Rich's Christmas Wish and Three Days are accessible on Disney+, while The Tick is available for streaming on Hulu. Additionally, Prime Video offers titles like Sweet Valley High and A.T.O.M. within the United States.

On March 13, 2012, Shout! Factory entered into a home video agreement with Saban Brands covering titles such as VR Troopers, early seasons of Big Bad Beetleborgs, and Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation. Shout! Factory holds DVD distribution rights for the first 17 seasons of Power Rangers in Region 1. In Germany, full-season box sets include English audio tracks up to season six due to complications related to Disney.

In Australia, Madman Entertainment reissued the initial two seasons of Digimon: Digital Monsters in August 2011. The first five Digimon series were also made available on DVD in North America through New Video.

DVD distributions by North Video

The Czech company North Video s.r.o., headquartered in Ústí nad Labem, played a significant role as a distributor of Saban Entertainment DVDs in English. Established in 1992 initially as a VHS distributor, the firm transitioned to CD and DVD formats in 2002, catering to various European territories. In 2007, North Video launched cost-effective slim paper packaging designed for newsstand availability within Czechia and Slovakia. Despite enjoying years of commercial success, the company had effectively ceased operations by 2023 due to the shrinking market for physical media.

Beginning in 2010, North Video obtained licenses for numerous Saban series DVDs released primarily in this newsstand-friendly format—often representing the only DVD editions accessible. These featured Czech-language packaging but included both Czech and original English audio tracks. The releases generally adhered to the original production sequence, although some collections were incomplete.

In addition to Saban titles, North Video distributed series from Marvel Studios and later Jetix properties such as Captain Flamingo, Monster Warriors, Pucca, and Sonic X.

Saban Entertainment DVD releases by North Video

Series	Episodes	Volumes	Initial release	Final release
Diabolik	40 (complete)	12	2010-05-10	2010-08-02
Eek! The Cat	39	12	2010-06-25	2010-09-17
NASCAR Racers	26 (complete)	8	2010-03-09	2010-06-01
Princess Sissi	52 (complete)	16	2010-06-04	2010-12-18
Saban's Adventures of Oliver Twist	18	6	2010-09-24	2010-10-29
Saban's Adventures of the Little Mermaid	18	6	2010-03-26	2010-04-30
The New Addams Family	39	12	2010-02-15	2010-05-03
The Why Why Family	26 (complete)	8	2010-09-02	2010-10-21
What's with Andy?	33	10	2010-04-13	2010-07-15

Program collection

By the year 1996, the enterprise possessed an extensive archive exceeding 3,700 half-hour episodes of children's content, ranking among the world's largest collections. Prior to its acquisition by Disney in 2001, this library had expanded to over 6,500 half-hours. The majority of shows produced or distributed by BVS Entertainment and its subsidiaries are currently owned by The Walt Disney Company, with distribution managed through Disney Platform Distribution.

Music catalog

Saban's musical holdings encompassed approximately 3,800 compositions, including theme songs and background scores. This catalog featured works by founder Haim Saban and Shuki Levy from the 1980s, including pieces created for non-Saban productions like He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. Most credits attribute compositions to Levy and Saban; however, from the mid-1990s onward, Haim Saban occasionally employed pseudonyms such as "Kussa Mahchi" or "Michel Dax" for works produced under Saban International Paris.

A probe conducted in 1998 uncovered that numerous credited compositions were actually ghostwritten by salaried employees who did not receive royalty payments—a practice legally permitted under their contracts. While feature films generally acknowledged ghostwriters appropriately due to union regulations, Levy and Saban continued to appear on cue sheets even when absent from on-screen credits. Notably, iconic themes like Ron Wasserman's score for X-Men: The Animated Series remain licensed under Levy/Saban attribution.

Following Disney’s acquisition in 2001, some music assets reportedly became lost or unaccounted for. In 2010, Haim Saban divested the music library to Bug Music, which was subsequently acquired by BMG in 2011, thereby consolidating these rights within a major music publishing entity.