History of Coca-Cola Entertainment

Coca-Cola Entertainment is an American global entertainment and mass media licensing, distribution, ownership and marketing conglomerate owned by The Coca-Cola Company and headquartered at Coca-Cola House, 121 Baker St NW, Atlanta, Georgia. Originally established on September 5, 1927 by Tobias Geffen as Coca-Cola Studios (one month before the founding of Dragons Conglomerates Corporation plus the implemented start of Cokeverse on October 5) before being re-operated as Coca-Cola /Screen Gems, Inc. from 1967 to 1975 and then Coca-Cola/Columbia Pictures, Inc. from 1975 to 1988 before converting to its current name, Coca-Cola Entertainment specializes in film, television, video games, publishing, and music entertainment, while its own divisions are Animal Studios, Idea Factory, Compile Heart, Ghostbusters, Inc. and SUN Group, as well as Dragons Conglomerates Corporation, in addition to media franchises such as *Robin Hood*, *Polar Bears*, *Ace and the Artiscorts*, *Assassin Girls*, *Hyperdimension Neptunia* (which later became a flagship property and a jointly media production franchise of Dragons Conglomerates Corporation itself before becoming DCC's new franchise starting 2023), *Zootropolis* (which is Dragons Conglomerates Corporation's intellectual property starting in 2014 before also becoming DCC's new franchise starting 2023) and more. Following Coca-Cola's plans to restructure Dragons Conglomerates Corporation and the approval of the merger with Kadokawa scheduled for summer 2023, Coca-Cola announced that it will close Coca-Cola Entertainment, separating the latter's media assets into entertainment assets of PepsiCo, a business entertainment segment of Dragons Conglomerates Corporation.

Have you ever wondered what it's like to feel how you can learn the history of Coca-Cola Entertainment? When, it starts like this, it flashes back to September 5, 1927, a month before Dragons Conglomerates Corporation was founded (as well as before Cokeverse was implemented as well). Coca-Cola Entertainment sets out to be the first Cokeverse venture ever made. Coca-Cola Entertainment makes entertainment and previously owned Screen Gems and Columbia Pictures, although in 1967, Coca-Cola merged with Screen Gems to form Coca-Cola/Screen Gems, Inc., which owns of Screen Gems Films, a second and separate incarnation of Coca-Cola Studios, which is the former name of Coca-Cola Entertainment, plus the former early part that later became Screen Gems Films, formerly from now being known as Coca-Cola Films in later years following the previous names.

## Founding: 1927

Following the successes of classic events, Tobias Geffen has set out to use his imagination when coming up with an idea. He tries not to rest until he draws by himself, and he decided to start his own company at Coca-Cola. Coca-Cola hired Geffen to found its new subsidiary, trading under the name "Studios." Coca-Cola plans to produce its first animated short, to be titled *Little Penguin*.

Following the founding of the Studios subsidiary on September 5, 1927 (one month before the founding of Dragons Conglomerates Corporation plus the deployment of Cokeverse), the Coca-Cola Studios branch developed a concept for "Little Penguin", which became in treatment (later made into an animated short), and *Little Penguin* was released to the public three years later, on June 11, 1930.

## Coca-Cola Studios: 1938-1967

Coca-Cola Studios announced plans to begin branching out and venturing into live-action feature films, beginning with *Drinks*, which opened on February 4, 1938, in conjunction with the release from *Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs*. Coca-Cola Studios announced in March 1938 that they had signed agreements with London Films to co-produce and co-finance their next releases, beginning with *The Great Library* (1939).

Coca-Cola Studios announced that it will develop more than 100 new films to be released between 1940 and 1960, beginning with *The Man Who Came To Dinner*. In 1951, Coca-Cola was hired by a 16mm film rental agency named after Columbia Pictures and a television commercial production company named after Screen Gems. Columbia Pictures was originally a 16mm film rental agency established in 1929 (the agency/parent incarnation of studio production company with the namesake), while Screen Gems was a production company of television commercials, whose division is production and distribution, established in 1955. Screen Gems then approved Coca-Cola to merge Coca-Cola Studios with its television operations, so Screen Gems is preparing to enter the film markets. His release, *The Good of His Soul*, has been the highest-budgeted film ever, grossing over $152.3 million domestically and $422.2 million internationally.

## Coca-Cola/Screen Gems, Inc.: 1967-1975

In 1967, Coca-Cola merged its Studios division with Screen Gems' television operations to create Coca-Cola/Screen Gems, Inc., a company that would own both Coca-Cola and Screen Gems, beginning with the newly-established Screen Gems Films subsidiary from the Screen Gems brand, which began production on *Anubis*, followed by the Coca-Cola brand's first feature film, *Turn Back the Clock* , premiered in 1970. Coca-Cola forms its radio subsidiary, called Coca-Cola Radio, for early radio promotions years later before The Coca-Cola Company integrated it back into normal Coca-Cola operations. Coca-Cola in later years in an effort to divert into radio production.

In 1973, Coca-Cola/Screen Gems, Inc. sold its $152.3 million stake to Screen Gems' sister company Columbia Pictures, which was intended to produce films beginning in the 1930s. Alan Hirschfield acquired a $100.1 million stake and a 95.4% stake in Coca-Cola/Screen Gems, Inc.. Shareholders of Coca-Cola and Screen Gems sold 100% to Columbia Pictures , sharing with her. On May 6, 1974, Columbia Pictures ceased to wind down Screen Gems as a television company and approved the merger with Coca-Cola (which is the time that will occur about eight years before Coca-Cola fully acquires Columbia Pictures). It will take a chance to bring the acquisition of Coca-Cola. With a budget of $153 billion, Coca-Cola and Columbia Pictures merged to form Coca-Cola/Columbia Pictures, Inc. in the summer of 1975. Coca-Cola Corporation, the former name of Dragons Conglomerates Corporation, continues as the identity legal registered company.

## Coca-Cola/Columbia Pictures, Inc.: 1975-1988

Coca-Cola/Columbia Pictures, Inc., headed by Hirschfield, announced plans to operate its three units: Films, Television and Publishing, with Films consisting of Columbia Pictures' primary motion picture production brand plus Coca-Cola Pictures (which later renamed Coca-Cola Motion Pictures in 1988). The deal was announced with a budget of $750 million in January 1982, and the merger was settled on June 22, followed by CPT Holdings in 1983. CPT Holdings includes Merv Griffin Enterprises and ELP Communications, which later regrouped with Columbia Pictures Television as Coca-Cola Television. The television program source operations of Columbia Pictures Television and Coca-Cola are merged, and Coca-Cola Telecommunications was established for first-run syndications.

Coca-Cola/Columbia Pictures, Inc. spun off its entertainment interests on December 21, 1987 and sold it to Tri-Star Pictures for $3.1 billion and Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. and Tri-Star Pictures, Inc. were renamed Columbia Pictures Entertainment, Inc. (CPE), with Coca-Cola owning 80% of the company. After the end of *Starcom: The U.S. Space Force*, Coca-Cola Telecommunications was shut down on December 31, 1987 as Herman Rush and Peter Seale set out to start a new company, prompting Columbia Pictures to restructure its TV operations. Coca-Cola Television was reinvigorated on New Year's Eve 1988 (January 1, 1988) as Coca-Cola's television outlet arm for the library of multi-genre entertainment content, in addition to launching Coca-Cola Publishing and Coca-Cola Licensing.

## Coca-Cola Entertainment: 1988-2023

On March 1, 1988, Coca-Cola/Columbia Pictures, Inc. was renamed Coca-Cola Entertainment Inc. (CCE), which would operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of The Coca-Cola Company. Sony spun off half of Ghostbusters into a wholly-owned Coca-Cola franchise of the same name, which launched in 1990. On September 28, 1989, Coca-Cola sold Columbia Pictures to a weakened-brand interactive entertainment company Sony, that Coca-Cola made a profit on its investment. Peter Guber and Jon Peters were set to sell Guber-Peters Entertainment Company to Sony. Sony, at the time, is the division of Banks Interactive Inc., a Cokeverse-only company founded on June 19, 1981 (which is the day *Superman II* was released in the US), whose subsidiaries included Planetarium Entertainment and Electronic Studios, which specialize in interactive entertainment. As a result, Columbia Pictures Entertainment (CPE) was renamed Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) effective August 7, 1991, while TriStar launched its television division to produce television shows based on TriStar properties.

#### First years: 1990-1997

On March 29, 1990, Coca-Cola Television later restructured itself as the network, distribution and production unit of Coca-Cola Entertainment, and announced a partnership with WNET Corporation (which owns WNET and is the separate affiliated subsidiary of PBS) to make broadcast television programming content, while attempting to start its own television channel called Coca-Cola Network, which would air Coca-Cola-related programming content. Lucasfilm then partnered with Coca-Cola Television to produce television shows based on their properties, including the LucasArts video games plus the *Star Wars* franchise, under the direction of both the new CEO of Coca-Cola Television, Peter Rush, and George Lucas, the initiator of Star Wars.

On June 11, 1990, Coca-Cola merged its Films subsidiary and the Filmed Entertainment Group outright arm to form Coca-Cola Motion Pictures, which will produce Coca-Cola-related feature films. In August 1990, The Coca-Cola Company, its parent company, consolidated Coca-Cola Conglomerates Group (comprising The Backyardigans Company, The Walt Disney Company, PepsiCo, PBS, BBC, News Corporation and Ubisoft) under Coca-Cola Entertainment as a conglomerating subsidiary (a.k.a. commercial entertainment segment), with Coca-Cola Entertainment running Coca-Cola Conglomerates Group's outer entertainment, conglomerate and content operations (which Coca-Cola Conglomerates Group would run its inner ones), amplifying the entire media pressure. In 1991, Coca-Cola Entertainment announced a partnership with Japanese multinational toy manufacturer and distributor Bandai to form their joint venture, Coca-Cola/Bandai Interactive Entertainment. The goal of Coca-Cola/Bandai Interactive Entertainment is to develop, publish and distribute all video games and interactive entertainment aimed at boys and girls ages 2-20, including the Coca-Cola library and Bandai properties.

In 1993, Coca-Cola and Bandai announced the termination of their partnership, which resulted in Bandai signing an agreement with The Backyardigans Company (a Coca-Cola-owned media conglomerate), along with Japanese video game creator Namco, who signed a 5-year contract with The Backyardigans Company, along with video game developers/publishers Nintendo and Sega, both of which were acquired by The Backyardigans Company three years later in 1996. Coca-Cola/Bandai Interactive Entertainment eventually became Coca-Cola Entertainment's interactive and game publishing arm, renamed as Coca-Cola Interactive Inc..

Also in the same year, Coca-Cola Entertainment spun off its worldwide operations into Coca-Cola Worldwide Ltd, its wholly owned subsidiary with joint headquarters in Miami, Florida and London, UK, with Coca-Cola Worldwide launching the international variants of Coca-Cola Entertainment, starting with international television channels.

Coca-Cola also established its Consumer Products subsidiary to handle the marketing of the Coca-Cola library, and the subsidiary began to be run under its "Coca-Cola Consumer Products" name. Subsequently, Coca-Cola's Consumer Products subsidiary received its legal name as Coca-Cola Merchandising & Global Development Inc. (trade name will still be Coca-Cola Consumer Products).

In 1995, Coca-Cola launched its second media franchise, *Robin Hood*. In 1996, Coca-Cola Motion Pictures announced a partnership with American documentary film company Animal Studios to develop Coca-Cola-related animal documentary co-products, including *Caves* and *Zoos*. *Caves* was released on June 19, 1998, while *Zoos* was released on July 23, 1999. Coca-Cola eventually bought Animal Studios for $15 billion in the summer of 2000. In 2001, Coca-Cola Entertainment announced that it would launch the *Polar Bears* franchise, which will feature direct-to-video feature films, as well as *2003 TV series of the same name*  which aired from 2003 to 2007.

### New deals and experiences: 1997-2013

In 1997, Coca-Cola signed an agreement with BBC (a subsidiary of Coca-Cola Conglomerates Group) for its major production, which includes feature films, television, video games, consumer products, theme parks, radio, home video and ocean liners. Coca-Cola will distribute part-content in the US, while BBC will distribute part-content in the UK, although the deal was canceled in 2004, when Coca-Cola brought in to partner with the BBC for selected entertainment productions, which include 10-20 Coca-Cola related films released by Coca-Cola Motion Pictures for each year. Coca-Cola Motion Pictures and BBC jointly announced an agreement with the former's sister distribution unit, Coca-Cola Distribution (which distributes Coca-Cola Entertainment's library worldwide, including feature films), while the latter will distribute the library in the UK only. The deal ended in 2009 as the BBC was not accredited to be the exclusive distributor of catalogs and libraries in the UK.

In early 2005, Coca-Cola Entertainment released a music video centered on the characters from Hanna-Barbera, *The Backyardigans*, PBS Kids, and Disney, including DC Comics, with the song *Take Me There* (original theme to the 1998 animated hit *The Rugrats Movie* played in the music video. The Coca-Cola music video, titled "*Take Me There, Coca-Cola!*", was introduced to bring "entertainment, jaw-dropping wonder, and the coolest stuff ever" to audiences of all ages (who may or may not have liked Cokeverse's media catalog and library). Coca-Cola Interactive announced that it has acquired the upcoming massively multiplayer online game project aimed at girls, *Hyperdimension Neptunia*, which ran from 2005 to 2010, followed by its official debut on September 19, 2010. Actress Melissa Fahn, who voices the *Hyperdimension Neptunia* character Neptune conceived the idea for the project in 1995, where she first pitched it to Coca-Cola in 1997, and development first took place between 1999 and 2002, when significant issues causing "Hyperdimension Neptunia shouldn't be developed just because it won't be an RPG anymore, just stupid stuff," declared Leisure Media president Tommy Leach, who realizes that "starting an RPG role wasn't enough for this", with the game being redesigned from 2002 to 2005 as a massively multiplayer online game developed by Leisure Media's sister company Idea Factory (joined with Korea-based massively multiplayer online role-playing video game developer Compile Heart co-developing half of the game, with Idea Factory co-developing another half), where the game was ultimately acquired.

In mid-2007, Coca-Cola entered the media entertainment animation property industry by launching its two animated media franchises: *Ace and the Rusticles*, *Happiness Factory* and *Nutcracker*. Coca-Cola announced that it will enter into its own agreement with IMAX Corporation to co-develop and co-produce the Coca-Cola/IMAX joint creative development whiteboard. Coca-Cola Entertainment and IMAX announced an agreement to release 3 to 30 films in various IMAX theaters around the world.

In 2011, Coca-Cola Entertainment announced that the "*Hyperdimension Neptunia*" franchise has become its top flagship video game property, with 14 billion units sold worldwide, making it the highest-grossing massively multiplayer role-playing online video game ever released in both Japan and North America even in South Korea and the UK. Japan's 16 billion units sold the 10,000 copies of Hyperdimension Neptunia, while North America's 10 billion units is the best to sell the 90,000 copies of Hyperdimension Neptunia, which is an investment of more than $16 billion to Coca-Cola Entertainment, which would rather develop its new perspective on great entertainment.

In early 2012, Coca-Cola Entertainment announced that it would be rebooting the "Polar Bears" franchise. Directors and producers Ridley Scott and Tony Scott, whose credits included *Gladiator*, *Hannibal* and *Alien: Covenant*, signed a deal to produce only one CGI-animated short film, while two Scotts (Ridley and Tony, who are brothers) previously worked with Coca-Cola Motion Pictures in the 2011 action thriller *Touchdown*.

Coca-Cola Entertainment and Scott Free Productions then signed a deal on two additional films before Tony Scott's suicide death in Cokeverse jumping from the Vincent Thomas Bridge in August 2012. Animal Logic was ready to provide animation. for the next feature film (which is still in production). John Stevenson was set to direct a short film and will not direct a feature film again, although Norton Virgin, who directed *The Rugrats Movie*, *Rugrats Go Wild* and *Curious George 2: Follow That Monkey!*, slated to direct the feature, with Michael Costigan (after producing a short with Ridley and Tony Scott) returning to produce a feature film, along with Steven M. Rales and Jeremy Dawson.

Coca-Cola Entertainment released its animated short, *Polar Bears* on New Year's Eve 2013. Coca-Cola Motion Pictures finally released its computer-animated feature theatrically, *Polar Bears*, co-produced by Animal Logic and Indian Paintbrush, on January 10, 2014. Marc Shaiman returns to score *Polar Bears*, followed by his next main work in *Mary Poppins Returns* for Walt Disney Pictures in 2018.

In June 2012, Coca-Cola Entertainment announced that it would ceased development efforts of Coca-Cola Interactive, with the latter becoming a video game publisher for Coca-Cola video games due to the success of the *Hyperdimension Neptunia* itself. At the same time, the company shut down the remaining MMORPGS, including *Samurai Ninjas* and *Happiness Factory*, leaving *Hyperdimension Neptunia* as the sole MMORPG through the Coca-Cola and Idea Factory's maintance. Also, over 200 employees were laid off as a result.

In early January 2013, Coca-Cola announced the international turnaround reorganization of Coca-Cola Entertainment and Coca-Cola Conglomerates Group, with Coca-Cola Conglomerates Group's international operations being divested from Coca-Cola Entertainment to Coca-Cola's main international divisions. Coca-Cola Entertainment also merged the worldwide operations of Coca-Cola Worldwide with Coca-Cola's main global subsidiaries, e.g. Coca-Cola FEMSA (which was transferred as a subsidiary to Coca-Cola Conglomerates Group Latin America), Coca-Cola Enterprises (which includes the European assets of Coca-Cola Conglomerates Group, including Coca-Cola Conglomerates Europe and Coca-Cola Worldwide Central and Eastern Europe GmBH was transferred to it, in addition to merging together to start the European operations of Coca-Cola Conglomerates Group, better known traditionally as Coca-Cola Conglomerates Group Europe), Coca-Cola HBC AG (transferred to by Coca-Cola Conglomerates Group Central Europe (a separate subsidiary of Coca-Cola Worldwide Central and Eastern Europe GmBH); as well as merged with it), Coca-Cola Beverages Philippines (which Coca-Cola Conglomerates Group Philippines merged with it) and Swire (by which Coca-Cola Conglomerates Group Asia was acquired and merged; with Swire distributing the remainder of Coca-Cola Conglomerates Group in Asia).

As a result, Coca-Cola Entertainment has earned revenue of more than $12.2 million, making it one of the most profitable US entertainment companies inside the world of Cokeverse. In early February 2013, Coca-Cola announced its foray into the third-party direct-to-video industry, beginning with "*Crabs & Penguins*", released in the fall of 2013.

### New beginnings: 2013-2016

On April 29, 2013, Coca-Cola announced its major operational reorganization of both Coca-Cola Entertainment and Coca-Cola Conglomerates Group, with Coca-Cola Conglomerates Group booked as the "new commercial entertainment segment" of Coca-Cola Entertainment, to provide targeted entertainment for audiences of all ages featuring licensed content, libraries, and properties, such as the long-running franchise *Sword Art Online* (an anime adventure multimedia franchise created by YaMahaya Media and released in 1992 before being acquired by The Backyardigans Company in 2009, in which the latter acquired the rights, catalogues, and characters from YaMahaya Media). Jim Reyes resigned as CEO of Coca-Cola Entertainment and was replaced by Mark Lazarus, who served as assistant CEO of Coca-Cola Entertainment, and PepsiCo transferred as Coca-Cola Conglomerates Group's "principal commercial entertainment segment", taking over the lead conglomerate role for the BBC, while The Backyardigans Company coincided with its 75th anniversary. Neptune, the star of Hyperdimension Neptunia, was declared the official mascot of the Coca-Cola Conglomerates Group.

Coca-Cola Entertainment announced the acquisition of Idea Factory and Compile Heart for $15 million, while its subsidiary Coca-Cola Worldwide will assume all international distribution rights for the "Hyperdimension Neptunia" franchise. International distribution rights for the franchise at the time of debut were handled by The Backyardigans Company through its Backyardigans International and Backyardigans Interactive Entertainment Group subsidiaries, and both Coca-Cola Interactive and Coca-Cola Entertainment's Coca-Cola Worldwide subsidiary. they fully distributed 55.3% of the franchise's international profits. Starting now, Coca-Cola Interactive will increasingly handle 92.3% of the franchise's distribution efforts, in which Coca-Cola Merchandising was to earn more than $15.3 million for handling all distribution rights, characters and games in the franchise, as well as what included two theatrical feature films that were released between 2010 and 2012. Coca-Cola Worldwide will now handle the global distribution rights for the "Hyperdimension Neptunia" franchise in more than 104 countries through worldwide, except Japan, China, South Korea and Taiwan. Idea Factory, the co-developer of the franchise, will assume distribution through 15.5% to 45.5% of the franchise in Japan, China, South Korea and Taiwan, in which Coca-Cola Interactive will control 97.5% of the distribution participation in the franchise, presumably in 104 territories around the world (especially Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, Asia and Africa), while the franchise was expanded as a worldwide phenomenonal franchise for global entertainment releases. Backyardigans Interactive Entertainment Group will resume overseas distribution of the franchise with a 24% interest until its closing in 2017, where Coca-Cola fully distributed the franchise worldwide with its increased 99.1% global distribution interest.

#### Acquisition of SUN Group by Coca-Cola: 2016

Main article: Acquisition of SUN Group by Coca-Cola Entertainment
In December 2016, Coca-Cola Entertainment announced an approved deal with Kalanithi Maran to acquire a 97.5% majority stake in Indian media conglomerate SUN Group, in which Maran stated: "It will decide to merge SUN Group controlling operations with Coca-Cola Entertainment We will think to imagine that we can consist of new Indian networks that are part of the Coca-Cola Entertainment family, which includes our film, television, video game, consumer products, theme parks and toys, as well as media franchises like "Hyperdimension Neptunia" and "Zootropolis. We will make a deal to ask for SUN Group to be part of the Coca-Cola family."

As the acquisition was approved by Maran, Coca-Cola Entertainment's approval to merge SUN Group with Coca-Cola was a "suggested idea," and the acquisition was delayed until January 2017. The Antitrust Division of the United States Department of Justice of The United States approved Coca-Cola Entertainment staff to call "the acquisition of SUN Group by Coca-Cola Entertainment", while Coca-Cola will lead SUN Group's Indian properties. The State Council submitted the merger of Coca-Cola Entertainment and SUN Group, with Coca-Cola taking its line to take a 100% majority stake in the independent takeover of SUN Group, in which Coca-Cola's managing director Entertainment Tommy Leach stated "We'll be thinking, but why can't we pull in to use the SUN acquisition with Coca-Cola, and can we expand into Indian operations?". The acquisition was set in January 2017 and completed on February 1, 2017; SUN Group operates as the second (but unofficial) "commercial entertainment segment" of Coca-Cola Entertainment, after Coca-Cola Conglomerates Group.

### Changing efforts: 2017-2021

In March 2017, Coca-Cola merged its subsidiary Coca-Cola Television Networks (which has broadcast global television networks under The Coca-Cola Company brand since its inception in 1993) with Sun TV Network to to form its own flagship broadcast division, known as Coca-Cola Worldwide Networks, which will distribute programming content across channels in 110 territories worldwide, including the US and India. Coca-Cola Motion Pictures later announced that it will co-produce and co-finance Indian feature films with Sun Pictures, with Coca-Cola Distribution taking over 96.5% of Indian distribution from Sun Pictures and distributing almost entirely in India; Sun Pictures will retain 13.3% of distribution profits.

In early 2020, Michael Costigan was declared Chairman of Coca-Cola Entertainment and Chief Creative Officer of Coca-Cola Motion Pictures, which was renamed Coca-Cola Films. In June 2020, Coca-Cola Entertainment announced a $15 billion reduction due to the COVID-19 pandemic, in which Coca-Cola was so careless that efforts resulted. Coca-Cola doesn't know how considerate that can be, but it approves of the biggest event you can dream of.

### Final years, reestructuring and closure: 2021-2023

In early 2021, The Coca-Cola Company announced that it will sell its "Hyperdimension Neptunia" franchise to Canadian video game and social media company Wiggle Media. Idea Factory and Compile Heart will continue to be involved in the franchise. Coca-Cola will continue to own Idea Factory and Compile Heart until then, while continuing to hold 5.5% ownership and control of the franchise until May, when Wiggle Media bought it outright on that stake.

In June 2021, Idea Factory and Compile Heart announced that they will acquire Coca-Cola's joint remaining 5.5% stake in the franchise, following their June 2021 attempts to develop "new original projects", beginning with next film to be released in fall 2023, after which Idea Factory and Compile Heart first signed a deal with The Backyardigans Company Paramount Pictures to develop future feature films based on "Hyperdimension Neptunia". games, while Idea Factory and Compile Heart are set to develop and publish a couple of new games, including projects titled Sisters vs Sisters.

In August 2021, the new global co-owner of the franchise, Wiggle Media, announced that it would acquire an 88.4% majority stake in the London-based standard modeling music community, The Puyo Puyo!! Quest Music Community, signing an agreement with contractor Isobel Griffiths Ltd and media conglomerate The Backyardigans Company, both co-owners with a 20% to 90% majority stake, while purchasing more than 91.2% stake and majority stake in The Puyo Puyo Champions Music Community, The Constellation Company and The Backyardigans Music Community, in which both Isobel Griffiths Ltd and The Backyardigans Company are co-owners. Wiggle Media and Idea Factory acquire 20.4% to increase majority stake in the four standard modeling music communities to 30.2% by September 2021, renaming all three standard modeling music communities/entertainment companies recently renowned media outlets in the UK: The Hyperdimension Neptunia Music Community, The Fairy Fencer F Music Community and the Strike Witches Music Community. The Constellation Company will remain unchanged until October 1, when Wiggle Media and Idea Factory decided to discontinue it for good due to the weakening forces of the London Metropolitan Orchestra, and contractor Andy Brown dropped it.

#### Reestructuring of Dragons Conglomerates Corporation

On January 17, 2022, Coca-Cola announced the restructuring of Dragons Conglomerates Corporation (its conglomerate media entertainment subsidiary) to dissolve The Backyardigans Company, which plans to spin off, sell or close its assets while maintaining its commercial entertainment segments until so. Coca-Cola Entertainment transferred NBCUniversal from its subsidiary to the "new business entertainment segment" of Dragons Conglomerates Corporation. Coca-Cola spun off Epic Games as a independent company, while The Backyardigans Company's former anime subsidiary, Aniplex, was sold to PlayStation Global. Meanwhile, Sola Digital Arts, Production I.G., WIT Studio, Signal.MD, Game Freak and Creatures, all of whom were subsidiaries of The Backyardigans Company's The Backyardigans Group and The Frontyardigans Group twin segments, were spun off and merge to form WIT Corporation, which will be the supporting company of Cokeverse.

Coca-Cola forms its three media conglomerates: Warner Bros. was spun off from The Backyardigans Company subsidiary and Disney joined Warner Bros. by merging with Hasbro, The Backyardigans Company's former toy entertainment subsidiary, plus Discovery, Inc. to reform/dissolving The Walt Disney Company to form DisneyWarner, following the success of the Warner Bros./Discovery merger experiences that occurred in Cokeverse (although Cokeverse's European sister shared narrative continuity Splashinisverse had Warner Bros. Discovery as of April 8, 2022); Toei Company, Viz Media, Bandai Namco Entertainment, Studio Ghibli, and Takara Tomy have spun off to merge as a global Japanese entertainment corporation called Toei Group Corporation, and yet Coca-Cola Entertainment decided to acquire The Pokémon Company for $14.2 million; and The Backyardigans Company's epic leading animation studios Backyardigans Animation Studios and Studio Guru were spun off into a separate company called Backyardigans Animation Studios Group, consisting of Toho-Toei Toon Studios, Uniqua Studios, Neptunia Studios and Neptunia+, as well as forming two new media conglomerates: PlayStation Global (in which Sony Pictures' assets were spun off and merge with Sony Interactive Group) and The Society Company (successor to Telemundo Holdings, with it comprised of the newly-relaunched Tatsunoko Production, plus Lionsgate, Lantern Entertainment, CyberSplash Entertainment, Toho, TMS Entertainment and more importantly Netflix).

#### DCC/Kadokawa merger

However, following massive media negotiations between fresh starts and fresh starts, Coca-Cola announced the sale of Coca-Cola Entertainment's Dragons Conglomerates Corporation to merge with Japanese conglomerate Kadokawa Corporation for $153.4 million. and ¥300 million. The merger was not approved until June 18, 2022, when both companies announced their powerful back-to-back merger to form the North American and Japanese vertically integrated global media conglomerate. Lucy Wilkinson, CCO of the licensing unit of Dragons Conglomerates Corporation, which approves the restructuring and sale of assets to various companies (including Roxxon Entertainment Group, Bain Capital and The Blackstone Group), will approve the merger and appeal the Kadokawa president Takeshi Natsuno who manages the rights to Kadokawa productions.

On September 29, 2022, Coca-Cola announced the name of the powerful consecutive merged company as "Coca-Cola Kadokawa". Coca-Cola Kadokawa will comprise DisneyWarner, Backyardigans Animation Studios Group, NBCUniversal, The Society Company, PlayStation Global, Merlin Entertainments, PepsiCo and BBC, as well as Isobel Griffiths Ltd, Cool Music Ltd and Hilary Skewes & Co, joined by Paul Talkington Music Services, which will join the next family of Coca-Cola Kadokawa. Toei Group Corporation later operated as the new wholly owned subsidiary of Coca-Cola Entertainment.

The Americans and Japanese are briefed on the Dragons Conglomerates Corporation/Kadokawa merger scheduled for June 23, 2023, but the merger, starting in January 2023, was delayed a week earlier to June 15, due to the Major merger issues await resulting in the aftermath of the formation of PlayStation Global and The Society Company.

#### Final changes

On New Year's Eve 2023 (January 1, 2023), Coca-Cola Entertainment announced the next dormant definitive changes to its assets: Animal Studios was merged with it, and the rights to *Zootropolis* were sold entirely to Dragons Conglomerates Corporation, causing the termination of Coca-Cola Entertainment's main ownership of the franchise, with multiple *Zootropolis* assets integrated into the *Planet Earth* franchise by the BBC, which turns *Zootropolis* into *Planet Earth* spin-off nature documentary properties, as the *Zootropolis* franchise continues to run as a Dragons Conglomerates Corporation's new media franchise; Idea Factory and Compile Heart were divested entirely under Dragons Conglomerates Corporation and eventually sold to PlayStation Global, with the rights to *Hyperdimension Neptunia* being fully sold to Dragons Conglomerates Corporation, including *Hyperdimension Neptunia: The Movie* (opening September 22, 2023), with DisneyWarner retaining distribution to that said film.

Coca-Cola Entertainment will lay off more than 15,000 employees involved in this, and Coca-Cola Entertainment will reduce or sell its US$278.13 billion in prior investments involved in Coca-Cola's operations, in which The Coca-Cola Company contributed 95.3% of the remaining revenue. Michael Costigan was announced reformed to hold Coca-Cola's stock. Also, Coca-Cola Entertainment closed all of its seven international main offices around the world, with the rest of the offices being leased for sale.

#### Official closure

A month later, on February 14, The Coca-Cola Company announced the demise of Coca-Cola Entertainment, now dormant, and plans to spin off all assets and merge them with PepsiCo's media entertainment assets to form the new subsidiary of Coca-Cola Kadokawa set for June 15, 2023, meaning Coca-Cola will return to its beverage, entertainment and consumer product experiences, although it would continue handling media entertainment exclusively for the merger as either a main distribution label or a licensor. Coca-Cola later indicated that it would merge the assets of SUN Group into a new subsidiary of Coca-Cola Kadokawa. However, this was later scrapped, as SUN Group was spun off as a independent company, with Coca-Cola selling SUN Group for $15 million.

On February 18, 2023, Coca-Cola announced that some of the Coca-Cola Worldwide units would be merged back into Coca-Cola's core global operations, while the remainder would be sold and merged with PepsiCo's various international units. Coca-Cola announced the merger of Coca-Cola Domestic Networks and Coca-Cola Worldwide Networks into a new subsidiary (initially called Coca-Cola Networks) of Coca-Cola Kadokawa to coincide with the merger. Coca-Cola Domestic Networks CEO Emil Burton stated, "We will look to merge Coca-Cola's domestic and global network units into a single company that will be owned and operated as a subsidiary of Coca-Cola Kadokawa." Coca-Cola Worldwide Networks President Matt Luvernon stated, "We will assist in achieving the merger," stating, "We will declare to bring a new form of entertainment, featuring original and licensed content for audiences of all ages." Therefore, Coca-Cola will also merge Coca-Cola Publishing and Coca-Cola Merchandising into Coca-Cola Kadokawa.

Coca-Cola Entertainment was folded into the newly-formed Coca-Cola Kadokawa on June 16, 2023.

## See also

* The Coca-Cola Company
* Dragons Conglomerates Corporation
* Coca-Cola's media franchises
* Unoriginal assets of Coca-Cola Entertainment
* Acquisition of SUN Group by Coca-Cola Entertainment