MGM Studios is a part of entertainment history. The studio was launched in 1924 by Marcus Loew, who helped with the merger of Metro Pictures Corporations, Goldwyn Pictures and Louis B. Mayer Productions. With its roaring lion logo, MGM Studios became such a force in the film industry it was known for having “more stars than are in the heavens.”

United Artists, first established in 1919 by Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks and D.W. Griffith, joined MGM Studios in 1981. Called “the company built by the stars,” UA disrupted the film business by promising creative freedom to both actors and filmmakers while offering filmmakers a share of the films’ profits.

From 1924 to 1954, a period referred to as “The Golden Age of Hollywood,” the West Coast-based film studio became a major player in the movie business. For two consecutive decades, an MGM film was a Best Picture nominee every year at the Oscars. In total, MGM Studios boasts more than 177 Academy Awards wins in its vast library.

Today, MGM is one of the leading entertainment companies with global distribution of film and television content across all platforms. The company owns one of the world’s most expansive libraries of premium film and television content as well as the premium pay television network EPIX, which is available throughout the U.S. via cable, satellite, telecom and digital distributors. Also, MGM has investments in numerous other television channels, digital platforms and interactive ventures and produces premium short-form content for distribution.

With a rich history and even richer content, MGM is primed for licensing opportunities. Under the MGM umbrella, there are more than 4,000 films and 17,000 television episodes. With such extensive content, Robert Marick, executive vice president, global consumer products and experiences, MGM, is taking a different approach to its licensing program by breaking into general categories.

“It’s difficult to highlight and elevate a particular product or IP,” says Marick. “But we think that we are taking a very aggressive position in the MGM catalog,”

READ MORE IN THE LATEST ISSUE OF LICENSE GLOBAL