# Shout! Factory's Lost TV Era Ends

> Private equity buys Shout! Factory, ending its role as lost TV's keeper.
- Title: Shout! Factory's Lost TV Era Ends · AV Club | Shortify
- Summary: Private equity buys Shout! Factory, ending its role as lost TV's keeper. Shout! Factory, once a distributor of cult classics, lost rights to Super Sentai…
- Keywords: shout factory, alf, super sentai, oaktree capital, filmrise, gruv, universal pictures, tokusatsu, fast tv, b-movies, roku, peking opera blues
- Source: AV Club — https://avclub.com/shout-factory-dvd-freaks-and-geeks-lost-tv-private-equity
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: shout factory, alf, super sentai, oaktree capital, filmrise, gruv, universal pictures, tokusatsu, fast tv, b-movies, roku, peking opera blues
## Shout! Factory's origins
Shout! Factory started in 2002 as a retro music label but shifted to TV distribution after licensing Freaks And Geeks in 2004.
## Early cult classics
Shout! released Freaks And Geeks: The Fan Edition in 2004, described as the finest tv-related boxed set ever created.
## Growth in niche genres
Shout! licensed SCTV, Home Movies, and tokusatsu shows like Super Sentai by 2006.
## 2010s expansion
Shout! launched ad-supported streaming channels in 2015 after securing Mystery Science Theater 3000 rights.
## 2020s shift
Shout! signed Roger Corman in 2018 and acquired ALF rights in 2022, then rebranded as Shout! Studios in 2023.
## Private equity takeover
Oaktree Capital acquired Shout! Factory in 2023, merging it with FilmRise to form Shout! Studios.
## Physical media shift
Shout! announced it would no longer sell physical media directly, shifting to GRUV managed by Universal Pictures.
## Super Sentai loss
Shout! lost Super Sentai rights in 2025, ending its role as keeper of cult classics.
## Peking Opera Blues
Shout! released Peking Opera Blues on Blu-ray in 2025, restored from film negative with extras.
## Community reaction
Tokusatsu fans mourned Shout! losing Super Sentai rights after the 2025 announcement.
## Key takeaway

Shout! Factory, once a distributor of cult classics, lost rights to Super Sentai after private equity acquisition.