Syco Entertainment facts for kids
| Private | |
| Industry | Entertainment |
| Predecessor |
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| Founded | 2005 |
| Founders | Simon Cowell Sony Music |
| Headquarters |
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U.K.
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Area served
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Worldwide |
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Key people
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| Products | Television programs |
| Owner | Simon Cowell |
| Parent | Millforth Limited (2016–2017) Sony Music Entertainment UK (2017–2020) Independent (2020–present) |
Syco Entertainment is a British company based in London. It was started by famous TV personality Simon Cowell. The company makes popular TV shows and helps music artists. Syco is known for creating huge TV shows like Got Talent and The X Factor.
Syco Entertainment began in 2005. It was a partnership between Simon Cowell and Sony Music. This partnership helped Syco grow its TV and music projects. The company has offices in London and Los Angeles. It works with many partners, including Sony Music.
Syco has helped launch the careers of many famous artists. These include One Direction, Leona Lewis, Little Mix, Susan Boyle, and Fifth Harmony. The company has also worked with artists like Il Divo and Westlife. Syco has even produced movies, such as One Direction: This Is Us.
In 2020, Simon Cowell bought Sony Music's share of Syco Entertainment. This meant Cowell became the full owner of Syco's TV shows. Sony Music kept the music part of the company, called Syco Music.
Contents
How Syco Entertainment Started
Simon Cowell first started a record label called S Records in 2004. This label released music from artists like Robson & Jerome and Westlife. A year later, Sony Music bought Cowell's shares in both S Records and his TV company, Syco Television.
In 2010, Simon Cowell and Sony Music formed a new company. It was a 50/50 partnership, still named Syco Entertainment. This partnership lasted for many years. In 2020, Cowell bought out Sony Music's share. This made him the sole owner of the TV side of Syco.
Syco's TV Shows
Syco's TV shows are a big part of its business. The company mainly works in the UK and USA. Its most famous shows are The X Factor and Got Talent. Simon Cowell launched SYCOtv in 2003.
After 2020, Simon Cowell expanded his TV deals. He made new agreements with NBCUniversal. This deal will create new unscripted shows for the streaming service Peacock. Cowell also appears as a judge on AGT: Extreme. This is a spin-off from America's Got Talent.
The X Factor
The X Factor first aired in the UK in 2004. It quickly became one of the most popular TV shows there. Syco also launched The X Factor USA in 2011. This show was very popular in America.
The X Factor is produced in many countries around the world. These include France, the Netherlands, Indonesia, and Australia. The X Factor USA was even shown in 166 countries.
Got Talent
Britain's Got Talent is a huge hit in the UK. It often gets the highest TV ratings when it's on. In 2009, almost 20 million people watched the final. They saw the dance group Diversity win the show.
America's Got Talent is also very popular. It has been the most-watched summer show in the US since 2006. It consistently gets high ratings among adult viewers.
Other Projects
Syco also produces other TV shows. In 2011, they made the ITV series Red or Black?. They also created American Inventor for ABC. Another show was Celebrity Duets for Fox.
Syco has produced special entertainment shows too. One example is I Dreamed a Dream: The Susan Boyle Story. This show broke viewing records in the US and UK. In 2013, Syco launched Food Glorious Food on ITV.
Syco Entertainment also produced the movie One Direction: This Is Us. This film followed the lives of the pop group One Direction. The band became famous after finishing third on the UK X Factor in 2010.
In 2013, Syco started a new TV company in London. It was called Over The Top Productions. This company is responsible for shows like ITV's Rolling In It.
You Generation
In 2013, Syco teamed up with YouTube. They launched a channel called The You Generation. It was called the 'world's first global audition'.
La Banda
In 2014, Syco and Univision announced a new TV show. It was called La Banda. This show looked for talented singers from Hispanic America. The goal was to find the "ultimate Latino boy band." The winners received a recording contract.
I Can't Sing!
In 2014, Syco launched a musical called I Can't Sing!. It was a funny show based on The X Factor. The musical had some technical problems. It also received mixed reviews from critics. The show closed in London's West End after less than two months. Simon Cowell later said that sometimes things don't work out. He felt they were too ambitious with the show.
Shows Produced by Syco
Current Productions
- America's Got Talent (2006–present)
- Britain's Got Talent (2007–present)
Former Productions
- American Inventor (2006–2007)
- America's Got Talent: The Champions (2019–2020)
- America's Got Talent: Extreme (2022)
- America's Got Talent: All-Stars (2023)
- America's Got Talent: Fantasy League (2024)
- Britain's Got More Talent (2007–2019)
- Britain's Got Talent: The Champions (2019)
- The X Factor (2004–2018)
- The Xtra Factor (also called The Xtra Factor Live) (2004–2016)
- The X Factor: Battle of the Stars (2006)
- The X Factor: Celebrity (2019)
- The X Factor: The Band (2019)
- Celebrity Duets (2006)
- Grease Is the Word (2007)
- I Dreamed a Dream: The Susan Boyle Story (2009)
- Red or Black? (2011–2012)
- That Dog Can Dance (2012)
- Food Glorious Food (2013)
- The You Generation (2013–2014)
- La Banda (2015–2016)
- Planet's Got Talent (2015–2016)
- Your Song (2017)
- The Greatest Dancer (2019–2020)
- Walk the Line (2021)
Screen and Stage
- One Direction: This Is Us (2013)
- I Can't Sing! The X Factor Musical (2014)
See also
- Syco Music - This is the music part of the company. It became separate from Syco Entertainment in 2020.
