{{short description|Canadian businessman}} {{Infobox person | name = Darren Throop | image = Darren Throop at a CFC event in Los Angeles in 2017 (33484022481).jpg | caption = Darren Throop in 2017 | alt = Darren Throop in 2017 | imagesize = | birth_place = Bashaw, Alberta, Canada | known_for = Founder of Entertainment One | title = Founder and former CEO }} '''Darren Throop''' is a Canadian businessman who is the founder and former CEO of Entertainment One (eOne).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://entertainmentone.com/investors/board-and-governance/board-of-directors|publisher=Entertainment One|title=Entertainment One Board of Directors|access-date=2014-01-28|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140223162629/http://entertainmentone.com/investors/board-and-governance/board-of-directors|archive-date=2014-02-23|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>https://investor.hasbro.com/news-releases/news-release-details/eone-president-chief-executive-officer-darren-throop-prepares</ref> Through corporate acquisitions and partnerships, Throop has expanded Entertainment One's global footprint and network which includes film and television studio The Mark Gordon Company;<ref>{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2015/tv/news/eone-mark-gordon-partner-to-create-independent-studio-1201393421/|publisher=Variety|title=eOne Acquires 51% Stake in the Mark Gordon Co. for $133 Million|date=6 January 2015 }}</ref> content creation venture Amblin Partners with Steven Spielberg, DreamWorks Pictures, Participant Media, and Reliance Entertainment;<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20151216006049/en/DreamWorks-Studios-Participant-Media-Reliance-Entertainment-Entertainment|publisher=Business Wire|title=DreamWorks Studios, Participant Media, Reliance Entertainment and Entertainment One Form Amblin Partners, a New Film, Television and Digital Content Creation Company|date=16 December 2015 }}</ref> leading feature film production and global sales company Sierra Pictures;<ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2016/01/entertainment-one-sierra-pictures-equity-investment-1201677806/|publisher=Deadline|title=Entertainment One Takes Stake In Sierra Pictures|date=7 January 2016 }}</ref> unscripted television production companies Renegade 83,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.londonstockexchange.com/exchange/news/market-news/market-news-detail/ETO/12750566.html|publisher=London Stock Exchange|title=eOne acquires reality television production company, Renegade 83}}</ref> Paperny Entertainment<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.biv.com/article/2014/7/vancouvers-paperny-tv-production-company-sold-to-e/|publisher=Business Vancouver|title=Vancouver's Paperny TV production company sold to Entertainment One for $29 million}}</ref> and Force Four Entertainment;<ref>{{cite web|url=https://vancouversun.com/news/staff-blogs/vancouver-reality-tv-producer-force-four-purchased-by-toronto-company|publisher=Vancouver Sun|title=Vancouver reality TV producer Force Four purchased by Toronto company eOne}}</ref> world-class music labels Dualtone Music Group<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/6866008/label-prays-to-little-baby-jesus-that-next-lumineers-album-does-well|publisher=Billboard|title=Dualtone Music Group Bought by Entertainment One, Spinefarm Acquires Candlelight}}</ref> and Last Gang Records;<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/2016/03/09/last-gang-indie-label-joins-entertainment-one.html|publisher=The Toronto Star|title=Last Gang indie label joins Entertainment One|date=9 March 2016 }}</ref> and award-winning digital agency Secret Location.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2014/digital/news/eone-takes-stake-in-interactive-agency-secret-location-1201194800/|publisher=Variety|title=eOne Takes Stake in Interactive Agency Secret Location|date=28 May 2014 }}</ref>
Prior to Entertainment One he was the CEO of ROW Entertainment Income Fund.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.marketwired.com/press-release/row-entertainment-income-fund-announces-the-acquisition-of-koch-and-bought-deal-financing-541125.htm|publisher=Market Wired|title=ROW Entertainment Income Fund Announces The Acquisition Of Koch And Bought Deal Financing}}</ref>
Throop sits on the IMAX Corporation Board of Directors.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/imax-announces-election-of-darren-throop-to-board-of-directors-300092045.html|publisher=PR Newswire|title=IMAX® Announces Election Of Darren Throop To Board Of Directors}}</ref> He was recently inducted into the Canadian Music Industry Hall of Fame,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://themusicexpress.ca/darren-throop-quality-is-entertainment-ones-stake-in-the-ground/|publisher=The Music Express|title=Darren Throop: Quality Is Entertainment One's Stake in The Ground }}</ref> and recognized as Entrepreneur of the Year at the Grant Thornton Quoted Company Awards.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.grant-thornton.co.uk/en/Media-Centre/News/News/Winners-at-Grant-Thornton-Quoted-Company-Awards-2012/|publisher=Grant Thornton|title=Winners at Grant Thornton Quoted Company Awards 2012|access-date=2014-01-28|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160921084902/http://www.grant-thornton.co.uk/en/Media-Centre/News/News/Winners-at-Grant-Thornton-Quoted-Company-Awards-2012/|archive-date=2016-09-21|url-status=dead}}</ref>
== Career == His career in the entertainment industry began in 1991 when he founded Urban Sound Exchange, an independent chain of retail music stores.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://thechronicleherald.ca/business/121177-taylor-long-road-to-big-time-with-stop-in-halifax|publisher=The Chronicle Herald|title=TAYLOR: Long road to big time with stop in Halifax}}</ref> Building and acquiring several music distribution ventures over ten years, including CDPlus.com and Records on Wheels,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/careers/careers-leadership/how-the-head-of-eone-claimed-tinseltown-without-going-all-hollywood/article23136719/|newspaper=The Globe and Mail|title=How the CEO of Canada's eOne built a global entertainment giant|date=20 February 2015 |last1=Houpt |first1=Simon }}</ref> Throop became CEO of ROW Entertainment (ROW) in 2001.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://cmw.net/awards/music-broadcast-industry-awards/events/darren-throop-2015-canadian-music-industry-hall-of-fame-inductee/|publisher=Canadian Music and Broadcast Industry Awards|title=Darren Throop 2015 Canadian Music Industry Hall of Fame Inductee}}</ref> Throop diversified its operations through a series of acquisitions, including overseeing the purchase of Video One Canada, Canada's largest home entertainment company.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://cmw.net/awards/music-broadcast-industry-awards/events/darren-throop-2015-canadian-music-industry-hall-of-fame-inductee/|publisher=Canadian Music and Broadcast Industry Awards|title=Darren Throop 2015 Canadian Music Industry Hall of Fame Inductee}}</ref> As CEO of ROW, Throop took the company public in 2003<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/imax-announces-election-of-darren-throop-to-board-of-directors-300092045.html|publisher=PR Newswire|title=IMAX® Announces Election Of Darren Throop To Board Of Directors}}</ref> and then orchestrated the acquisition of Koch Records,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://cmw.net/awards/music-broadcast-industry-awards/events/darren-throop-2015-canadian-music-industry-hall-of-fame-inductee/|publisher=Canadian Music and Broadcast Industry Awards|title=Darren Throop 2015 Canadian Music Industry Hall of Fame Inductee}}</ref> North America's largest independent music label and subsequently changed the company name to Entertainment One.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/imax-announces-election-of-darren-throop-to-board-of-directors-300092045.html|publisher=PR Newswire|title=IMAX® Announces Election Of Darren Throop To Board Of Directors}}</ref> With the company's comprehensive U.S. Canadian distribution network, Throop began aggressively acquiring the rights for specialty content.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/imax-announces-election-of-darren-throop-to-board-of-directors-300092045.html |publisher=PR Newswire|title=IMAX® Announces Election Of Darren Throop To Board Of Directors}}</ref> In 2007, to fund expansion into independent feature film distribution and rights ownership, Throop orchestrated the movement of Entertainment One to London's Alternative Investment Market in a $200 million IPO.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://themusicexpress.ca/darren-throop-quality-is-entertainment-ones-stake-in-the-ground/ |publisher=Music Express|title=Darren Throop: Quality Is Entertainment One's Stake in The Ground}}</ref> Shortly after the listing, Throop began acquiring leading content producers and distributors around the globe. Stepping up to the main market of the London Stock Exchange in 2010, Entertainment One was confirmed as a FTSE 250 entrant in the FTSE UK Index Series in 2013.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=118725&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=2055315#top |publisher=Nasdaq|title=IMAX® Announces Election Of Darren Throop To Board Of Directors}}</ref> In 2019, he sold the company to American toy manufacturer Hasbro for nearly $4 billion and he remains the CEO to date.{{citation needed|date=December 2021}}
On August 22, 2022, it was announced that Throop would be stepping down as CEO at the end of the year.
On April 20, 2023, Hasbro entered talks to sell eOne back to its founder Darren Throop.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-04-20/hasbro-is-in-talks-to-sell-yellowjackets-studio-to-its-founder|title=Hasbro Is in Talks to Sell ‘Yellowjackets’ Studio to Its Founder|first1=Lucas|last1=Shaw|first2=Thomas|last2=Buckley|website=Bloomberg|date=April 20, 2023|access-date=June 19, 2023}}</ref> However, eOne would instead be sold to Lionsgate and be renamed Lionsgate Canada.
== References == {{reflist|2}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Throop, Darren}} Category:1964 births Category:Living people Category:Canadian businesspeople in the entertainment industry Category:Members of the Order of Canada Category:Lionsgate people