Star Trek corporate history

With corporate mergers, acquisitions, and splits, the Star Trek franchise has had several different owners in its history.


 * Desilu (1964 – 1967)
 * The studio produced the two Trek pilots and  in  and  respectively, and began to produce Star Trek: The Original Series in.


 * Paramount Television, Gulf+Western (1967 – 1989)
 * Gulf and Western Industries, more commonly known as Gulf+Western, acquired Desilu in and named it Paramount Television. Gulf+Western had acquired Paramount Pictures in 1966. The original series shared a joint Paramount Television - Desilu copyright in the latter half of the second season, and went under the Paramount Television logo and copyright in the third season. Paramount Pictures began producing and distributing Trek films in . Paramount Television began producing Star Trek: The Next Generation in.


 * Paramount Television, Paramount Communications (1989 – 1994)
 * Gulf+Western reorganized in, sold off most of its non-communications holdings, and renamed itself Paramount Communications. It continued to hold Paramount Television, which continued to produce TNG and began producing Star Trek: Deep Space Nine in , and Paramount Pictures, which continued to produce Star Trek films.


 * Paramount Television, Paramount Communications, Viacom (1994 – 2005)
 * Paramount Communications was purchased by the old Viacom in . During Viacom's ownership, Star Trek: Voyager and Star Trek: Enterprise were produced. Paramount Pictures continued to produce Trek movies.


 * TV - CBS Television Distribution, CBS Paramount Network Television/CBS Television Studios, CBS Corporation (2005 – present)
 * Viacom had purchased the CBS Corporation in . They split in . The old Viacom then became the CBS Corporation. Its holding Paramount Television became CBS Paramount Network Television. CBS Television Distribution formed soon after and took over distribution of past Star Trek shows. In 2009, CBS Paramount Network Television became CBS Television Studios; CBS Television Studios has production rights for new Trek series, though it has not (yet) produced any under that name.


 * Movies, DVDs - Paramount Pictures, Viacom (new) (2005 – present)
 * In the 2005 Viacom/CBS split, the old Viacom became the CBS Corporation and a new Viacom was created. This new company owns Paramount Pictures which owns the Trek films. Paramount Pictures produced and  under license from CBS Television Studios. Paramount continues to also distribute DVDs of the TV series on behalf of CBS.