Which company did The Coca-Cola Company acquire in 1982 to enter the film industry?

The Coca-Cola Company acquired Columbia Pictures in 1982 to enter the film industry.

Coca-Cola purchased Columbia Pictures Industries in 1982, adding a major entertainment business to its beverage operations. The move reflected the company’s attempt to diversify beyond soft drinks and into media and entertainment.

During Coca-Cola’s ownership, Columbia released films through its existing studio operations and participated in the rapidly changing entertainment market of the 1980s. The strategy was unusual for a beverage company and eventually proved difficult to manage as the businesses had different financial and creative structures.

Coca-Cola later sold Columbia Pictures to Sony in 1989. The transaction is sometimes confused with Coca-Cola’s ownership of other entertainment properties, but Columbia Pictures was the specific film studio acquired in 1982.