In 1990, Andrew Solt founded SOFA Entertainment Inc. and acquired The Ed Sullivan Show from the Sullivan family. In 2020, Josh Solt left Google to lead SOFA as CEO of the company. The Ed Sullivan Show is the most respected and revered variety show in television history. Originally called Toast of the Town, it is considered one of the most eclectic and storied archives in American television. 

For nearly a quarter century, many unforgettable moments took place on Sullivan’s stage, including the three historic appearances of Elvis Presley in 1956-57 and The Beatles’ U.S. television debut in February 1964. Additional artists include The Rolling Stones, Motown artists such as The Supremes, The Temptations and The Jackson 5. Every Sunday night at 8pm on CBS from 1948-1971, The Ed Sullivan Show showcased a wide variety of pop culture from the worlds of music, comedy, novelty and much more. The library of 1,000 hours includes over 10,000 performances.

The Sunday night showcase benefits from the fact that it was a live show — whether it was pop, rock, jazz, Broadway, opera or classical music. The library also includes great comedians, novelty acts, children’s favorites and appearances by film and theater stars, as well as top names from the worlds of sports and politics.

Ed Sullivan’s aim was to produce and host a show for the entire family. For 23 years Americans gathered every Sunday night at 8pm to enjoy the entertainment Ed had chosen for them. Sullivan’s down to earth style was relatable to audiences, and he became a much beloved TV personality. In fact, careers were made by comedians doing their best Ed impressions on the ‘really big show.” Over time, Ed became a key arbiter of American taste and popular culture, and introduced middle America to Broadway shows, opera and world music. 

SOFA Entertainment is the copyright holder of over 1,000 hours of original Ed Sullivan programs as well as over 150 hours of “new” programming created in the form of television specials, short-form clips, home-video releases, and programs for network and cable stations. 

New programming is constantly being created and distributed via Pluto TV, Freevee, YouTube, Spotify, Apple Music, Pandora, SiriusXM and many other platforms. Recently SOFA Entertainment entered into a deal with Universal Music to distribute the library globally.