United International Pictures (or UIP) is a joint venture of Paramount Pictures (owned by Viacom) and Universal Studios (owned by NBCUniversal/Comcast), to distribute some of the two studios' films theatrically outside the United States and Canada. UIP also had international theatrical distribution rights to films by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (which included Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and United Artists) when MGM was part of the venture. In 2001, as MGM left UIP, they made a distribution deal with 20th Century Fox's overseas arm, an agreement that continues to this day.