Vivid was founded in 1984 by Steven Hirsch, a creative visionary who saw the potential for a company to grow beyond the confines of the adult entertainment industry, and David James, an industry veteran with extensive international experience.

They were later joined by a third co-chairman, Bill Asher, a Dartmouth College graduate with an MBA from USC, who has engineered the company's recent financial success through a series of dramatic transactions and alliances. The three are co-chairmen of the company.

Vivid places heavy emphasis on exceptional erotic film entertainment through the release of more than 60 high quality films each year.Vivid products are distributed on videotape and DVD, on pay-per-view and video-on-demand cable and satellite television, over the Internet, , via wireless programs in 20 countries, and around the world through a network of partners and affiliates.

Vivid pioneered the "Vivid Girl" concept, through which top adult film stars such as Jenna Jameson, Tera Patrick, Briana Banks and Savanna Samson are signed to exclusive agreements that are styled on the old Hollywood contract star system.

Vivid creates additional brand-name awareness with strong marketing and licensing programs that extend to advertising, apparel, book publishing, supplements, condoms, snowboards, calendars, comic books, and a variety of other ventures.