<P> In 1996 , Funimation Productions licensed Dragon Ball Z for an English - language release in North America . They contracted Saban Entertainment to help distribute the series to television , and Pioneer Entertainment to handle home video distribution . The Vancouver - based Ocean Studios were hired by Funimation to dub the anime ( Funimation had previously used the Ocean voice cast in their short - lived 1995 dub of Dragon Ball ) . Saban musicians Ron Wasserman and Jeremy Sweet , known for their work on the Power Rangers franchise , composed a new background score and theme song ( nicknamed `` Rock the Dragon '' ) . Funimation 's initial English dub of Dragon Ball Z had mandated cuts to content and length , which reduced the first 67 episodes into 53 . It premiered in the United States on September 13 , 1996 in first - run syndication , but halted production in 1998 after two seasons . This was due to Saban scaling down its syndication operations , in order to focus on producing original material for the Fox Kids block . Pioneer also ceased its home video release of the series at volume 17 ( the end of the dub ) and retained the rights to produce an uncut subtitled version , but did not do so . </P>
<P> In 1996 , Funimation Productions licensed Dragon Ball Z for an English - language release in North America . They contracted Saban Entertainment to help distribute the series to television , and Pioneer Entertainment to handle home video distribution . The Vancouver - based Ocean Studios were hired by Funimation to dub the anime ( Funimation had previously used the Ocean voice cast in their short - lived 1995 dub of Dragon Ball ) . Saban musicians Ron Wasserman and Jeremy Sweet , known for their work on the Power Rangers franchise , composed a new background score and theme song ( nicknamed `` Rock the Dragon '' ) . Funimation 's initial English dub of Dragon Ball Z had mandated cuts to content and length , which reduced the first 67 episodes into 53 . It premiered in the United States on September 13 , 1996 in first - run syndication , but halted production in 1998 after two seasons . This was due to Saban scaling down its syndication operations , in order to focus on producing original material for the Fox Kids block . Pioneer also ceased its home video release of the series at volume 17 ( the end of the dub ) and retained the rights to produce an uncut subtitled version , but did not do so . </P>
when did dragon ball z come out in america
when did dragon ball z come out in america
September 13 , 1996
September 13 , 1996