MUMBAI: Marking a major milestone for the digital distribution of movies, the US-based broadband video-on-demand (VOD) service provider Movielink has signed a distribution agreement with 20th Century Fox.
This landmark deal underscores industry-wide recognition of Movielink as a leader and the arrival of broadband as a viable distribution channel for movies.
"Our deal with Fox marks a very significant step forward for Movielink and the movie industry," Movielink CEO Jim Ramo said. "Broadband VOD is proving to be a viable distribution platform for delivering premium content, and we are pleased that Fox supports our vision of bringing consumers a wide selection of movies on demand."
With the addition of Fox's films, Movielink is the first broadband VOD service to offer titles from all major studios, including Walt Disney Studios, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Universal Studios and Warner Bros. Studios, states an official release.
"Fox is constantly looking for legitimate digital distribution outlets that extend the entertainment experience in ways which offer greater choice and flexibility to the consumer. We are excited about the opportunity to work with Movielink and its growing customer base of broadband households," Fox's president of Worldwide Pay Television and Digital Media Peter Levinsohn said.
Movielink will add Fox titles to its library of more than 1,200 movies. The first Fox titles to be available on Movielink include the CG-animated movie Robots and the horror film Hide And Seek. Other titles to be offered on Movielink over the next several months include Kingdom of Heaven, Millions, Melinda and Melinda, Fantastic Four, Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Roll Bounce, Rebound and Transporter 2.
Movielink is available to U.S. Internet users with broadband connections. Consumers can easily browse Movielink's user-friendly site and view trailers of available titles without charge. Once customers are ready to rent a title, they register with Movielink and pay for their rental via credit card. Movielink's Movies in Minutes feature lets customers begin watching titles within 2-10 minutes, or store them for up to 30 days and experience unlimited viewing for any 24-hour period. Customers can also use Movielink's MultiPlay (TM) feature to re-rent titles for additional 24-hour viewing periods for up to 30 days after the initial rental, the release adds.
