Google has confirmed that it will be adding 3000 movies to its YouTube movie rental service.
It is unclear what films will be available but reports have stated that Sony Pictures, Universal Pictures and Warner Bros. have all signed up.
Says Salar Kamangar, Head of YouTube:
Today, we’re going to start adding around 3,000 new movie titles for rent available to users in the U.S. (more on this in a post later today) that will be accompanied by reviews and behind-the-scenes movie extras. Whether it’s short movie trailers, funny movie parodies or full-length blockbuster films, we encourage you to sit back and settle in to the YouTube movies experience.
In addition to expanding our movie offerings, we’re also bolstering our investment in the content that’s already being viewed by hundred of millions of people on YouTube. Our 20,000+ partners—folks like Machinima, Annoying Orange and Ryan Higa—are producing original content for the web and commanding TV-size audiences for their own brand of programming. Through YouTube Next, we’re helping fuel the creation of this type of content with initiatives like the YouTube Creator Institute and YouTube NextUp, following past initiatives like Partner Grants (which brought us Key of Awesome, creators of one of 2010’s most-watched videos) and $1,000 B&H Photo credits. In the coming year, we’ll bring even more content to YouTube. Building on the success of Partner Grants and YouTube NextUp, we’re providing even more resources to creators who you’ll know from TV or Hollywood, and to existing YouTube partners who have already built loyal audiences on the site. Look out for more details on this in the coming months.
Result for: sony pictures
Citing sources “familiar with the plans,” the LATimes is reporting that Sony Pictures Television is set to launch two new movie channels by the end of 2010.
The first channel, dubbed Sony Pictures Movies HD for now, would be the company’s first cable channel completely devoted to movies
Says television analyst Derek Baine: “They have been very successful internationally with their channels, but in the U.S. they have not had the leverage of the other media conglomerates, which have a bunch of different cable channels. Perhaps they are doing this because the market to sell movies to broadcast and cable networks has been so bad.”
The channel has a tentative launch date of October 1st.
Sony’s venture would be very similar to the popular Universal HD and MGM HD channels that are currently available to most cable subscribers.
The second channel would be the widely popular FearNet station, which is a joint venture between Comcast, Sony and Lionsgate. FearNet is currently available as a VOD channel through Comcast, FioS, and Cox and offers a plethora of horror films.
Result for: sony pictures
T-Mobile’s VOD+ movie service has now signed its latest partner, Warner Bros., which will make a plethora of films available to users with Android handsets.
Users can rent and download the movie and then watch it on the PC or on their mobile phones.
Saffron Digital, the video delivery platform behind VOD+ has deals with Nokia, Vodafone, LG, Sony Pictures, Paramount and Fox.
The first seven movies available for rental through the VOD+ service are Driving Aphrodite, Superman 2, Matrix Revolutions, Lethal Weapon, Interview With a Vampire, The Hangover, and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.
More films are expected over the course of the year.
“We anticipate the Desire being one of our most popular handsets of 2010, and the VOD+ service makes it even greater value for our customers – giving them even more functionality on top of an already impressive features list,” says Nicola Shenton, Head of Handset and Device Marketing at T-Mobile, via DT. “As the service is unique to T-Mobile, it will also be a key differentiator for us as we compete with other networks.”
