Studios partner for Movies Anywhere
October 12, 2017
By Colin Mann
In a move that links the existing UltraViolet digital content ownership system with Disney’s Movies Anywhere cloud-based digital movie service, five Hollywood studios and four major digital retailers are teaming up for a fresh digital movies initiative.
Featuring films from Sony Pictures Entertainment, The Walt Disney Studios (encompassing Disney, Pixar, Marvel Studios and Lucasfilm), Twentieth Century Fox Film, Universal Pictures and Warner Bros. Entertainment purchased or redeemed through digital retailers Amazon Video, Google Play, iTunes and Vudu, Movies Anywhere aims to bring the movies people love together to create a simple, seamless digital entertainment experience across platforms.
Using the free Movies Anywhere app and website, consumers can access all their eligible movies by connecting their Movies Anywhere account with their participating digital retailer accounts. Movies Anywhere syncs users’ libraries across their connected accounts, so consumers can watch their purchased and redeemed digital movies on an array of platforms including Amazon Fire devices; Android devices and Android TV; Apple TV; Chromecast; iPhone, iPad and iPod touch; Roku devices and popular browsers, with more platforms and retailers to come.
Ultraviolet, the previous multi-studio digital locker, never really took off with consumers because it’s missing a couple of key ingredients: interlinking with the big digital retailers like Amazon, Google and iTunes — and, well, Disney movies.
Disney never licensed its content for UltraViolet which never really took off with consumers, because it lacked a couple of key factors: linking with major digital retailers such as Amazon, Google and iTunes — and Disney movies.
“Movies Anywhere is a massive step forward for the consumer digital media experience, bringing the incredible film libraries of five studios together in a virtual one-stop movie-watching shop,” said Karin Gilford, General Manager, Movies Anywhere, who leads an independent, dedicated cross-functional team of product, technology, marketing and other professionals. “Movies Anywhere means that consumers never have to remember where they purchased a film or which device they can watch it on, because all of their eligible movies will be centralised within their Movies Anywhere library and available across platforms through the Movie Anywhere app and website and also available at their connected digital retailers. And as Movies Anywhere continues to add more studios, retailers and platforms, the entertainment possibilities are endless.”
Movies Anywhere initially features access to a library of over 7,300 digital movies, along with fresh previews and film extras from the studios responsible for such 2017 global blockbusters as Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Warner Bros.’ Wonder Woman, Sony Pictures’ Spider-Man: Homecoming, Universal’s The Fate of the Furious and Twentieth Century Fox’s War for the Planet of the Apes.
To mark the launch, Movies Anywhere is welcoming new users with a limited-time offer to receive up to five digital movies. Users activating and connect their account with one of the participating digital retailers – Amazon Video, Google Play, iTunes or Vudu — will receive a digital copy of both Sony Pictures’ Ghostbusters (2016) and Twentieth Century Fox’s Ice Age. Connecting with a second participating digital retailer and Disney’s Big Hero 6, Universal’s Jason Bourne and Warner Bros.’ The LEGO Movie will be added to their digital movie collection.