by CIO Staff

BT, Universal Ink VOD, Film Download Pact

News
Jul 26, 20062 mins
Internet

BT Group said on Wednesday that it inked a deal with NBC Universal Pictures to provide Universal on-demand movies and television shows for its upcoming BT Vision television offering, which is set to launch this fall, Reuters reports.

Universal will also provide television and film content for sale via BT’s Internet download service, including such popular big-screen hits as King Kong, featuring Naomi Watts and Jack Black, and Jarhead, with Jake Gyllenhaal, according to Reuters. BT already has similar download partnerships with LoveFilm, AOL and Wippit, Reuters reports.

BT Vision is expected to employ a Freeview TV receiver with video-on-demand capabilities and additional services, and it will challenge comparable services offered by BT rivals BSkyB and NTL, according to Reuters.

When Web surfers download content from the BT service, they’ll get two digital copies—one for PC use and the other for use with a portable player—as well as a DVD hard copy that will be mailed to them, Reuters reports.

Films will be available for download on the same day they hit retail stores, according to Reuters.

Just last week, CinemaNow became the first firm to offer legal downloads of films from major studios that can be burned onto DVDs.

Related Link:

  • Apple, Warner Bros. Team Up in iTunes Pact

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