au, It may have taken more than 12 months since the US have had the same ability with iTunes, but Warner Home Video has just announced that they will be offering movies to download through iTunes, BigPond, Foxtel Box Office and other digital download services on the same day and date that they are available on DVD. The first Warner movie to enjoy this freedom? The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.The film launches on June 3 on DVD, Blu-ray, iTunes, BigPond Movies, and Foxtel Box Office, and will be the first of many day and date releases for the studio.
It’s great to see that finally consumers are being given the option of watching movies legally when and how they want to. Of course, there’s almost certainly not going to be any pricing adjustment for the digital releases, which means it will probably still be cheaper to buy the DVD version, but it’s still a step in the right direction.
WARNER BROS. HOME ENTERTAINMENT GROUP AUSTRALIA TO OFFER CONTENT VIA VIDEO ON DEMAND SAME DAY AS BLU-RAY AND DVD
Critically acclaimed movie The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is to be the first ‘day and date’ title, released on 3rd June 2009.
SYDNEY AUSTRALIA 15th April 2009 – Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group Australia will make its content available via Video on Demand through FOXTEL Box Office Pay Per View, iTunes, Bigpond as well as the online presence of various rental chains on the same day the Blu-ray and DVD becomes available to buy and rent. The announcement of this move was made by Roger Clarke – Managing Director of Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group Australia.
“This is a significant step in the development and growth of our industry in Australia, providing an important new opportunity to increase the audience for our content. Working with our partners, FOXTEL, iTunes, Bigpond and various rental chains, this strategy means we are giving the consumer more options to experience their favourite content when, how and where they want to.” said Clarke.
Beginning with the much anticipated The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, set for release on 3rd June 2009, consumers will be able to access this film via the internet, PC or set-top box on TV. The launch of this initiative is supported by FOXTEL, iTunes, Bigpond and various rental chains.
Brian Walsh, FOXTEL’s Director of Television said, “This is a great win for FOXTEL subscribers and a major step forward for our Box Office Pay Per View service. More than ever, this decision reinforces the value of having FOXTEL in the home.”
“There are more than 5.1 million Australian consumers with broadband connections and a huge appetite for great content. Every day, more and more consumers are acquiring the habit of purchasing their movies digitally. By offering Video on Demand at the same time as the Blu-ray and DVD release, Warner Bros. is responding to the need for greater convenience and choice that reflects today’s changing lifestyles.”
“Additionally, by providing reliable, high quality, digital product to consumers in this way, we are offering a legitimate alternative to piracy.” added Clarke.