MUMBAI: US cable giant Comcast has acquired movie information, showtimes, ticketing and entertainment website Fandango.
Comcast also announced plans to launch Fancast.com, a new online destination that will enable consumers to search, discover, manage and enjoy their entertainment experience across many devices and channels, including television, computers, DVDs and wireless services.
Comcast has a major Internet presence, through Comcast.net and will leverage its experience as the nation’s largest buyer of video content, serving nearly 25 million cable customers and 11.5 million broadband customers, to expand its existing video-centric websites and create a new online destination.
Fandango will be an integral component of the Fancast user experience. Fandango.com has between four – five million unique visitors each month. Fandango has long-term, exclusive relationships with many national theater chains. Working closely with these exhibitor partners, Fandango will continue to pursue its core mission of being the leading online destination for movie theater information, showtimes and ticketing at Fandango.com.
With Fancast, which will launch this summer, consumers will be able to search for their favorite shows, movies, actors and actresses, or enjoy the video content on the site.
Both Fandango and Fancast will be managed by Comcast Interactive Media (CIM), a division of Comcast which develops and operates Internet businesses focused on entertainment, information and communication. Fandango will provide key commerce capabilities for CIM sites and will be an additional source of traffic and revenue. CIM sites, including Comcast.net and Fancast.com, will prominently feature Fandango, which will significantly expand Fandango’s current audience.
Fandango will continue to be led by CEO Chuck Davis who will work with Comcast Interactive Media to grow Fandango’s online entertainment and ticketing business and expand the Fandango e-commerce experience across platforms and brands. Fandango will remain headquartered in Los Angeles.
The deal is expected to close in the second quarter.
