MUMBAI: Eros Entertainment has inked a distribution deal with TitleMatch Entertainment Group, a subsidiary of Protocall Technologies Incorporated. The agreement will make a wide range of Eros new release and catalog movies available through the TitleMatch DVD On-demand service.

“TitleMatch offers an intelligent way for us to quickly expand our market presence in the retail channel. The TitleMatch service is unique in its ability to eliminate inventory manufacturing and shipping costs, which can be quite significant,” said Eros US operations CEO Ken Naz.

Today’s announcement follows a recent deal with Internet retailer Overstock.com and the January unveiling of a first of its kind DVD On-Demand system that uses the Content Scramble System (CSS) encryption, which has been deemed essential by most major Hollywood studios for on-demand production of premium entertainment.

“Eros commands a significant presence in the international movie industry and their movies represent an enormous revenue opportunity for TitleMatch and our retail partners. Bollywood movies in particular are growing in popularity here in the US and our DVD on-demand service is the perfect way to bring more of these and other popular movies to market. Our shareholders and customers should look forward to more exciting announcements as momentum for our service continues to grow with Hollywood studios and retailers,” said TitleMatch Entertainment president Syd Dufton.

The TitleMatch DVD On-demand system lets movie studios and retailers burn video content directly in stores and at website distribution centers at the time orders are placed. For online orders, consumers browse and select available titles from an etailer’s website with orders produced at product distribution centers or store locations by using the system’s TitleMatch Factory.

At retail stores, consumers can browse and select available products from multi-media touch-screen display terminals located on the sales floor. Orders are produced behind the counter on the TitleMatch Factory by store personnel in minutes.

Sales of Hindi films in the US represent a $1.5 billion yearly market that is expected to grow by 16 per cent annually over the next five years – bringing US sales to over $3 billion. The category does more business in the US than films from any other country, according to the Internet Movie Database, an organization that tracks box office sales in several countries.