MUMBAI: Starz Entertainment has acquired multi-year broadband distribution rights for more than 100 feature films from Screen Media Ventures (SMV). The agreement provides new Vongo subscription movies for members of the unlimited download service.
The deal enables 24-hour PPV rental availability for the films during wide license periods. Select movies will also be available for Electronic Sell-Through (EST) purchase when Vongo adds that functionality in the future.
Among the noteworthy titles include the cult horror film Piranha directed by Joe Dante; Mojave Moon, a comedy starring Angelina Jolie, Danny Aiello and Anne Archer; Rice’s Secret, a fantasy starring David Bowie; Men Seeking Women, a comedy starring Will Ferrell; Johnny Skidmarks, a mystery starring Jack Black, John Lithgow and Frances McDormand; The Climb, a drama starring David Strathairn and John Hurt; Creator, a romantic comedy starring Peter O’Toole, Mariel Hemingway and Virginia Madsen and Blue Desert, a thriller starring Courtney Cox-Arquette.
“These SMV films are sure to find a new audience on Vongo. The Vongo experience encourages experimentation and sampling of movie content of all kinds thanks to its unlimited subscription model. The Screen Media Ventures titles licensed grow our already impressive subscription lineup. In addition, we are delighted to make many of these titles available on a rental basis and as part of our EST digital download option in the future,” said Starz Entertainment vice president of program acquisitions Nancy Silverstone.
Vongo subscribers have unlimited access to more than 1,000 movies and 2,500 total video selections as well as a live, streaming Starz TV channel for a monthly cost of $9.99. Select popular pay-per-view titles are also available for individual rental. In addition to Windows-based PCs, laptops and portable devices, Vongo subscribers can also stream their Vongo content onto a TV from the PC for optimal viewing with Windows Media Center Extenders, such as Xbox 360, or navigate Vongo and play their movies on the TV with a remote control and Windows Vista with Windows Media Center.
As one of the largest content aggregators in Hollywood, Starz Entertainment has access to thousands of theatrical films that it makes available on the Starz services and Vongo including The Pursuit of Happyness, Ghost Rider, Gridiron Gang, Scary Movie 4, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, The Da Vinci Code, Invincible, Disney and Pixar’s Cars, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, and The Illusionist.
Starz Entertainment is the exclusive subscription television and broadband provider of first-run films from leading Hollywood studios including Walt Disney Pictures, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Overture Films, Revolution Studios, Miramax Films, Touchstone Pictures, Hollywood Pictures, Pixar, TriStar, Screen Gems, Sony Classics and Warren Miller Films. Select first-run theatrical films from The Weinstein company, IFC and Yari Film Group are also available for subscription television and broadband exclusively on Starz Entertainment services. A vast collection of classic and favorite titles are provided by a wide array of other Hollywood studios.
