Blockbuster, Motorola ink mobile movie deal
Films for the big screen are coming to a small screen near you, like in your pocket.
Schaumburg-based Motorola Inc. said Tuesday that it's partnering with Dallas-based Blockbuster Inc. to carry its premium movies on some new phones in the future.
Blockbuster's OnDemand service will offer a library of roughly 10,000 films and the latest releases as soon as they're available from the movie studios. It's part of Blockbuster's push to expand its presence of providing content to other media, Kevin Lewis, senior vice president of digital entertainment.
"What I've seen on airplanes is an increasing number of people watching movies on a variety of devices," said Lewis. "There are definitely consumers who are interested in it."
Consumers who buy a Motorola phone will have an application that will contain Blockbuster's library of favorites and new releases. You'll be able to scroll through what you want, view trailers and read ratings and other information. You can then press a button to select the film and immediately watch it.
Having content anywhere, anytime is part of Motorola's long-standing mantra of mobile communications. But Tuesday's announcement seemed to dredge up many unanswered questions. For instance, you'll have to wait to know exactly how much the downloads will cost, how you will be billed, what phones will feature the application, what service provider will deliver it and when.
"Today's release announces only our relationship with Blockbuster and our plan to deliver mobile movies on future Motorola phones. Specific service details and handsets have not yet been announced," said Motorola spokeswoman Kristine Mulford.
Motorola continues to reshape its company as well as its own financial future by gearing up for a much-awaited new line of phones, including those built on the Google Android platform, which could be one of the candidates for the OnDemand service.
While analysts are excited about the Android, they're confused about where this new Blockbuster OnDemand service fits in and whether it will appear on the Androids.
"The question is which device will do justice to watching a full-length movie on a small screen," said Jane Zweig, CEO of Columbia, Md.,-based The Shosteck Group, which analyzes the wireless industry. "It takes a lot of concentration to watch a movie on a screen that size. And then there are questions on how much memory and bandwidth the phone will have to accommodate it."