It looks like Fox's recent announcement to stream content over its O&O sites isn't an exclusive thing. AOL has unveiled partnerships with 20th Century Fox, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, Universal Pictures, and Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group that will offer consumers downloadable movies through the AOL Video portal (www.aolvideo.com). These new partnerships complement the 17 video content partnerships and more than 45 on-demand channels that AOL Video announced in July. Popular movie titles will be available for purchase and download with prices ranging from 9.99 to 19.99 per movie. As part of AOL Video's VOD channel line up, content from Fox Entertainment Group and Sony Pictures Home Entertainment will be accessible through the AOL Video portal's online interactive programming guide (IPG). Some of the features, such as classic TV shows, will be free and accompanied by commercials. Others, such as episodes of Fox's "24" and "Prison Break," will be available for download for a fee.
Content available in the coming months
* FOX - Featuring full-length episodes from current Fox television series including "24," "Prison Break," and "Bones."
* Fox Classic Television - Featuring full-length episodes from cult classic and award-winning series including "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," "Hill St. Blues," and many more.
* FX - Featuring the FX Network's original series "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia."
* Speed - Featuring the original series "Pinks" and "Unique Whips."
* Fuel TV- Featuring "Firsthand," which offers a glimpse into the lives of the best freestyle sports athletes from around the world.
* AXN - This action-packed channel features full-length episodes from retro classics including "Charlie's Angels," "Starsky & Hutch," and "SWAT."
* FunnyBone - Episodes from some of TV's treasured sitcoms like "Action."
RBR observation:
The competition is getting fierce. Yahoo, iTunes and AOL are making deals right and left in the online video distribution biz. Amazon is readying its own launch. Google recently struck a deal with MTV Networks for online content. The content providers gain revenue from these new placements, but may lose traditional television viewers. That's the fear with some, but we doubt it. Anyone discovering content they like online or wirelessly may be driven to an appointment on the couch to see it on a bigger screen. New media content offerings are in some ways just tiny ads for bigger programming slates. Creates word of mouth, etc. So no worries and the more the merrier.
