Sears Holdings, which owns both Sears and Kmart, has a deal with Sonic Solutions to sell downloads of movies and television programs to customers who purchase various Internet-connected consumer electronics devices.
As part of the multi-year agreement with Sonic Solutions, Sears has licensed the RoxioNow platform, which will power digital entertainment delivery services for both Sears and Kmart. The new services are expected to launch later this year and be broadly promoted at retail stores nationwide.
“Teaming up with Sonic is a great opportunity for Sears and Kmart to quickly establish a position in digital video entertainment, and offer another great service to our customers. With direct access to so many movies and TV shows from a broad range of devices, our customers will have the ability to obtain the latest high-quality entertainment virtually anywhere, anytime,” said Karen Austin, President of Home Electronics for Sears Holdings.
The entertainment services will offer a complete range of regularly updated movies and TV shows for rent or purchase, including new releases often on the same day DVDs become available at retail stores. Sonic and Sears will team to embed the services on a growing network of devices including portable media players, Blu-ray Disc players, mobile phones, and high-definition television sets from leading manufacturers.
“Our relationship with Sears is not only another example of how our RoxioNow platform can enable a broad range of companies to cost-effectively launch entertainment services, but also a clear indication that digital movie delivery has become mainstream,” said Dave Habiger, President and CEO, Sonic Solutions. “Consumers not only want the convenience and instant gratification digital services provide, they also want greater flexibility and control over where and when they choose to enjoy the entertainment they own. This is exactly what we are delivering through the ever-expanding ecosystem of devices and storefronts we power.”
According to Sonic Solutions, the RoxioNow platform serves a broad range of premium content, including new movies and next-day TV programs, to a growing, multi-manufacturer ecosystem of home and mobile electronics including PCs, connected TVs, set-top DVRs, Blu-ray Disc players, smartphones, and mobile media devices.
