Warner Bros. decided to play hardball with Netflix, Blockbuster, and Redbox by demanding they each wait 56 days after a title is released before making it available for rent, which is twice is long as the 28-day waiting period film studios typically impose. While Netflix and Blockbuster begrudgingly accepted WB's terms, Redbox decided it can do better on its own and decided not to renew its contract, which expired on January 31, 2012.
Earlier this month Warner Bros. decided to test the social networking waters by making "The Dark Knight" available as a rental on Facebook. At the time, Warner Bros. described Facebook as "a natural extension" of its digital distribution efforts, and the idea was to see if people would be willing to rent and watch movies via the world's most popular social networking site. That initial launch must have been a success, because as of this morning, Warner Bros. added five more films to Facebook.
In a bid to stay relevant and avoid the same ultimate fate as MySpace, Facebook will try its hand at renting and selling Warner Bros. flicks through public pages of WB movies. The trial kicks off on Tuesday with Batman: The Dark Knight. Facebook users will have the option of forking over 30 Facebook credits ($3) to watch the movie through a Facebook application.
-
Technology
Entertainment
-
Music
-
Creative
Sport & Auto
- About Future
- Jobs
- News
- Advertising
- Digital Future
- Privacy Policy
- Cookies Policy
- Terms & Conditions
- Shop
- Investor Relations
- Contact Future
© Future US, Inc. 4000 Shoreline Court, Suite 400, South San Francisco, California, 94080. All Rights Reserved.