In a move to compete with Amazon.com, Blockbuster on Wednesday announced a strategic alliance with Sonic Solutions to deliver a library of premium digital content across a variety of home-based and mobile electronic devices.
Blockbuster will rely on its brand name to attract consumers while Sonic works behind the scenes to serve the content. By joining forces, the companies expect to have one of the largest video-on-demand and electronic sell-through offerings on the market.
Jim Keyes, Blockbuster chairman and CEO, said one of the goals of the alliance is to make movies instantly available to consumers through a wide range of devices.
To that end, the companies are collaborating with consumer electronic manufacturers, including Sonic’s existing CinemaNow providers, to make available a broader range of devices that work with Blockbuster’s service. Specifically, Blockbuster plans to deliver movies to PCs, portable media players, Blu-ray Disc players, personal video recorders, set-top boxes, mobile phones, and Web-connected television sets.
Aggressive Moves
“Blockbuster is a ubiquitous entertainment presence in the physical world. Through this alliance with Sonic, we plan to become a ubiquitous presence in the digital world as well,” Keyes said. “Our goal is to offer consumers the most digital content, the most accessibility, via the most devices, both in and out of home.”
Sonic’s device ecosystem is powered by its new CinemaNow SDK (software development kit). Blockbuster said the SDK will help streamline the introduction of its digital entertainment service for both Mac and Windows consumer electronics through streaming and downloads. The devices will be sold through Blockbuster retail stores, blockbuster.com and other leading retailers.
“With more and more broadband-enabled consumer electronics hitting the market, there is a growing need for a service that gives consumers access to premium entertainment on any device, anytime and anywhere,” said Dave Habiger, president and CEO of Sonic Solutions. “By…