Buena Vista, Blue Ridge Reach VOD Deal
The Walt Disney Co.-owned Buena Vista Pay Television Inc. Thursday said it will offer its new and classic films from the Disney movie library to Blue Ridge Communications on a video-on-demand basis.
As part of the agreement, Blue Ridge beginning in June will offer titles from Disney and its affiliated companies, including Walt Disney Pictures, Miramax Films, Touchstone Pictures, Hollywood Pictures and Dimension Films.
Titles offered as part of the package include Spy Kids, Kill Bill Vol. 1, Brother Bear, Haunted Mansion, Calendar Girls, Cold Creek, Open Range, Under the Tuscan Sun and Scary Movie 3.
The VOD deal is rare for Buena Vista, the only major studio not to reach a long-term carriage deal with VOD purveyors such as In Demand and TVN Entertainment Corp. The studio does have VOD agreements with Time Warner Cable and Cablevision Systems Corp. for selected systems.
“The Walt Disney Co. is committed to using digital technologies, such as video-on-demand, to provide our audience with a more convenient and satisfying viewing experience,” Buena Vista Pay Television senior vice president and general manager Dan Cohen said in a prepared statement.
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R. Thomas Umstead serves as senior content producer, programming for Multichannel News, Broadcasting + Cable and Next TV. During his more than 30-year career as a print and online journalist, Umstead has written articles on a variety of subjects ranging from TV technology, marketing and sports production to content distribution and development. He has provided expert commentary on television issues and trends for such TV, print, radio and streaming outlets as Fox News, CNBC, the Today show, USA Today, The New York Times and National Public Radio. Umstead has also filmed, produced and edited more than 100 original video interviews, profiles and news reports featuring key cable television executives as well as entertainers and celebrity personalities.