Rovi, stirring over-the-top TV and movie content into its lineup,
announced it has reached an agreement to buy digital-video playback and
distribution company Sonic Solutions for $720 million in stock and cash.
Sonic's RoxioNow provides more than 10,000 movies and TV programs,
which are accessible through broadband-connected consumer electronics
devices such as digital TVs, Blu-ray Disc players and mobile phones. The
company's DivX video-player software is distributed in over 350 million
CE devices, and the software has been downloaded more than 100 million
times per year and 500 million times to date.
With the deal, Rovi will mix Sonic's video playback and distribution
offerings with its own guide software and metadata services -- which
will create a more holistic entertainment solution as well as expand
Rovi's advertising opportunity, the company said.
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