ndiantelevision.com Team

(16 August 2006 8:00 pm)

MUMBAI: Fox Interactive Media (FIM) and Twentieth Century Fox have inked a multi-year agreement to provide feature films and television shows on a download-to-own basis across the FIM network. Fox Interactive Media's network of properties will have access to Fox Entertainment Group's catalogue of content including hit feature films such as X-Men The Last Stand and The Omen as well as episodes of television series like 24, and Prison Break.

IGN Entertainment will be the first FIM property to offer a selection of on its Direct2Drive site (www.direct2drive.com) in October 2006 with additional FIM properties including MySpace.com to come.

"Our drive to deliver Twentieth Century Fox content via the most powerful online platforms is advanced substantially by this agreement. Offering Fox content in conjunction with FIM properties enables viewers to access the best movies and TV shows from multiple platforms in the Fox family,” said Fox Entertainment Group president digital media Peter Levinsohn.

Initially, FIM will offer films from Twentieth Century Fox including new releases, made-for-TV movies, direct-to-video releases and select content from the Twentieth Century Fox film library on IGN's Direct2Drive site. The site will also offer current television series from various Fox entities such as Twentieth Century Fox, Fox Broadcasting Company, Fuel TV, Speed, and FX with a selection of shows available within 24 hours of initial broadcast.

In an industry first, purchased movies and television shows will be immediately transferable to Windows Media compatible portable devices providing users with a convenient way to take the video content with them on the go.

"Today marks an important step as we continue to build a bridge between the worlds of user-generated and top-quality, professional content, further enhancing our range of consumer offerings across both free, ad-supported and paid download business models. With more than 75 million monthly users and one of the largest entertainment communities on the web, we are thrilled to begin offering our users exciting content from Fox," said FIM president Ross Levinsohn.

The agreement with Twentieth Century Fox will enable FIM, already a leader in downloadable games with Direct2Drive, to expand its offerings with premier TV and movie content. Direct2Drive will promote the new offering throughout the IGN Entertainment network, including IGN.com, Rotten Tomatoes; and Film Force, among other sites.

Direct2Drive's secure digital download service will enable users to transfer content to up to two PCs and one portable device per PC. Content will be available at approximately $19.99 for new feature film releases and $1.99 per TV series episode.