On Demand Weekly

Movies On Demand® On Cable Success Bolsters Outlook for Major Studios, Cable Co.’s
Industry Launches Marketing Campaign Sequel Asking Consumers to “Push It”



In the wake of dramatic shifts in the movie rental business, 12 of the top U.S. cable companies and 10 major movie studios are demonstrating their commitment to cooperatively driving growth in Movies On Demand® on cable. After successfully stimulating use of the service in 2010 with the first collaboration of its kind in the entertainment industry, this year the collective is investing $10 million in a new, national integrated marketing campaign.

The year-long 2011 campaign features latest hit movie titles, many of which are available on Movies On Demand on cable the same day as DVD and 28 days before most other rental options, thus offering consumers the simplest and best way to rent movies. The ads employ an up-tempo message asking consumers to “Push It”— evoked by the Grammy® award-winning song by rap group Salt-N-Pepa and referring to the digital cable remote button customers use to access On Demand service.

On Demand Weekly asked two industry executives about the potential of VOD as an ongoing media alternative for consumers and how the “Push It” campaign endeavors to help accomplish this.

“The goal of the campaign is to make Movies On Demand top of mind with consumers when the remote control is in their hands,” said Aubrey Freeborn, SVP Marketing and Product Management Worldwide Video On Demand and Electronic Sell-Through Twentieth Century Fox. “Last year’s campaign built awareness of the Movies On Demand brand. This year’s “Push It” campaign demonstrates that the hottest new releases are a click away.”

“Today’s consumer is looking for more and more content that can be enjoyed in the comfort of their homes. They want product when they want and at a price that is affordable,” said Joe Rooney, senior vice president, branding, advertising and social media, Cox Communications and co-chair of the Movies on Demand initiative. “The cable company and studio consortium is positioned to best serve this consumer, providing them with a long list of hit titles that they can easily access via the On Demand service they already have in their homes.“

For more on the campaign, continue reading CTAM's press release...

“An increasing number of consumers are interested in renting movies at home on demand on cable, said Michele Edelman, vice president, worldwide marketing, programming and acquisitions, Warner Bros. Digital Distribution and Movies On Demand initiative co-chair. “So we plan to be there with the hottest titles at the earliest opportunity. We’re excited to communicate about it in such a unique way.”

There have been major changes in the availability of new movies to the cable set-top box, which used to be 30 days or longer after the DVD release. National VOD distributor iN DEMAND reports a significant increase over the past four years in the number and percentage of movie titles premiering on cable’s MOD platform day-and-date with DVD. In 2010 alone, there were 132 films released day-and date, more than double the number in 2009.*

According to Rentrak 2010 set-top box data, paid video on demand (VOD) transactions grew 11 percent to 116 million, with revenue up 15 percent in the first half of 2010 versus the same period in 2009. Directly attributable to the 2010 campaign, Rentrak reported a 36 percent increase in average monthly revenue among light users, an 18 percent increase among new purchasers to the category, and sustained elevated usage rates among both groups following the campaign. Lastly, in a post-campaign survey conducted by Frank N. Magid Associates, 81 percent of respondents reported enjoying the convenience of Movies On Demand and nearly two-thirds said it was a good value for the money.

“Cable companies and movie studios have demonstrated we can provide customers with a product they want, when they want it and at a price they can afford,” said Joe Rooney, senior vice president, branding, advertising and social media, Cox Communications and co-chair of the Movies on Demand initiative. “The current movie rental climate is a pivotal time for us to join together and promote a long list of hit titles to avid movie fans and frequent On Demand viewers, along with light users and customers who are still unaware of the service.“

With 60 titles featured in the ads throughout the year, the opening slate includes: “The Dilemma” starring Academy Award® winner Jennifer Connelly and Golden Globe® winner Wynona Ryder; “The Green Hornet” starring Seth Rogen and the four-time Golden Globe-nominated Cameron Diaz; “Gulliver’s Travels” starring Jack Black and “No Strings Attached” starring Ashton Kutcher and Academy Award winner Natalie Portman.

“We have seen significant growth in VOD transactions especially with day and date releases like ‘Black Swan’ which is currently one of the top VOD titles in the country,” said Jamie McCabe, executive vice president, worldwide pay per view, video on demand, and electronic sell-through, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment. “Fox’s continued participation in the Movies On Demand campaign reflects our commitment to growing the VOD category with our cable distributers and raising consumer awareness of the benefits of VOD.”

The cable companies in the initiative include Atlantic Broadband, Armstrong, BendBroadband, Bright House Networks, Charter, Comcast, Cox, Insight, iO TV, Mediacom, Suddenlink and Time Warner Cable. The studios include 20th Century Fox, Image Entertainment, Lionsgate, NBC Universal, Paramount, Relativity, Sony/Columbia, Summit Entertainment, The Walt Disney Studios and Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc.

The Facebook fan page is www.facebook.com/moviesondemand.

You May Also Like...

On Demand Weekly provides new movie reviews of hot movies on demand and from the POV of watching from the comfort of your home. Today’s review: COMIC-CON EPISODE FOUR: A FAN’S HOPE (Gravitas) .

COMIC-CON EPISODE FOUR: A FAN’S HOPE

By Chris Claro

It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s a new doc from stuntumentarian Morgan Spurlock. After taking on fast food in SUPERSIZE ME, terrorism in WHERE IN THE WORLD IS OSAMA BIN LADEN, and the business of product placement in POM WONDERFUL PRESENTS THE GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD, Spurlock’s new film faces the final frontier, the San Diego Comic-Con. With his cameras floating amidst over 130,000 fanboys, geeks, and sci-fi mavens, Spurlock tells the buoyantly enjoyable story of the people who make an annual pilgrimage to the shrine devoted to all things comic, sci-fi, and fantasy-related.

And one of the best things to say about the film: Spurlock isn’t in it.

Don’t get me wrong, I think Spurlock has made some of the most entertaining docs of the last ten years, but as it with Michael Moore’s oeuvre, Spurlock’s subject matter is often secondary to the carnival barking of its filmmaker. No matter what he is tackling, Spurlock undercuts his subject by making himself the center of attention and often comes off as tiresomely indulgent. No such problem plagues COMIC-CON EPISODE FOUR: A FAN’S HOPE and the film is better for it. Just as Spike Lee showed his faculty for a genre piece with INSIDE MAN, Spurlock proves that by remaining behind the camera, he can tell a fuller, more character-centric story.

Actually, Spurlock tells multiple stories, spotlighting a cross-section of Con attendees who represent a variety of races, ages, and genders. His through-lines are diverse and compelling, focusing on two aspiring comic artists, a costume fabricator who creates replicas of videogame characters, a Denver-based comics dealer seeking a big sale, and even a self-proclaimed “geek couple” for whom the Con will be a life-changing event.

Heartfelt, goofy, and never condescending, COMIC-CON EPISODE FOUR: A FAN’S HOPE is a buoyant look at an event where, no matter what your denomination, Trek or Galactica, you’re welcome. Spurlock highlights that camaraderie that permeates the event, which is populated by a huge cross section of ages and races. Throughout the film, Spurlock offers Joss Whedon, Kevin Smith, Stan Lee, and others to wax rhapsodic about the annual gathering as “a big reward for being passionate about something that doesn’t exist.”

On Demand Weekly helps you browse through the New Movies On Demand (MOD) this month with our May preview!

The Movies On Demand MOD May Preview of The Indies has arrived. Indies premiering in May feature some notable performances, award nominees and winners and well-known actors in unique roles. For instance, cable viewers can find W.E., directed by Madonna, which won best original song at this year’s Golden Globes; #REGENERATION, the documentary following the Occupy Wall Street movement, narrated by Ryan Gosling, which premieres the same day as theaters; BEL AMI, featuring Robert Pattinson Twilight seducing Uma Thurman, Christina Ricci, and Kristen Scott Thomas’ characters. Also notable is RAMPART, from the director of THE MESSENGER, featuring a dynamic performance from Woody Harrelson and strong supporting cast as well Ben Foster, Cynthia Nixon, Anne Heche, Steve Buscemi, Sigourney Weaver, Robin Wright, Ice Cube, Brie Larson, Ned Beatty; ALBERT NOBBS, with Oscar-nominated performances from Glenn Close and Janet McTeer as Irish women living and working as men in late 19th-century Ireland; WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN, featuring a powerhouse performance from TIlda Swinton; TAKE THIS WALTZ with Michelle Williams and Seth Rogen; and Coriolanus critic’s pick 95% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes which is the directorial debut of Ralph Fiennes

Almost every indie new release listed comes to Movies On Demand either before or the same day as DVD.

Enjoy On Demanding this month!


Indie Titles:
ALL IN: THE POKER MOVIE – Premieres May 1
TV-14, Documentary

Same day as DVD


W.E. – Premieres May 1
R, Drama
Andrea Riseborough, James D'Arcy

Same day as DVD


#REGENERATION – Premieres May 3
TV-14, Documentary
Narration: Ryan Gosling

Same day as theatrical release


BEL AMI- Premieres May 4
R, Drama
Robert Pattinson, Uma Thurman

Before theatrical release


ALBERT NOBBS – Premieres May 15
R, Drama,
Glenn Close, Mia Wasikowska

Same day as DVD


RAMPART – Premieres May 15
R, Drama
Woody Harrelson, Ben Foster

Same day as DVD