Best Buy, Sonic Solutions Team On CinemaNow Offering

By Greg Tarr -- TWICE, 11/3/2009

Minneapolis - Best Buy and Sonic Solutions, owner of online entertainment content resource Roxio CinemaNow, said Tuesday they have formed a partnership through which Best Buy will sell, market and promote Roxio CinemaNow video streaming services in packages with broadband services and various connected devices.

Still to be determined, said Ryan Pirozzi, Best Buy digital video director, is the exact brand name that Best Buy will use to market and promote the integrated product and services packages when the launch begins later this quarter.

A brand name announcement is expected shortly, but it is expected to include a "by Roxio CinemaNow" tagline in the name to reflect the movie service provider's changing role as a powered-by service rather than a free-standing Internet video service provider, said Mark Ely, Sonic Solutions strategy executive VP.

Going forward Best Buy will also add responsibility for coordinating content deals for the joint service. The retailer is expected to carry considerable clout in acquiring premium titles at attractive rates and release windows.

Pirozzi said Best Buy will use the new service to coordinate the sale of connected devices while making sure consumers have the necessary broadband connections and understand the benefits of stepping up that service. Best Buy works with various broadband providers from telco and cable companies.

The retailer will also work with customers in understanding how to bring those connections into the living room to work with TVs and other devices.

Pirozzi said Best Buy also will be working with manufacturers of connected TVs, Blu-ray Disc players, set-top boxes and gaming consoles to integrate the service program with their devices.

Among the early partners will be Best Buy's private label Insignia brand, he said.

Sonic will continue to offer its existing Roxio CinemaNow services to Blockbuster and other partners, and may work on similar deal with other retail chains in the future, Ely said.

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