Warner Bros. Begins to Offer Movies Directly on Facebook

I get a lot of press releases through my email, though I rarely elect to post about them here. But this one caught my attention. Netflix streaming has really changed the way people watch movies. With a huge library to choose from, and the comfort of your own home, fewer people are electing to pay full price for the "movie theater experience" and are instead opting to invest in home theaters. And who can blame them when your movie selection seems to be little more than an endless parade of sequels? I've been wondering how the movie industry was going to adapt and it seems like Warner Bros. is attempting to find a way to deal with the challenges brought on by changing technology and trends.

BURBANK, CALIF., March 8, 2011 – Warner Bros. Digital Distribution (WBDD), a market leader in video-on-demand and electronic sell-through, today announced it will begin testing an offering of selected movies for purchase or rental through Warner Bros. Entertainment’s Facebook movie Pages. Consumers will be able to use Facebook Credits to easily buy or rent a title, all while staying connected to Facebook.

Starting today, millions of fans who “Liked” Christopher Nolan’s blockbuster film “The Dark Knight” can rent the title through its official Facebook Page (http://www.facebook.com/darkknight). Consumers simply click on the “rent” icon to apply their Facebook Credits, and within seconds they will begin enjoying the film. The cost per rental is 30 Facebook Credits or $3. This offering is presently available only to consumers in the United States. Additional titles will be made available for rental and purchase on a regular basis over the coming months.

“Facebook has become a daily destination for hundreds of millions of people,” said Thomas Gewecke, President of Warner Bros. Digital Distribution. “Making our films available through Facebook is a natural extension of our digital distribution efforts. It gives consumers a simple, convenient way to access and enjoy our films through the world’s largest social network.”

Fans will have full control over the film while watching it through their Facebook account for up to 48 hours from purchase. They can choose to watch it in full screen, pause the movie, and resume playing it when they log back into Facebook. Consumers will also have full Facebook functionality including the ability to post comments on the movie, interact with friends and update their status.

Interesting...

I haven't checked out how well "The Dark Knight" plays, and I probably won't since I already own the movie. But I will be very interested to see what titles they offer in the future. Will it work? That probably depends on the release date of the movies they're offering (who wants to pay for something they've already seen ten times?) But it's a start...