Rich Fiscus
28 Nov 2007 22:30
According to Blockbuster CEO Jim Keyes, the company is working on deals with Cell phone manufacturers to market its recently acquired Movielink video download service to mobile phone users.
"It’s a rare privilege to sit home with my family and watch a DVD," he told a reporter at the Reuters Media Summit in New York. "I do do it, but it is a rare treat to have the time to do that. So, I was always behind on movies."
"Today, I’m finding myself increasingly watching movies by watching them when I can in bite-sized pieces on my Blackberry," he said.
Blockbuster bought Movielink earlier this year. Before the acquisition it was considered something of a symbol of Hollywood's failure to market downloadable video to the masses. Keyes believes Blockbuster can turn Movielink's fortunes around by integrating it into the company's other operations, which currently include not just brick and mortar stores and an online rental service, but also a growing presence in the kiosk market.
He's also counting on the moves he's made in his short tenure with the company to bring their financial future into better focus by the beginning of next year. "We think we will be a in a position by the first quarter to have enough of the transition in place to get good read on what 2008 will look like," he said. "Going forward, as we continue to evolve Blockbuster, we want to bring our shareholders with us."
Source: Video Business