Movies Anywhere

Movies Anywhere, LLC.[1]
Product type Digital rights locker service, video on demand
Owner Walt Disney Direct-to-Consumer and International
Introduced February 10, 2014 (February 10, 2014) (as Disney Movies Anywhere)
October 12, 2017 (October 12, 2017) (as Movies Anywhere)
Related brands Disney Movie Rewards
Markets United States (Web, iOS, tvOS, Android, Android TV, Kindle, Fire TV, Roku)
Tagline Your Movies, Together at Last.
Website Official website

Movies Anywhere is a United States-only cloud-based digital locker and over-the-top streaming platform operated by The Walt Disney Company.[2] The service allows users to stream and download purchased films, including digital copies redeemed from codes found in home media releases as well as digital purchases from participating services. The platform provides content from Walt Disney Studios, Universal Pictures, 20th Century Fox, Warner Bros. and Sony Pictures.[3] The system utilizes an internal platform known as KeyChest, which synchronizes content licenses from digital distribution platforms linked to a central user account.

Movies Anywhere was first launched on February 10, 2014 as Disney Movies Anywhere (DMA) with content from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, and Star Wars-branded films on iOS with iTunes Store integration; the service has since been extended to other platforms and storefronts, including Amazon Video, Google Play, Vudu, FandangoNow,[4] and Microsoft Movies & TV. On October 12, 2017, DMA was relaunched as Movies Anywhere, with other studios joining Disney in offering their film titles through the platform.

Movies Anywhere is a competitor to the UltraViolet platform that was deployed by other major film studios; Disney declined to back the platform, in favor of promoting KeyChest as an alternative.

History

In 2009, Disney unveiled a rights synchronization platform known as KeyChest, which would allow content purchases via digital distribution platforms to be queried and used to build a centralized library. The company explained that this system would allow "persistent" access to purchased content across multiple digital platforms, including television set-top boxes and mobiles.[5][6][7][8][9].The platform was viewed as being a competitor to UltraViolet, a competing concept developed by DECE, a consortium containing all other major U.S. film studios but Disney.[9][10]

Disney Movies Anywhere originally launched on February 10, 2014, as an iOS app that allows users to link Disney films purchased on iTunes Store into a unified library with digital copies of Disney films purchased on physical media, so that they can be streamed or downloaded. The integration is achieved by linking a user's Apple ID with a Disney account. The app also allows users to browse through a catalog of Disney films available on iTunes Store, access supplemental content such as interviews and behind-the-scenes footage, and participate in the Disney Movie Rewards program.[11] Walt Disney Studios CTO Jamie Voris explained that the app was designed to provide a "rich, interactive experience" around its content as an alternative to "utilitarian" online stores, and that Disney planned to seek additional retail partners for the service in the future.[11]

In November 2014, support for Google Play Movies & TV and Vudu was added.[12][13] In September 2015, support for Amazon Video and Microsoft Movies & TV was added, and DMA apps for Android TV and Roku were also released.[14] In August 2016, Verizon Fios became the first television provider to integrate with DMA, allowing purchases through Fios On Demand to be synced into DMA libraries.[15][16]

In September 2017, DMA ceased support for Microsoft Movies & TV, with future purchases no longer automatically accessible through the linked library [17] however in August 2018 support for the service provider was officially restored under Movies Anywhere.

On October 10, 2017, it was reported that the DMA platform would expand to include content from non-Disney studios under the name Movies Anywhere, with 20th Century Fox (which Disney is buying[18][19]), Sony Pictures, Universal Pictures, and Warner Bros. serving as initial partners, and Lionsgate and Paramount Pictures expressing interest.[20] It would also include titles from Disney's Touchstone Pictures and Hollywood Pictures banners that were previously unavailable on DMA. The DMA platform was relaunched on October 12, 2017. The Verge felt that the new platform could be used to replace the commercially-unsuccessful UltraViolet platform (which Disney did not support).[10]

Just two months after launch, at the January 2018 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, GM Karin Gilford announced that consumers’ accounts have accumulated nearly 80 million movies.[21] That same month, Movies Anywhere was picked the 2018 winner of the inaugural Media Play News Fast Forward Awards, honoring people, technologies, organizations, products or services that move the home entertainment industry forward.

Support for FandangoNOW was added on March 13, 2018,[22] with talks also resuming between Movies Anywhere and Microsoft Movies & TV.[23] By then, there were more than 100 million movies in consumer accounts.[24]

On August 6, 2018, it was announced that Microsoft Movies & TV would be rejoining the Movies Anywhere service. By then, the number of movies in customer accounts had grown to more than 135 million.[25][26]

References

  1. ↑ "Movies Anywhere Privacy Policy - Movies Anywhere". moviesanywhere.com.
  2. ↑ Prange, Stephanie (October 11, 2017). "Movies Anywhere App Launches With Joint Studio Backing". Variety. Retrieved October 12, 2017.
  3. ↑ Hayes, Dade (October 11, 2017). "Four Major Studios Join U.S. Launch Of Disney's Movies Anywhere Digital Service". Deadline.com. Retrieved October 12, 2017.
  4. ↑ Spangler, Todd (March 12, 2018). "Fandango Joins Disney-Owned Movies Anywhere". Variety.com. Retrieved June 17, 2018.
  5. ↑ "Disney Movies Anywhere service launches with an unprecedented link to iTunes". Engadget. Retrieved October 12, 2017.
  6. ↑ "Disney's KeyChest is not DRM". Engadget. Retrieved October 12, 2017.
  7. ↑ Warren, Christina. "Disney's Going Digital: Buy Once, Watch Anywhere". Mashable. Retrieved October 12, 2017.
  8. ↑ Healey, Jon (January 5, 2010), "Disney offers KeyChest, but where is the KeyMaster?", Los Angeles Times, retrieved December 8, 2011
  9. 1 2 Smith, Ethan. "Disney Touts a Way to Ditch the DVD". WSJ. Retrieved October 16, 2017.
  10. 1 2 "Hollywood studios join Disney to launch Movies Anywhere digital locker service". The Verge. Retrieved October 12, 2017.
  11. 1 2 Ha, Anthony. "Disney Launches Disney Movies Anywhere, An iTunes-Integrated App Where Fans Can Build Their Movie Library". TechCrunch. Retrieved October 12, 2017.
  12. ↑ Graser, Marc (November 14, 2014). "Walmart's Vudu Joins Disney Movies Anywhere". Variety. Retrieved October 12, 2017.
  13. ↑ Buhr, Sarah. "Disney And Google Partner Up For Disney Movies Anywhere Access On Google Play". TechCrunch. Retrieved October 12, 2017.
  14. ↑ "Disney's fantastic cloud movie locker now works with Amazon, Microsoft video apps". The Verge. Retrieved October 12, 2017.
  15. ↑ "Verizon Fios First MVPD to Connect to Disney Movies Anywhere". Multichannel News. Retrieved October 16, 2017.
  16. ↑ "Verizon Fios joins Disney Movies Anywhere platform". L.A. Biz. Retrieved October 16, 2017.
  17. ↑ "Disney Movies Anywhere drops Microsoft as a partner". Engadget. Retrieved October 12, 2017.
  18. ↑ "The Walt Disney Company To Acquire Twenty-First Century Fox, Inc., After Spinoff Of Certain Businesses, For $52.4 Billion In Stock". The Walt Disney Company (Press release). December 14, 2017. Archived from the original on December 14, 2017. Retrieved December 15, 2017.
  19. ↑ "The Walt Disney Company to Acquire Twenty-First Century Fox, Inc., After Spinoff of Certain Businesses, for $52.4 Billion in Stock". 21st Century Fox (Press release). December 14, 2017. Archived from the original on December 15, 2017. Retrieved December 15, 2017.
  20. ↑ Gruenwedel, Erik (October 10, 2017). "Disney Movies Anywhere Adds Fox, WB, Universal (Report)". Variety. Retrieved October 12, 2017.
  21. ↑ Arnold, Thomas (February 25, 2018). "Betting on Movies Anywhere". Media Play News. Retrieved April 27, 2018.
  22. ↑ England, Rachel (March 13, 2018). "Movies Anywhere includes your FandangoNOW flicks". Engadget.
  23. ↑ Thorp-Lancaster, Dan (March 14, 2018). "Microsoft 'in discussions' about joining Movies Anywhere". Windows Central. Mobile Nations. Retrieved July 19, 2018.
  24. ↑ "Movies Anywhere Adds FandangoNow". Media Play News. JCH Media Inc. Retrieved April 27, 2018.
  25. ↑ Moon, Tim (August 6, 2018). "Microsoft Movies & TV rejoins Movies Anywhere". Neowin.
  26. ↑ Latchem, John. "Microsoft Joins Movies Anywhere Platform". Media Play News. JCH Media Inc. Retrieved August 6, 2018.
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