Warner Brothers

Hollywood Showdown: Blockbuster, Redbox Balk at Warner’s New Window

Peter Kafka in Media on January 6 at 5:08 pm PT

Warner Bros. wants to keep its DVDs out of the hands of renters for an extra month. Blockbuster and Redbox don’t want to play along.

Warner Brothers Will Make Netflix, Redbox, Blockbuster Wait Longer for New Movies

Peter Kafka in Media on January 5 at 2:21 pm PT

Want to watch a new movie just out on DVD from Warner Brothers? You’re going to have to buy it, or wait even longer to get it from Netflix or other disc renters.

The Netflix and Warner Bros. Pact: Subscribers Wait for New Movies, Get More on the Web

Peter Kafka in Media on January 6, 2010 at 3:29 pm PT

Here’s a marriage of convenience: A pact between Netflix and Warner Bros. that gives both sides some of what they want, at least for now. The rental service agrees not to offer the studio’s movies for the first 28 days after they go on sale. In return, it gets more movies to offer via its growing Web streaming service.

Vevo Gets Its Investor: Abu Dhabi Media Joins “Hulu for Music Videos”

Peter Kafka in Media on October 19, 2009 at 4:17 am PT

Vevo, the music industry’s version of Hulu, now has its own version of Providence Equity, the outside investor that took a flyer on the Web TV and movie joint venture: Abu Dhabi Media Company has purchased a stake in the company from owners Universal Music and Sony. No financials released, though I’m told the deal values the JV at $300 million.

New from Google Labs: Google April Fools Overkill

John Paczkowski in News on April 1, 2009 at 8:59 am PT

If 2008 (or 2007, 06, 05, 04…) was the year April Fools on the Web jumped the shark, then 2009 was the year it was eaten by it. The Web is so overburdened with pranks this year, it may be that the best April Fools announcement of all proves to be Palm’s, a company promising to deliver real news and not some over-thought hoax. Google alone has posted no fewer than 12 pranks–and none of them match Pigeon Rank in wit.