Disney, Sony Experiment in Korea With Early Video on Demand
Two Hollywood studios have quietly begun testing a controversial business model in South Korea after years of failed efforts in the U.S.: Renting movies via video on demand while they are still playing in theaters.
The experiments, by Walt Disney Co. and Sony Pictures Entertainment, mark the first time major American studios have offered viewers anywhere the option of buying a ticket to see a movie or to rent it at home from a cable, Internet or satellite-television provider. Sony Pictures is owned by Japan’s Sony Corp.