philip lelyveld The world of entertainment technology

[Philip Lelyveld comment: Is this a first, or have other studios released them simultaneously?]

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) and Disney (NYSE:DIS) are teaming up on a new digital movie service that will allow people who buy Disney films to access them via the cloud on a variety of Apple’sdevices. The service, called Disney Movies Anywhere, deepens a previous relationship between the two companies.

The service works through iTunes on Apple mobile devices. Customers will be able to buy and watch movies from Disney, Pixar, and Marvel exclusively through iTunes on iOS devices. The debut of the service coincides with the release of Disney’s hit movie Frozen, and customers for a limited time will receive a free digital download the the Pixar film The Incredibles when they activate Disney Movies Anywhere through an iTunes account.

“Disney Movies Anywhere is an adaptable digital ecosystem designed to help consumers consolidate their Disney movie collections and enjoy them for years to come,” said Jamie Voris, Disney’s chief technology officer, in a press release. “The beauty of this technology is that it enables us to work with iTunes and future provider partners to ensure movie lovers have streamlined access to all of their favorite Disney titles no matter which device they are on.”

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Disney Movies Anywhere competes against the open-source UltraViolet movies-in-the-cloudservice that much of the rest of Hollywood is getting behind but has been spurned by both Disney and Apple. UltraViolet was created as a way to give consumers access to a digital copy of a film they’d also purchased in a physical format like DVD or Blu-ray. DEG said in 2013 UltraViolet accounts grew to 15 million, and the platform is supported by the majority of retailers.

See the full story here: http://wallstcheatsheet.com/media/apple-gives-disney-a-juicy-new-bite.html/?ref=YF