Transactional VOD – Media Play News

‘Free Guy’ Scores a Fourth Win on Vudu Chart

Free Guy, from Disney-owned 20th Century Studios, for the fourth consecutive week led the chart of the 10 most popular movies on Fandango’s transactional VOD service Vudu the week ended Oct. 24.

The film, which is available for digital purchase and rental, stars Ryan Reynolds as a bank teller who discovers he is actually a background player in an open-world video game and decides to become the hero of his own story.

Taking the No. 2 spot on the chart for the second consecutive week was MGM’s animated sequel The Addams Family 2, which debuted for premium digital rental Oct. 1. In the film featuring the voices of Charlize Theron and Oscar Isaac, Morticia and Gomez are distraught that their children are growing up.

The bronze went to the young adult romantic drama After We fell, which debuted for premium digital rental and purchase.

Dropping from No. 3 to No. 4 on the chart was Universal’s Old, M. Night Shyamalan’s latest mystery. The film about beachgoers who age prematurely is available for digital purchase and rental.

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The fifth spot went to Injustice, Warner’s latest direct-to-video animated film based on DC Comics characters. It became available for digital purchase Oct. 19.

Vudu’s top 10 titles for the week ended Oct. 24, in terms of revenue, were:

‘Free Guy’ Scores Three-Peat on Vudu Chart

Free Guy, from Disney-owned 20th Century Studios, for the third consecutive week led the chart of the 10 most popular movies on Fandango’s transactional VOD service Vudu the week ended Oct. 17.

The film, which became available for digital purchase Sept. 28 and is newly available for digital rental, stars Ryan Reynolds as a bank teller who discovers he is actually a background player in an open-world video game and decides to become the hero of his own story.

Taking the No. 2 spot on the chart was MGM’s animated sequel The Addams Family 2, which debuted for premium digital rental Oct. 1. In the film featuring the voices of Charlize Theron and Oscar Isaac, Morticia and Gomez are distraught that their children are growing up.

Dropping from No. 2 to No. 3 was Universal’s Old, M. Night Shyamalan’s latest mystery. The film about beachgoers who age prematurely became available for digital purchase Oct. 5.

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The fourth spot went to Disney’s adventure Jungle Cruise, starring Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt and available for digital purchase.

Debuting at No. 5 was the action thriller Copshop, starring Gerard Butler and Frank Grillo. It’s available for premium digital rental.

Other chart newcomers included the Western Old Henry, starring Tim Blake Nelson, which is available for digital rental and landed at No. 12, and the drama-musical Dear Evan Hansen, starring Ben Platt and Kaitlyn Dever, which is available for premium digital rental and landed at No. 13.

Coinciding with the theatrical release of Halloween Kills, David Gordon Green’s 2018 Halloween reboot (starring Jamie Lee Curtis) turned up at No. 14 on Vudu’s weekly chart.

Vudu’s top 10 titles for the week ended Oct. 17, in terms of revenue, were:

Meanwhile, Vudu is mounting its DC FanDome sale on DC films, TV shows and originals from the DC Universe. Superhero and villain films now available at discounted prices include Joker, The Dark Knight and Aquaman. Bundled films on sale include 4 Film Favorites: Batman Collection, Birds of Prey & Suicide Squad 2-Film Collection, and the Wonder Woman 2-Film Collection. DC Universe TV shows on sale include season one of “Superman & Lois,” “Doom Patrol,” “Watchmen” and more. Bundled TV series on sale include Supergirl: Season 1-5, Justice League Unlimited: The Complete Series, Lucifer: Season 1-3, “Arrow” and more.

‘A Quiet Place,’ Classic ‘Twilight Zone’ Top Horror Movie and TV Franchises in Vudu Survey

“A Quiet Place” ranked as fans’ top horror movie franchise and the original “The Twilight Zone” was fans’ favorite horror TV series in a survey by Fandango’s transactional digital service Vudu.

The service polled more than 2,500 entertainment fans during the last two weeks of September.

Almost three-quarters (73%) of consumers surveyed said they will stream more horror films and TV shows during this year’s Halloween season than in previous years.

“According to our survey, many horror-hungry entertainment fans will experience their favorite cinematic scares and TV shows at home on Halloween weekend,” Fandango managing editor Erik Davis said in a statement. “It’s impressive to see ‘A Quiet Place’ taking over as the fan-favorite horror franchise, while the original ‘Twilight Zone’ ranks as the top horror TV series. There’s no shortage of creepy content to suit every taste this season, from recent hits to cult classics, many of which are on sale in Vudu’s Horror Store starting today.”

Top 10 Horror Movie Franchises:

Top 10 Horror TV Series:

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More Vudu survey results will be announced each week leading up to Halloween on Fandango’s social channels Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

As part of Vudu’s Horror Store, the service is offering “$4.99 Killer Deals” on more than 100 titles for purchase including the 2007 Halloween reboot, Mandy (starring Nicolas Cage), Legion (Paul Bettany), Wes Craven’s Red Eye (Rachel McAdams), Warm Bodies (Nicholas Hoult and Teresa Palmer), Stephen King’s Cujo and the international horror film The Wailing. On Oct. 5, Vudu will launch a classic TV bundle sale, plus a “Mix & Match” sale on classic horror (purchase two films in HDX for $11.99) and modern horror (purchase two films in HDX for $14.99).

‘Escape Room’ Sequel Wins Top Spot on Vudu Chart

Sony’s Escape Room: Tournament of Champions led the chart of the 10 most popular movies on Fandango’s transactional VOD service Vudu for the week ended Sept. 26.

The psychological thriller, which became available for digital purchase Sept. 21, is a sequel to 2019’s Escape Room. In the film, six people unwittingly find themselves locked in another series of escape rooms, slowly uncovering what they have in common to survive and discovering they’ve all played the game before.

Universal’s F9: The Fast Saga, the ninth installment in the main “Fast & Furious” franchise, remained at No. 2 on the chart. The film is available for digital purchase and newly for digital rental.

The Jordan Peele-produced thriller Candyman, which debuted Sept. 17 as a premium rental, dropped from the top spot to No. 3 for the week. Set nearly 30 years after the events of the first film, the Universal film is a fresh take on the urban legend about a killer in Chicago’s Cabrini-Green housing projects.

At No. 4 was Paramount’s animated family film Paw Patrol: The Movie, available for digital sale Sept. 21. In the film, when their rival, Humdinger, becomes Mayor of nearby Adventure City and starts wreaking havoc, Ryder and the heroic pups kick into high gear to face the most challenging mission of their Paw Patrol careers.

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Coming in at No. 5 on the Vudu chart was Lionsgate’s action thriller The Protégé, also available for digital purchase Sept. 21. The story of a deadly assassin out for vengeance stars Michael Keaton, Maggie Q, Samuel L. Jackson and Robert Patrick.

Vudu’s top 10 titles for the week ended Sept. 26, in terms of revenue, were:

New ‘Candyman’ Film Leads Vudu Chart

Universal’s horror sequel Candyman scared up the top spot on the chart of the 10 most popular movies on Fandango’s transactional VOD service Vudu for the week ended Sept. 19.

The Jordan Peele-produced thriller, which debuted Sept. 17 as a premium rental, is set nearly 30 years after the events of the first film and is a fresh take on the urban legend about a killer in Chicago’s Cabrini-Green housing projects.

Universal’s F9: The Fast Saga, the ninth installment in the main “Fast & Furious” franchise, fell to No. 2 on the chart. The film is now available to purchase on 4K Ultra HD in two versions, the director’s cut and the theatrical version.

Taking the bronze on the chart was Warner’s The Suicide Squad, newly available for both premium rental and purchase. The comic-inspired film stars Margot Robbie, Idris Elba, John Cena, Viola Davis and Sylvester Stallone.

At No. 4 was another comic-based feature, Black Widow, available for digital purchase. In the film, Scarlett Johansson reprises her role as Natasha Romanoff, aka Black Widow, who confronts her darker parts when a dangerous conspiracy with ties to her past arises.

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Coming in at No. 5 on the Vudu chart was The Forever Purge, available for digital purchase. The next installment in the action horror series explores the prospect of a lawless Purge that never ends.

Vudu’s top 10 titles for the week ended Sept. 19, in terms of revenue, were:

Candyman
F9: The Fast Saga
The Suicide Squad
Black Widow
The Forever Purge
Jungle Cruise
Don’t Breathe 2
The Boss Baby: Family Business
Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins
The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It

‘F9’ Takes the Lead on Vudu Chart

Universal’s F9: The Fast Saga led the chart of the 10 most popular movies on Fandango’s transactional VOD service Vudu for the week ended Sept. 12.

The ninth installment in the main “Fast & Furious” franchise, the film is now available to purchase on 4K Ultra HD in two versions, the director’s cut and the theatrical version.

Don’t Breathe 2 repeated at No. 2. The sequel to the horror film about a blind killer is available for premium digital rental.

Disney’s Jungle Cruise, which became available for early digital ownership Aug. 31, fell from the top spot to No. 3. Based on the classic Disneyland ride, the film stars Dwayne Johnson as Frank, the skipper of an Amazon River tour boat, who is recruited by explorer Lily Houghton (Emily Blunt), who seeks an ancient tree with mythical healing abilities.

Dropping from No. 3 to No. 4 on the chart was DreamWorks Animation’s The Boss Baby: Family Business, available for digital purchase Aug. 31 from Universal. The sequel welcomes back the Templeton brothers — Tim (voice of James Marsden) and his Boss Baby little bro Ted (Alec Baldwin) — who have become adults and drifted away from each other. Enter new boss baby Tina (Amy Sedaris) determined to bring them together again and inspire a new family business.

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Coming in at No. 5 on the Vudu chart was Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins. The newest entry in the G.I. Joe franchise is available for premium rental and purchase.

Vudu’s top 10 titles for the week ended Sept. 12, in terms of revenue, were:

‘Jungle Cruise’ Floats to Top of Vudu Chart

Disney’s Jungle Cruise swam to the top of the 10 most popular movies on Fandango’s transactional VOD service Vudu for the week ended Sept. 5.

Jungle Cruise became available for early digital ownership Aug. 31. Based on the classic Disneyland ride, the film stars Dwayne Johnson as Frank, the skipper of an Amazon River tour boat, who is recruited by explorer Lily Houghton (Emily Blunt), who seeks an ancient tree with mythical healing abilities.

The No. 2 spot on the chart went to Don’t Breathe 2, the sequel to the horror film about a blind killer. The title is available for premium digital rental.

Taking the third spot on the chart was DreamWorks Animation’s The Boss Baby: Family Business, available for digital purchase Aug. 31 from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. The sequel welcomes back the Templeton brothers — Tim (voice of James Marsden) and his Boss Baby little bro Ted (Alec Baldwin) — who have become adults and drifted away from each other. Enter new boss baby Tina (Amy Sedaris) determined to bring them together again and inspire a new family business.

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Coming in at No. 4 on the Vudu chart was Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard, available for digital purchase and rental. A sequel to 2017’s The Hitman’s Bodyguard, the film stars Ryan Reynolds, Samuel L. Jackson and Salma Hayek.

Universal’s F9, the ninth installment in the main “Fast & Furious” franchise, landed at No. 5. It’s available for digital purchase and premium rental.

Vudu’s top 10 titles for the week ended Sept. 5, in terms of revenue, were:

AMC Theatres On Demand Utilizing Whip Media Platform

Software platform and data provider Whip Media Aug. 25 announced that AMC Theatres is using Whip Media’s solution for its video on demand business, AMC Theatres On Demand.

AMC Theatres On Demand offers more than 5,000 movies from every major studio and independent film distributors, available for purchase or rent.

Using Whip Media’s platform, AMC Theatres manages the end-to-end process from content management to paying studios. Whip Media drives film selection, asset ordering, pricing and merchandising, and calculating license fees due to studios and device partners, according to the company.

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“Utilizing Whip Media’s platform, allows for more collaboration leading to greater efficiencies, thus allowing us to get more value from our content,” said Nikkole Denson-Randolph, VP of content strategy and inclusive programming at AMC Theatres. “The ability to automate our VOD supply chain, and seamlessly connect to our studios and content readiness partners, provides a huge advantage and ability to drive growth in our business.”

“AMC is a true innovator in the industry for providing a premier movie-watching experience to viewers in the theater or at home,” said Carol Hanley, president of Whip Media. “We’re thrilled to have partnered with AMC to power AMC Theatres on Demand for their millions of customers and provide an infrastructure that is efficient and scalable.”

‘Snake Eyes’ Tops Vudu Chart, Bumping ‘Black Widow’ to No. 2

Paramount’s actioner Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins debuted at No. 1 on the list of the 10 most popular movies on Fandango’s transactional VOD service Vudu the week ended Aug. 22.

The film — the third live-action “G.I. Joe” movie rebooting the franchise following 2009’s G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra and its sequel 2013’s G.I. Joe: Retaliation — became available for premium digital purchase and rental Aug. 17. Based on Hasbro’s G.I. Joe toy line, it delves into the backstory of the mysterious title character, a ninja warrior who conducts covert operations for the counter-terrorist military unit known as G.I. Joe. Welcomed into an ancient Japanese clan after saving the life of their heir-apparent, Snake Eyes (Henry Golding) joins the battle against the terrorist group Cobra. The cast also includes Andrew Koji as Storm Shadow, Úrsula Corberó as Baroness, and Samara Weaving as Scarlett.

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Dropping to No. 2 on the chart was Marvel Studios’ Black Widow, which was released to digital platforms Aug. 10 following a concurrent run in theaters and as a Disney+ Premier Access PVOD add-on. In the film, Scarlett Johansson reprises her role as Natasha Romanoff, aka Black Widow, and confronts her darker parts when a dangerous conspiracy with ties to her past arises. Hounded by a force that will stop at nothing to bring her down, Natasha must deal with her history as a spy and the broken relationships left in her wake long before she became an Avenger. Along with Johansson, the cast includes Florence Pugh as Yelena, David Harbour as Alexei/The Red Guardian and Rachel Weisz as Melina.

Remaining at No. 3 on the chart was Lionsgate’s sequel Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard. The action comedy starring Ryan Reynolds, Samuel L. Jackson and Salma Hayek is available for digital rental and purchase.

Universal’s F9, the ninth installment in the main “Fast & Furious” franchise, became available for premium rental July 30. It landed at No. 4 on the chart.

Debuting at No. 5 on the chart was the Matt Damon drama Stillwater, available for premium rental. Damon stars as an American oil rig worker who travels to France to visit his estranged daughter, in prison for a murder she claims she didn’t commit.

Vudu’s top 10 titles for the week ended Aug. 22, in terms of revenue, are as follows:

TiVo: Average Consumer Spending Up to $26 Per Month on Transactional VOD

In a crowded over-the-top video space, where the average consumer is spending $142.20 monthly on Internet and video, transactional VOD spending is holding its own.

The average consumer is spending up to $26 each month buying or renting movies across myriad digital platforms such as Redbox and Vudu, according to new data from TiVo.

Accordingly, 55% of respondents cited as top subscription streaming “pain points” their belief that there are too many video services and “things keep disappearing from the services I subscribe to.”

Citing responses from 4,500 adult survey participants in North America in the second quarter (ended June 30), TiVo found that respondents spent $112.10 monthly on pay-TV and high-speed Internet, and another $32.70 on streaming services. Broadband-only subs spent $28.10.

Separately, Netflix, YouTube and Amazon Prime Video remain the most-used services. TiVo found that 45% of pay-TV subscribers also stream YouTube, Netflix and Prime Video, while just 7% of broadband-only subs do. The numbers would suggest that as new SVOD platforms Disney+, HBO Max, Peacock, Discovery+ and Apple TV+ expand distribution, consumer action follows.

But does it?

TiVo found that among pay-TV and broadband respondents with at least four streaming services, the additional player was the venerable SVOD platform Hulu, followed by upstart Disney+.

Just under 25% of pay-TV (and 18% of broadband) respondents indicated they’d cut or stopped subscribing to a paid streaming or live TV streaming service within the last six months; 19% noted canceling at least one video subscription due to their COVID-19 situation.

“While respondents cited a variety of reasons for canceling their streaming service, three of the top four reasons involved cost,” read the report. Indeed, nearly 70% admitted they’re not sure if they’re actually saving money on entertainment.

TiVo found that 55% of respondents are at their monthly spending limit, with 30% citing no fiscal room for an additional service, while 25% said they could only pay less than $10 per month for additional streaming services. More than 30% of respondents said that they could afford to pay more than $10 per month for additional streaming services.