Movielink downloads Hollywood.com deal

Company plans to sign deals with other partners

By DAVID BLOOM

HOLLYWOOD -- Online movie service Movielink has signed a deal to create a co-branded service that would run on entertainment site Hollywood.com, a first step in the studio-backed download service's attempts to broaden consumer access to its film offerings.

Hollywood.com is a division of Hollywood Media Corp. The new service adds the ability to preview and watch movies through the Hollywood.com site, which already provides a range of entertainment-related news and other material.

Movielink is backed by Sony, MGM, Warner Bros., Universal and Paramount, and has deals with Artisan, Hypnotic and some foreign film providers to sell downloadable digital copies of first-run and library films. It typically has around 175 movies available at any one time, for prices that vary from about $1-$4. The films are made available during the pay-per-view release window of first-run films, typically 45 days after the video/DVD release.

Movielink execs said the company plans to sign other deals with "a select group of partners" like Hollywood.com that will expand its reach to new groups of consumers online.