Hoyts Corp. will launch Video-on-Demand streaming service Hoyts Stream in early 2014, roughly 12 months later than the originally targeted date.
The service will offer new release films to rent or buy, concurrent with the DVD window, plus library product and TV content.
It will enter a competitive market where the players include Big Pond Movies, Foxtel's Presto, Ezyflix.tv, JB Hi-Fi’s digital service, Fetch TV and Quickflix.
When Hoyts announced a partnership in March with digital delivery service provider Viocorp, it said it aimed to launch Hoyts Stream in the third quarter of this year.
Explaining the delay, Hoyts said in a statement to IF, “We are continuing to finalise our road map with all key technology partners. We want to ensure that all relevant updates to technology are picked up in our platform development. Release date will be in early 2014.”
Hoyts hasn’t yet announced licensing deals with the US majors but the company said, “We are continuing to work through contractual negotiations with all key content providers including Hollywood studios and independent distributors.”
The intention is to convert customers of its DVD rental business Hoyts Kiosk to watching movies digitally and to tap into the 550,000 members of the Hoyts Insider Club and Hoyts Rewards loyalty program.
In addition to transactional VoD, Hoyts Stream will offer a Subscription Video-on-Demand option and electronic sell through, but it hasn’t said when the latter two services will come on stream.