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Comcast Snags Fandango, Debuts New Video Site

By Ed Oswald, BetaNews

April 11, 2007, 3:55 PM

Comcast said Wednesday it will acquire movie site Fandango, as well as launch a new entertainment site aimed and helping manage its entertainment experience across different devices and channels.

The Fandango acquisition will play a large part in the new site, called Fancast.com. The site will also continue operating as it had before the acquisition, as well as continuing its exclusive relationships with several major theater chains.

Fancast will operate almost as like a YouTube of sorts, allowing the consumer to search for information shows, movies, actors and actresses, as well as watch video content available from the site.

Comcast Interactive Media will run the site, and its content will be featured throughout the network of Comcast web sites, including Comcast.net and Fandango.com. Current CEO Chuck Davis will continue in his leadership role under the new owners.

"Adding Fandango to Comcast Interactive Media and creating Fancast.com will enable us to leverage our combined assets to offer consumers an outstanding entertainment experience," CIM president Amy Banse said.

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Comcast said it expects the deal to close in the second quarter.

Add a Comment (9 Comments)

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By ogman

posted Apr 15, 2007 - 10:40 PM

So, after they kill net neutrality, then they make sure that the streams from this site are blazing fast, while everybody else coming across their wire runs at half-speed.

Score: 0

By ecvogel

posted Apr 13, 2007 - 9:30 AM

I am glad to see someone buy Fandango. Loews (Star Theatres) was the major theater around here to use it till AMC bought them.

Score: 0

By foxfyre

posted Apr 12, 2007 - 4:23 AM

Just a question...

What portion of the market segment does this cater to?

Are teenagers the major source of subscribers?

And if adults are that into YouTube, someone needs to have a talk with the them.

Why does anyone over the age of 14 want this crap?

Score: 0

By zaznet

posted Apr 12, 2007 - 8:42 AM

I don't think this is going to be like YouTube. I expect them to place content they own on this site and stream it to other sites they own. This site will be the front end to a large media repository that visitors will be able to search, sort, link to, etc.

Companies are quick to use the YouTube name since it is recognized as a big deal right now. That's the whole "me too syndrome" that you are seeing, not another teen home-movie site.

Score: 0

By Wynner3

edited Apr 12, 2007 - 12:48 PM

I have hated comcast ever since they bought TechTv and absolutely destroyed it. They don't need Fandango! I don't want to see fandango commercials end with the comcast logo in the theaters. Heck, G4 started good but comcast drove it into the ground. It's just like Spike Tv.

Score: 0

By ogman

posted Apr 15, 2007 - 10:35 PM

"Heck, G4 started good but comcast drove it into the ground. It's just like Spike Tv."

And getting worse every day!

Score: 0

By PostDeals

edited Apr 11, 2007 - 11:30 PM

I am impressed I would be eager to see how it turns out.

As long as Dish Network is no way involved I am happy. They have the worst customer service and product lineup.

Score: 0

By imafurby

posted Apr 11, 2007 - 7:35 PM

Yep, just like YouTube, only it'll cost ya no doubt.
These cable outfits seem to be moving towards becoming monopolies where the consumer is forced to purchase a whole bunch of junk just to get something that they really need, ie internet or phone, but you've got to order an expensive and crappy cable TV package to get the other stuff.

These double play/triple play packages offer nothing except inflexibility, and no choice. I thought that business model was supposed to be illegal.

Score: 0

By zaznet

posted Apr 12, 2007 - 8:45 AM

People are willing to pay for content they can stream. I bet they make it free for a while, and start to upcharge for more popular streams when you embed them in an external site like MySpace.

If they own the copyright, they reserve the right to charge what they want. It's not a bad idea really, just that everyone is already way ahead of them. AOL, Google (even before the YouTube purchase), Apple, NBC, CNN, etc.

Score: 0

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