Wikipedia

Movies Anywhere

Movies Anywhere (MA) is a cloud-based digital rights locker and over-the-top streaming platform that allows users to stream and download purchased films, including digital copies redeemed from codes found in home video releases as well as digital purchases from participating services. Movies Anywhere is operated by The Walt Disney Company. The platform provides content from Walt Disney Studios, Sony Pictures, Universal Pictures, and Warner Bros. The system utilizes an internal platform known as KeyChest, which synchronizes content licenses from digital distribution platforms linked to a central user account.

Movies Anywhere, LLC
Screenshot
A screenshot of the 2020 Movies Anywhere welcome screen.
FormerlyDisney Movies Anywhere (2014-2017)
Type of site
Digital rights locker service
Video on demand
Available inEnglish
FoundedFebruary 25, 2014; 10 years ago (2014-02-25)
Area servedUnited States
OwnerThe Walt Disney Company
General managerKarin Gilford
ParentDisney Entertainment
URLmoviesanywhere.com
RegistrationRequired
Users6 Million
[1][2]

Movies Anywhere was first launched on February 25, 2014 as Disney Movies Anywhere (DMA), with content from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars-branded films on iOS with iTunes Store integration. On October 12, 2017, DMA was relaunched as Movies Anywhere, with other studios joining Disney in offering their film titles through the platform. The service has since been extended to other platforms and storefronts, including Amazon Video, Google TV (formerly Google Play Movies & TV), Microsoft Movies & TV, and Fandango at Home (formerly FandangoNow and Vudu), along with subscribers of DirecTV, Xfinity, and Verizon Fios TV services.

Until July 2019, Movies Anywhere was a competitor to the UltraViolet platform that was deployed by other major film studios; Disney declined to back the platform in favor of promoting KeyChest as an alternative. On January 31, 2019, the consortium behind UltraViolet (DECE) announced that it would shut down its services on July 31, 2019. The studios remaining with UltraViolet, including MGM, Paramount Pictures, and Lionsgate, did not move and switch over to Movies Anywhere.[3]

History

In 2009, Disney unveiled a rights synchronization platform known as KeyChest, which would allow content purchases via digital distribution platforms to be queried and used to build a centralized library. The company explained that this system would allow "persistent" access to purchased content across multiple digital platforms, including television set-top boxes and mobiles.[4][5][6][7][8] The platform was viewed as being a competitor to UltraViolet, a competing concept developed by DECE, a consortium containing all other major U.S. film studios but Disney.[8][9]

Disney Movies Anywhere originally launched on February 25, 2014, as an iOS app that allows users to link Disney films purchased on iTunes Store into a unified library with digital copies of Disney films purchased on physical media, so that they can be streamed or downloaded. The user's Apple ID was linked with a Disney account. The app also allowed users to browse through a catalog of Disney films available on iTunes Store, access supplemental content such as interviews and behind-the-scenes footage, and participate in the Disney Movie Rewards program.[10] Walt Disney Studios CTO Jamie Voris explained that the app was designed to provide a "rich, interactive experience" around its content as an alternative to "utilitarian" online stores and that Disney planned to seek additional retail partners for the service in the future.[10]

In November 2014, support for Google Play Movies & TV and Vudu was added.[11][12] In September 2015, support for Amazon Video and Microsoft Movies & TV was added, and DMA apps for Android TV and Roku were also released.[13] In August 2016, Verizon Fios became the first television provider to integrate with DMA, allowing purchases through Fios On Demand to be synced into DMA libraries.[14][15]

In September 2017, DMA ceased support for Microsoft Movies & TV, with future purchases no longer automatically accessible through the linked library.[16]

Expansion to third-party studios

On October 10, 2017, it was reported that the DMA platform would expand to include content from non-Disney studios under the name Movies Anywhere, with 20th Century Fox (which was eventually acquired by Disney in 2019, which would be renamed in January 2020 as 20th Century Studios), Sony Pictures, Universal Pictures, Warner Bros. Pictures serving as initial partners, and Paramount Pictures, Lionsgate, and Metro-Goldwyn Mayer expressing interest.[17] It would also include titles from Disney's Hollywood Pictures and Touchstone Pictures banners that were previously unavailable on DMA. The DMA platform was relaunched on October 12, 2017. The Verge felt that the new platform could be used to replace the commercially unsuccessful UltraViolet platform (which Disney did not support).[9] Despite not being available in the country, the service's new logo drew the attention of Australian users for resembling that of the public broadcaster Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). The logo consists of a combination of the letters M and A, while the ABC's logo is based on the Lissajous curve.[18][19]

At CES 2018, General Manager Karin Gilford announced that consumers’ accounts had accumulated nearly 80 million films.[20] On February 28, 2018, Disney Movies Anywhere was shut down, with content and accounts migrated to Movies Anywhere.[21] Support for FandangoNow was added on March 13, 2018 (Fandango acquired Vudu and merged the service into it in August 2021),[22][23] with talks also resuming between Movies Anywhere and Microsoft Movies & TV.[24] By then, there were more than 100 million films in consumer accounts.[25]

On August 6, 2018, it was announced that Microsoft Movies & TV would be rejoining the Movies Anywhere service. By then, the number of films in customer accounts had grown to more than 135 million.[26][27] In October 2018, Verizon joined the service, followed by Comcast (owner of Universal Pictures) in December.[28][29]

On January 31, 2019, Ultraviolet announced that it would terminate its services on July 31, 2019, owing to increased support for Movies Anywhere.[30][31] While Lionsgate and Paramount dropped out of that service in July and December 2018, they have not made any transition to Movies Anywhere. MGM, the remaining studio that continued to utilize Ultraviolet, also did not transition to Movies Anywhere (although some co-productions with other studios are available on Movies Anywhere).[citation needed]

In March 2020, amid the COVID-19 pandemic,[32] Movies Anywhere began to add features allowing digital sharing of purchases.[32] That month, "Screen Pass" entered closed beta, which allowed users to share up to three films per month and gave recipients 14 days to watch each shared film. Once a film is played from Screen Pass, recipients are then given a 72-hour window to finish the film. Screen Pass was officially released in September 2020.[33][34] In July 2020, the service also added "Watch Together".[32] Both features were discontinued on May 1, 2023.[3] In August 2020, DirecTV became the first satellite TV provider to join the Movies Anywhere platform.[35]

References

  1. ^ "Privacy Policy - Movies Anywhere". Movies Anywhere.
  2. ^ Spangler, Todd (November 9, 2018). "Movies Anywhere Hits 6 Million Users, Over 150 Million Movies Stored in First Year". Variety. Retrieved November 9, 2018.
  3. ^ a b Welch, Chris (May 2, 2023). "Movies Anywhere is ending its movie sharing and Watch Together features". The Verge. Archived from the original on December 5, 2023. Retrieved March 13, 2024.
  4. ^ Price, Emily (February 25, 2014). "Disney Movies Anywhere service launches with an unprecedented link to iTunes". Engadget. Retrieved October 12, 2017.
  5. ^ Drawbaugh, Ben (January 10, 2010). "Disney's KeyChest is not DRM". Engadget. Retrieved October 12, 2017.
  6. ^ Warren, Christina (October 21, 2009). "Disney's Going Digital: Buy Once, Watch Anywhere". Mashable. Retrieved October 12, 2017.
  7. ^ Healey, Jon (January 5, 2010). "Disney offers KeyChest, but where is the KeyMaster?". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 8, 2011.
  8. ^ a b Smith, Ethan (October 21, 2009). "Disney Touts a Way to Ditch the DVD". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved February 23, 2019.
  9. ^ a b Bishop, Bryan (October 12, 2017). "Hollywood studios join Disney to launch Movies Anywhere digital locker service". The Verge. Retrieved October 12, 2017.
  10. ^ a b Ha, Anthony (February 25, 2014). "Disney Launches Disney Movies Anywhere, An iTunes-Integrated App Where Fans Can Build Their Movie Library". TechCrunch. Retrieved October 12, 2017.
  11. ^ Graser, Marc (November 14, 2014). "Walmart's Vudu Joins Disney Movies Anywhere". Variety. Retrieved October 12, 2017.
  12. ^ Buhr, Sarah (November 3, 2014). "Disney And Google Partner Up For Disney Movies Anywhere Access On Google Play". TechCrunch. Retrieved October 12, 2017.
  13. ^ Welch, Chris (September 8, 2015). "Disney's fantastic cloud movie locker now works with Amazon, Microsoft video apps". The Verge. Retrieved October 12, 2017.
  14. ^ Baumgartner, Jeff (August 23, 2016). "Verizon Fios First MVPD to Connect to Disney Movies Anywhere". Multichannel News. Retrieved October 16, 2017.
  15. ^ Chen, I-Chun (August 24, 2016). "Verizon Fios joins Disney Movies Anywhere platform". L.A. Biz. Retrieved October 16, 2017.
  16. ^ Moon, Mariella (September 8, 2017). "Disney Movies Anywhere drops Microsoft as a partner". Engadget. Retrieved October 12, 2017.
  17. ^ Gruenwedel, Erik (October 10, 2017). "Disney Movies Anywhere Adds Fox, WB, Universal (Report)". Variety. Retrieved October 12, 2017.
  18. ^ "New Disney logo for Movies Anywhere app has Aussies baffled". NewsComAu. October 13, 2017. Retrieved September 19, 2020.
  19. ^ "Australians Are Roasting Disney Over Their Streaming App's Suspiciously Familiar New Logo". Junkee. October 14, 2017. Retrieved September 19, 2020.
  20. ^ Arnold, Thomas (February 25, 2018). "Betting on Movies Anywhere". Media Play News. Retrieved April 27, 2018.
  21. ^ Roettgers, Janko (February 28, 2018). "Disney Movies Anywhere Shutting Down Today, but Your Movies Won't Be Lost Forever". Variety. Retrieved March 18, 2024.
  22. ^ England, Rachel (March 13, 2018). "Movies Anywhere includes your FandangoNOW flicks". Engadget.
  23. ^ Welch, Chris (August 3, 2021). "Fandango chooses Vudu as the way forward for its streaming business". The Verge. Retrieved March 18, 2024.
  24. ^ Thorp-Lancaster, Dan (March 14, 2018). "Microsoft 'in discussions' about joining Movies Anywhere". Windows Central. Mobile Nations. Retrieved July 19, 2018.
  25. ^ Prange, Stephanie (March 12, 2018). "Movies Anywhere Adds FandangoNow". Media Play News. JCH Media Inc. Retrieved April 27, 2018.
  26. ^ Moon, Tim (August 6, 2018). "Microsoft Movies & TV rejoins Movies Anywhere". Neowin.
  27. ^ Latchem, John (August 6, 2018). "Microsoft Joins Movies Anywhere Platform". Media Play News. JCH Media Inc. Retrieved August 6, 2018.
  28. ^ Prange, Stephanie (October 8, 2019). "Movies Anywhere Launches on Verizon Fios". Media Play News. Retrieved March 18, 2024.
  29. ^ Arnold, Thomas K. (December 6, 2018). "Comcast Signs On as Movies Anywhere's First Pay-TV Partner". Variety. Retrieved March 18, 2024.
  30. ^ Perez, Sarah (January 31, 2019). "Cloud movie locker UltraViolet is finally closing". TechCrunch. AOL. Retrieved February 1, 2019.
  31. ^ Latchem, John (January 31, 2019). "Digital Movie Service UltraViolet Shutting Down July 31". Media Play News. Retrieved February 12, 2019.
  32. ^ a b c Gartenberg, Chaim (July 28, 2020). "Movies Anywhere is the latest service to add a viewing party feature". The Verge. Retrieved March 18, 2024.
  33. ^ "Movies Anywhere Officially Bows Screen Pass Feature". Media Play News. September 2020. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
  34. ^ Gartenberg, Chaim (March 17, 2020). "Movies Anywhere's new Screen Pass feature will let you loan your digital movies to friends". The Verge. Retrieved March 18, 2024.
  35. ^ "Now you can add DirecTV movie purchases to your Movies Anywhere digital locker". TechHive. Retrieved March 18, 2024.
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