CinemaNow

CinemaNow

Company type	Private
Industry	Streaming media, Video on demand
Founded	1999
Defunct	2017-08-01
Fate	Ceased operations
Headquarters	Los Angeles, California , United States
Area served	United States, Canada, United Kingdom
Products	OTT streaming and video on demand services

Overview

CinemaNow operated as a global provider of over-the-top (OTT) streaming and video on demand services. Catering to audiences across the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, the firm was established in 1999 with its headquarters situated in Los Angeles, California. Over its operational lifespan, CinemaNow underwent multiple ownership changes before ultimately ceasing operations on August 1, 2017.

Platform Availability

The CinemaNow service was accessible via various channels including web browsers, Android and iOS mobile applications, gaming consoles such as PlayStation and Xbox, as well as consumer electronics from brands like LG, Panasonic, Samsung, and Toshiba. This broad device compatibility enabled widespread content delivery across different user platforms.

Content Distribution and Library

CinemaNow offered its video content through multiple formats including electronic sell-through via Download To Own, rental access within pay-per-view windows, DVD burning options, and home video release windows. By 2016, the company's catalog comprised approximately 55,000 titles encompassing movies and television episodes.

History

Established in 1999, CinemaNow emerged as one of the pioneering Internet streaming platforms offering video on demand services.

By July 2004, the company secured $11 million in a Series D funding round, with investments from Menlo Ventures, Cisco Systems, and Lions Gate Entertainment.

Two years later, in July 2006, CinemaNow attracted $20.3 million through a Series E financing round. This round included contributions from EchoStar, Cisco Systems, Index Holdings, Menlo Ventures, Lions Gate Entertainment, and Microsoft.

In November 2008, Sonic Solutions completed the acquisition of CinemaNow.

Shortly after, in January 2009, Sonic Solutions and Blockbuster formed a strategic partnership to deliver digital content under the Blockbuster brand, effectively combining the digital storefronts of both CinemaNow and Blockbuster.

The following year, Sonic Solutions and Best Buy initiated a strategic collaboration that led to Best Buy acquiring the CinemaNow brand.

Sonic Solutions subsequently rebranded CinemaNow’s movie technology as RoxioNow, transforming it into a white-label movie store service. Later in December 2010, Sonic Solutions was purchased by Rovi Corporation for $775 million. Rovi continued operating the white-label movie store under the new name Rovi Entertainment Store.

In July 2013, Rovi announced the sale of the Rovi Entertainment Store to Reliance Majestic Holdings LLC, a media company supported by Proveho Capital, a private equity firm based in Austin, Texas. The following year, in July 2014, Best Buy divested the CinemaNow business to the private equity firm Regent Equity Partners.

Regent Equity Partners transferred ownership of CinemaNow to UK-based FilmOn in January 2016. By August 2017, reports indicated that the CinemaNow website was no longer accessible. It was subsequently confirmed that CinemaNow had been removed from the list of providers associated with Ultraviolet.

See also

• Comparison of digital distribution platforms for mobile devices

External links

• CinemaNow.com (archived via Wayback Machine on June 3, 2017)