Fandango Media this week merged its two streaming services to create one massive entertainment platform. The updated Vudu, purchased from Walmart last year, replaces FandangoNow as the official movie and TV store on Roku.
The combined library features more than 200,000 new release and catalog content to rent or buy, as well as “thousands” of free-to-watch titles—no subscription needed.
“During a time where consumers have a myriad of viewing options, we’re proud to deliver a service that presents an unparalleled library of content, many titles that are not available on subscription services, and the flexibility to pay as you go,” Fandango President Paul Yanover said in a statement.
Fandango in 2016 acquired online video retailer M-Go, a joint venture between Technicolor SA and DreamWorks Animation, which it rebranded as FandangoNow. Five years later, the NBCUniversal subsidiary is retiring the name and service in favor of Vudu, which, according to VarietyVariety, boasts “stronger brand-name recognition” than FandangoNow.
In a statement to the entertainment news site, Fandango explained that bringing these two services together allows the firm to “rapidly innovate and make bolder, faster enhancements to benefit consumers and partners, especially important during an ever-changing media landscape.”
While the COVID-19 pandemic took a toll on cinemas, temporarily closing theaters around the world and delaying blockbuster releases, it also shepherded more people toward at-home video streaming services like Netflix, Disney+, HBO Max, Apple TV+, Hulu, Prime Video, and Vudu. “Consumer excitement for premium video on-demand has grown significantly as users turn to streaming to access the latest movies and TV show releases,” according to Tedd Cittadine, VP of content partnerships at Roku.
New releases available on Vudu include F9: The Fast Saga, Pixar’s Luca, The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, Peter Rabbit 2, The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard, A Quiet Place Part II, Disney’s Cruella, Godzilla vs. Kong, and In the Heights. Marvel’s Black Widow arrives on Tuesday, Aug. 10.
