CES 2007: Lionsgate Films to XBL

Less than a week after touting the early success of its Xbox Live Video Marketplace, Microsoft has added another major movie distributor to its list of Xbox 360 supporters. This week at CES in Las Vegas, the console manufacturer announced that Lionsgate will be bringing a selection of its films to Microsoft’s On-Demand video distribution service in high-definition this year.

“This partnership is great for Lionsgate. The Xbox gamer is the same moviegoer who wants to watch Saw III or Crank,” said Jon Ferro, executive VP of Lionsgate. “That is why we are so thrilled to bring Lionsgate films to Xbox Live Video Marketplace. Bringing our content to this audience makes perfect sense and reflects our commitment to remain at the cutting edge of content distribution to new media platforms.”

Among the first Lionsgate movies announced for release on Xbox Live are Saw III, Crank, The Descent, The Punisher, Employee of the Month, Hard Candy, Stir of Echoes, An American Haunting, and Requiem for a Dream.

Other film studios and television networks praised the Microsoft video service, which has become one of the top digital distribution ventures since its launch in November. Executives from Warner Bros. and Comedy Central revealed that in less than two months, the Xbox Live Video Marketplace has become one of the top digital distribution methods for getting their content directly to consumers.

Stay tuned to AMN for more CES 2007 coverage.