Next up to take a page from Sony’s Crackle playbook is… AOL: The internet company has struck a deal with Hollywood heavyweight Miramax to stream movies from its library on its AOL On video website, as well as through its connected TV and mobile apps. Neither company would commit to listing any specific titles that will be available, but Variety helpfully reminds us that the Miramax catalog includes movies like Pulp Fiction, Chicago, Cinema Paradiso and Reservoir Dogs.
AOL is now playing in the movie biz. The Internet media company inked a deal with Miramax to deliver a selection of its full-length films to U.S. users, available to watch for free (with ads) across a range of devices. The pact will lead up to the launch of a new “Movies” section that will be featured across the AOL On Network for video, which until now has comprised only shortform series and clips. Miramax’s 700-plus film library includes such titles as “Pulp Fiction,” “Chicago,” “Good Will Hunting,” “The English Patient,” “Life Is Beautiful,” “Cinema Paradiso,” “Reservoir Dogs,” “Trainspotting,” “Bridget Jones’s Diary,” and the “Scream,” “Scary Movie” and “Spy Kids” franchises. The Miramax channel on AOL is scheduled to launch April 30. AOL will make available “tens of films” from the Miramax library, rotating on a monthly basis, said Ran Harnevo, president of AOL Video. The initial lineup of pics hasn’t been disclosed yet.