Emap set to offer movies on demand from Empire site

by James Livesley and Robin Parker, Media Week 13-Feb-07

Emap is launching video-on-demand movies on its film brand Empire's website and IPTV content for two other magazines, as the company seeks new revenue streams from brand extensions.

The media group's digital entertainment division Emap Performance
launches empiremoviedownloads.com this week, offering downloads of
blockbuster movies such as Superman Returns, The Matrix, The Bourne

Supremacy and classics like Casablanca. Films will cost from £2.99

to rent or £5.99 to own.

Emap is also introducing IPTV content costing from £1.99 per
download from its Motorcycle News and Today's Golfer websites.

Emap chief executive Tom Moloney told Media Week that Emap was
prioritising sites that could offer alternative revenue streams to
advertising over simple brand extensions as part of its strategic focus
on fast-growing platforms.

"We want to do brand extensions, but these have to be within existing
cost bases," he said. "Our planned website for Heat, for example, is not
a priority because it's the print edition that is the fast-growing
platform."

Emap has appointed digital film distributor Arts Alliance Media to
provide 350 hours of content across the three sites, with more to be
added later. Content will include the European service provider's roster
of material, including films from Universal Pictures, Sony Pictures and
Warner Bros, and bespoke programming from Emap.

Big races, amazing stunts and documentaries including Champion Sheene,
about motorcycle hero Barry Sheene, will be featured on the MCN site,
mcnbikedownloads.com.

At TGgolfdownloads.com, golf fans can watch classics such as British
Opens from 1970 to 2006, or get a tutorial from the likes of David
Leadbetter. Emap's editorial teams will also be filming their own
tutorials, and filming interviews by MCN or Today's Golfer
journalists.

Users can pause and rewind films and send content to different
designated PCs, allowing users to download content from an office PC to
a home PC, ready to view when they get home.

Content can also be viewed on a TV, providing it is networked to the PC.