Comcast, IFC Announce Simultaneous Theatrical and Video On Demand Releases

Comcast and the Independent Film Channel have announced a tandem release strategy, according to the AP:

Comcast said indie films from "IFC in Theaters" will be shown through its "On Demand" service, which stores movies, TV shows and other video for subscribers with digital set-top boxes to watch at any time.The offerings, priced at $5.99 each, will be launched nationwide on Mar. 22.

IFC, a cable channel and independent film studio owned by Cablevision Systems Corp. in New York, will offer about two dozen new films every year to Comcast with simultaneous release in theaters.

According to the article, IFC is also in talks with other cable companies, though the "IFC in Theaters" On Demand service is only available on Comcast right now. This offering comes on the heels of recent experiments with release windows, the most prominent of which has been Magnolia's 'Bubble'. The studios have been less eager to experiment, but it's probably the smaller releases that will benefit from this strategy anyway.

Via AP Wire