Film and TV Studios join A & E and Image Entertainment to Offer Video Downloads through Library Websites

 

(Cleveland, OH – November 14, 2006) – Leading digital media vendor OverDrive, Inc. announced today that Magnolia Pictures, HDNet, Weston Woods, Nano Network, Music Sales Group, Naxos, Hart Sharp Video, Davenport Films, Mill Creek Entertainment, Magic Lamp Productions, Associated Television International, MPS Multimedia, Sounds True, Tai Seng Entertainment, and Venevision International have entered into distribution agreements with OverDrive to download film and video titles through public library websites.  Magnolia Pictures, specializes in unique and eclectic films including Academy Award nominated documentaries, and HDNet, which broadcasts sports, entertainment, and news in high definition.  Both companies are owned by Marc Cuban.

OverDrive, which provides digital audiobooks to over 4,000 U.S. and foreign public libraries, expanded its service earlier this year to include download film and video in its library media catalog.  Libraries in New York, Los Angeles, Boston, Chicago, Miami, Denver, Seattle, Cleveland, Baltimore, and Singapore already offer patrons OverDrive Video.  To use the service, a patron browses the library website or catalog, enters their library card, and checks out and downloads movies and TV shows in Windows Media Video format (.WMV).  At the end of the lending period, the video title expires and checks itself back into the library catalog.  Patrons can view the library videos on PCs, notebooks, and portable media players that support copy protected .WMV.

“Magnolia Pictures titles added to our service include “Enron: Smartest Guys in the Room,” “World’s Fastest Indian,” and “Bubble” by Steven Soderbergh”, stated Erica Lazzaro, Licensing Manager for OverDrive.  “These award-winning titles join a growing list of IMAX films, HBO stand up comedies, concert videos, classic TV and westerns, and how-to films available in download format from OverDrive.  Earlier this year we announced agreements with A&E Television Networks to distribute titles such as “Biography: Vincent Van Gogh” and “Modern Marvels: Mount Rushmore” and in negotiations with numerous other studios and suppliers,” Ms. Lazzaro added.

New OverDrive suppliers also include: Davenport Films, provider of live action fairy tales such as “Hansel and Gretel” and “Rapunzel”; Weston Woods, with children’s films including “Corduroy”, “Curious George Rides a Bike”, and “Wheels on the Bus”; Tai Seng Entertainment providing martial arts titles; Sounds True offering spiritual and self-help videos such as “Meditation for Beginners”; Hart Sharp Video offering feature films like “Supersize Me”, and Nano Network, a leading short film supplier with titles including “Hello” starring Eric Stoltz as well as films starring Felicity Huffman, Janeane Garafalo, David Hyde Pierce, Jim Belushi, Amy Adams, Coolio, and Taye Diggs.

Mill Creek Entertainment is providing OverDrive with classic movies, TV shows and cartoons including John Wayne film collections.  Associated Television International has licensed their top selling special interest videos including “Unlocking Da Vinci’s Code” and “Angels and Demons Revealed”.   MPS Multimedia is a producer of educational and instructional videos on cooking, sports, crafts and more.  “The Music Sales Group, from their New York office, is supplying OverDrive with the complete Hot Licks line of presently 50 personality music instructional DVDs such as “George Benson – The Art Of Jazz Guitar” in addition to the Rock House complete line of 40 music instructional DVDs including titles such as “Learn Rock Acoustic Guitar”.

 

Contact:

Loree Potash, OverDrive, Inc.

(216) 573-6886 x202

lpotash@overdrive.com

 

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