Comcast adds Disney movies to its Xfinity On Demand transactional store

Comcast (NASDAQ: CMCSA) has entered into an agreement with The Walt Disney Company to sell the studios feature films digitally through its Xfinity On Demand transactional store.

Starting today, visitors to www.xfinitytv.com will be able to purchase films like Star Wars: The Force Awakens, store them in the cloud and watch them on myriad IP devices.

The deal includes titles from Disney, Walt Disney Animation Studios, Disney•Pixar, Marvel Studios, Lucasfilm, Disneynature and Touchstone Pictures. Not only are recent theatrical films included, but also archival hits like the Pirate of the Caribbean films, Toy Story and Finding Nemo.

"We are excited to expand our digital store offering with the incredible selection of titles from The Walt Disney Studios' portfolio," said Nancy Spears, VP of digital media distribution and monetization at Comcast Cable. "Disney films appeal to all generations, and now our customers will be able to easily add them to their digital collection to watch when and where they want."

Comcast already sells movies for its own Universal Studios division, as well as 20th Century Fox, Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures, Warner Bros. and Lionsgate.

In the case of Disney, Comcast will become a participating retailer for the studios' digital locker initiative, Disney Movies Anywhere. This is the only cloud-based service in the U.S. that lets users store Disney films in the cloud and watch them on any device. Disney does not participate in the UltraViolet locker established by its competitors. 

Comcast is competing with Apple's iTunes Store, Google Play, Amazon Video and Walmart's Vudu in the competitive transactional market, so having access to a studio with such a large market share as Disney is crucial.

For more:
- read this Comcast press release
- read this Los Angeles Times story
- read this Variety story

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