ITWire

Cinema, DVD rental and screen advertising operator Hoyts is preparing to launch a high-quality movie streaming service called Hoyts Stream.

The company has announced it will use Viocorp's transactional and subscription video-on-demand platform to deliver the service.

Hoyts Stream - currently scheduled for a third-quarter launch - will offer new movies on the day they are released on DVD, along with classic movies and TV shows.

Hoyts plans to promote the service by exploiting its existing relationships with cinema-goers (including the 550,000 members of the Hoyts Rewards loyalty program and the Hoyts Insider Club) and the 200,000 active customers of its DVD rental kiosks.

Hoyts chief marketing and digital officer Crispin Tristram said "We chose Viocorp because they have a proven VOD platform in market that has proved hugely successful in Asia. Their local presence and aligned strategic roadmap were also key factors in Viocorp's selection."

Viocorp CEO Ian Gardiner said "For a long time Australians have been wanting a quality digital movie delivery service. Consumers want a great range of content, delivered to any device of their choosing at really high picture quality.

"This is the vision that Viocorp will be helping Hoyts achieve. It is a really proud moment for us to be working on a deal like this.

"The creation of partnerships to deliver premium services to digital consumers, globally, is a key component of the Viocorp product roadmap."

Viostream's platform can deliver "HD quality" to Windows and OS X PCs, iOS and Android smartphones and tablets, connected TVs, and game consoles.