The CEO of digital video on-demand and download service EzyFlix.tv has lauded the company's deal with DVD/Blu-ray digital copy system UltraViolet in helping to quickly grow EzyFlix's market share.
Craig White, the CEO of EzyFlix and co-founder of Access Digital Entertainment, the company that owns the digital download and streaming service, says that the company's tie-up with Hollywood owned UltraViolet has been a boon for the service in helping to attract new customers.
"I am ecstatic because we are very much the new kid on the block, but we are growing at the same annual rate of the more established players," he said.
UltaViolet is Hollywood's answer to the growing demand from movie lovers to "platform-shift" the movies they buy on Blu-ray and DVD. By purchasing a Blu-ray or DVD movie with the UltraViolet label, users will also get a digital copy that can be redeemed on one of the digital locker services supported by the platform, and then downloaded or streamed from that service. Depending on the digital service chosen, users will be able to watch the same movie instantly on their smartphone, tablets, smart TVs and even game consoles. Currently in Australia, UltraViolet enabled films can be redeemed on one of four services, including EzyFlix, JB Hi-Fi's NOW Video service, and on platforms owned by Sony (Sony Picture Store) and Warner Bros. (Flixster). Major Hollywood studios Sony, Fox, Warner Bros., Paramount and Universal have all signed up to and release movies on UltraViolet.
By partnering up with UltraViolet, the CEO of EzyFlix says that the company has been able to acquire many new customers at relatively low cost, which in this industry could cost "upwards of $40 per customer".
“We haven’t had to spend valuable marketing dollars to secure eyeballs, we've been able to concentrate on exciting the people who have been directed to us,” said Mr White, who also says that UltraViolet succeeds in helping studios "creating a pathway to digital ownership" as well as to "enhance the value" of Blu-ray and DVD purchases.
And White says that millennials have been by far the most eager to adopt services like EzyFlix.
“Millennials are the biggest shapers and consumers of popular culture, they spend the least amount of time watching free-to-air television and were the pioneers of social media and second-screening. They are aged between 18 and 34 and they’re smart and value-conscious. They’re far less likely to spend $10, $15 or $20 per month to gain access to a whole bunch of older movies typical of subscription services. They prefer to buy the films and TV shows they love from $2.99, or casually rent new release movies for $5.99 without any monthly obligations or subscription,” added White.
White also welcomes the rollout of the National Broadband Network, saying that the NBN will help the adoption of digital services like EzyFlix at the detriment of traditional distribution channels, such as pay TV and free-to-air broadcasts.
"Undoubtedly, the NBN together with the advent of new services such as EzyFlix.tv, devices like Chromecast and the replacement cycles of the big screen TV in the living room will all aid in the adoption of ‘over the top’ video-on-demand services at the expense of cable subscriptions and other traditional means for watching movies," White added.
EzyFlix just this week launched its Chromecast compatible app, the first digital service to do so for the official Australian Google Chromecast device.
