AfterDawn: News

IMDb wants all movies available as streaming titles, and for free

The extremely popular movie information site IMDb has new ambitions, says founder Col Needham, ones that will eventually see the site offering "free streaming of its entire database of movies and TV shows." As of typing, there are over 1.3 million movies and shows in IMDb's database.

IMDb is owned by Amazon and over the past few months the company has been getting into the online video market with the launch of its Amazon VOD service.



Needham added that current IMDb traffic is 57 million unique users per month and is by far the most popular site of its kind. The company purchased Box Office Mojo last year, the most popular movie gross tracking website as well.

IMDb leapt into web video last year, adding 14,000 TV episodes and 2000 movies along with 120,000 trailers, interviews and other "bonus features."

Needham did note that there could be one problem, "many of the films may not exist anymore and many may not be available for streaming."

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 18 Mar 2009 17:34

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• 9 comments

• ZippyDSM

  There is such a thing as "traffic revenue" if the industry made the right kind of site with streamlined and simple ads that don;t over whelm you(or let you skip them like the older gamespot video ads) and allowed for for cheap(under 5$) HD downloads it would be a great thing.
  
  But I think the industry will push for its distribution absolutism more than anything else...

  18.3.2009 17:44 #1

• zero9121

  The idea is great if it will really happen i guess we will all just have to wait.

  18.3.2009 19:48 #2

• lamain

  The more VoD the better. keep them coming :)

  19.3.2009 01:00 #3

• DVDdoug

  Just movies? I want FREE music, FREE software, FREE Windows, FREE games, and a bunch of other free stuff too!!!!
  
  I think Mr. Needham should talk to some people who have experience negotiating with the movie companies... Maybe talk to somebody at Netflix... They don't even have the rights for paid electronic/download distribution of all their movies.

  19.3.2009 17:55 #4

• ZippyDSM

  Originally posted by DVDdoug: Just movies? I want FREE music, FREE software, FREE Windows, FREE games, and a bunch of other free stuff too!!!!
  
  I think Mr. Needham should talk to some people who have experience negotiating with the movie companies... Maybe talk to somebody at Netflix... They don't even have the rights for paid electronic/download distribution of all their movies.LOL well they have to figure out things by themselves and they are very slow to learn.
  
  Though I'd rather pay 20$ a month for legit free stuff (like 20$ a month to live for everything it has to offer) or other such "service".
  
  The trouble is they will slow the whole process down by infighting and schemeing whitch is why we are "here" to start with.
  
  The current business model is failing the consumer and the consumer is going else where.

  19.3.2009 18:05 #5

• Phloop

  Quote:Though I'd rather pay 20$ a month for legit free stuff (like 20$ a month to live for everything it has to offer) or other such "service".If you pay money, like say $20 per month for Legit services and products then it can't be FREE. LoL
  
  Although I do understand the idea you are trying to convey.

  20.3.2009 19:59 #6

• ZippyDSM

  Quote:Quote:Though I'd rather pay 20$ a month for legit free stuff (like 20$ a month to live for everything it has to offer) or other such "service".If you pay money, like say $20 per month for Legit services and products then it can't be FREE. LoL
  
  Although I do understand the idea you are trying to convey.Ya you know what I mean *noogies*
  
  The industry is stuck in a quagmire and more than happy to drown anyone who questions them.

  20.3.2009 20:24 #7

• avoidz

  Yeah, free streaming... if you live in the United States.

  22.3.2009 09:13 #8

• chrissd

  Originally posted by DVDdoug: Just movies? I want FREE music, FREE software, FREE Windows, FREE games, and a bunch of other free stuff too!!!!
  
  I think Mr. Needham should talk to some people who have experience negotiating with the movie companies... Maybe talk to somebody at Netflix... They don't even have the rights for paid electronic/download distribution of all their movies.So, what you're saying is, you don't want to pay for anything? But do you still want to get paid when you work? Can't get both =P
  
  On the plus side and on topic, IMDb is a fairly big site. So they may just manage to get some movies up. On the downside, Aus is still in the stone age internet wise, and the companies that own the copyright to the movies are going to be fighting like mad to get something out of it.

  24.3.2009 23:03 #9