Miramax to Stream Movie Rentals via Facebook

LOS ANGELES: Miramax has unveiled a new digital app for Facebook, the Miramax eXperience, which allows users to rent movies through the social networking site.

The service launches on Facebook initially with 20 movies to rent in the U.S., and ten each in the U.K. and Turkey. The app is also set to roll out in France and Germany shortly. The initial launch is just for rentals, but Miramax says it hopes to give consumers the opportunity to buy films and store them in their own cloud-based digital locker.

"We are big believers in Facebook and what it could mean for the future of the content business," said a Miramax blog post. "Today there are over 50 million friends on Facebook that mention a Miramax film in their profile, interact with our Miramax page (www.facebook.com/miramax), or like the fan pages of beloved Miramax titles and talent—from Good Will Hunting to Pulp Fiction and Ben Affleck to Quentin Tarantino.

"Our goal with the Miramax App is to offer consumers a great user experience where they can watch movie clips and feature length films, play games and share the experience with their friends within the Facebook community. And in doing so, we aim to ultimately build our reach to 150 million-plus Facebook friends within the next 18 months."

The statement continued: "We believe this App is an important step in Miramax’s evolution. And thanks again to Facebook. Once again you’ve proven that you’re one of the most innovative companies in the world. We’re honored to be your partner and look forward to working together more in the future."