Although news headlines are blaring that News Corp.
Not only will people be able to buy shows like 24 and movies like The Omen through MySpace and other News Corp. sites, but they will also be able to download them to any device that runs Microsoft's
It's no secret that the movie studios have been a tough nut for Apple to crack, and many of their initiatives may leave us to wonder where Apple's place will be in movie distribution. For example, Time Warner's
Apple seems to be getting snubbed a lot these days, given the fact that movie studios seem to be finding many other ways to distribute their products without the help of iTunes. Of course, there are still some details to hammer out in their initiatives, such as price and how to best navigate copyright concerns, and there are some reasons to wonder if the movie studios can make it worth customers' while, as Apple did with music.
News Corp.'s aggressive move certainly brings up a lot of questions for all the players involved. But one element that it hammers home is how valuable some of its recent acquisitions were. Not only has MySpace proven to be a powerful boon to online distribution, but News Corp.'s Direc2Drive service, which will sell the movies and shows, uses IGN's technology.
News Corp. snapped up IGN for $650 million about a year ago. IGN allowed gamers to download video games over the Internet, and it was clearly a nod to News Corp.'s interest in the youth demographic. It's now obvious News Corp. had even bigger plans for the service, above and beyond avid gamers.
As recently as last year, News Corp. was known for being a bit late to the game when it came to Internet properties and initiatives. This story shows that it's back in the game -- and it's obviously got a lot of tricks up its sleeve as it plays to win.
Microsoft is a Motley Fool Inside Value recommendation, and Time Warner is recommended in Stock Advisor . What type of investor are you? Take a free trial to any of our newsletters to find out.
Alyce Lomax does not own shares of any of the companies mentioned.