News: Fandango Updates Customers On VUDU Acquisition, Says Almost Nothing

In April, we reported that Fandango had acquired VUDU, that there would be minimal impact on VUDU customers, and that "the future will bring more new features, offerings, and other benefits as we join the Fandango family."  Today, VUDU sent an update to VUDU customers reassuring them that there would be little impact, but saying almost nothing additional.  

The update stated that: 

Vudu has joined the Fandango family

Hi Vudu customers,

A couple months ago, we shared that Vudu had entered into an agreement to be acquired by Fandango, the ultimate digital network for all things movies & TV. We are excited to let you know that Vudu is now part of the Fandango family. Rest assured that your movie & TV library is safe, and you continue to have access to all your Vudu apps across your favorite devices.

Along with uninterrupted use of your Vudu account, we will be bringing you new features and offerings to enjoy in the months ahead. Together, we are committed to connecting you with moving entertainment experiences, whether they are in a movie theater with a Fandango movie ticket or in the comfort of your own home on Vudu.

If you have any further questions, you can reference our Frequently Asked Questions here. Thank you for being part of Vudu. We look forward to continuing to bring you the best in movies and TV.

For those who reside in Massachusetts, Michigan, Connecticut, Maryland or Delaware, you may request not to transfer some of your account information to Fandango for continued operation of the Vudu service. In that case, Vudu will no longer be able to continue to provide you with its services. If you wish to not move forward with the transfer, please send the email address associated with your current Vudu account to support@vudu.com, and we will follow up to confirm your choice and provide additional details.

Sincerely,

Vudu team

It also pointed to a FAQ that looked exactly the same as the one in April.  It said that the VUDU app will still work, that VUDU purchases would remain accessible, and that although there will be no immediate change in the two entities, it implies that at some point they will be merged.

Personally, I don't love this as more digital movie distributors usually meant better deals on various sites.  Vudu frequently has sales on movies and FandangoNOW has their own $5 sales.  If you find Movies Anywhere movies from either, then the movies would go across services so where you bought it from didn't matter.  And having more distributors meant more opportunities for the movies you liked going on sale.  This could also be bad if the new Vudu/FandangoNOW entity decides to cut off app support for Vudu, since Vudu's app is widely available and works well.  FandangoNOW has no native app on Apple TV, so losing Vudu would mean fewer native ways to watch content.

Only time will tell what this means for the movie going public.  Pleas post your own thoughts below!  We'd love to hear what you think!

Deal: Get $30 of Fandango Credit for $15

Beat the heat this summer and stay in doors!  Right now you can get $30 of Fandango credit for $15 through a summer promotion.  Use the code SUMMER2020 to get a free $15 FandangoNOW promotional code (must be used by 8/31/2020) with any Fandango gift card purchase.  The best deal is to get the $15 gift card, which nets you $30 total credit.  Be warned that the promo code might need to be used all on one transaction, so you don't want to use it for a $3.99 rental.  But it could be good to use if you wanted to rent or buy any of the home on demand movies, or a new digital release! 

Steps to get the deal:

• Go to this link to purchase a giftcard.
• Add any Fandango gift card to your cart.  I recommend the $15 to get the most bonus credit.
• After adding the gift card to your cart, make sure to add promo code: SUMMER2020
• The $15 bonus credit should appear in your cart as well.  
• Check out and wait for promo email and gift card.

News: Vudu To Be Acquired By Fandango

Vudu, a well known digital movie distributor announced today that it has "entered into an agreement to be acquired by Fandango," according to this posting on its blog.  The blog post states that "nothing about the Vudu experience is changing – your movie & TV library is safe, and you will continue to have access to all your Vudu apps across your favorite devices."  The blog post goes on to state that there would be "many more exciting things to share in the months ahead" and that "the future will bring more new features, offerings, and other benefits as we join the Fandango family."

The blog post also references a new FAQ with additional details.  The FAQ makes sure to mention that Vudu is not shutting down, that customers movies and TV shows will still be in their library and they will still have access to them, that digital copies can still be redeemed on Vudu, and that promotional codes and offers are still valid.  And although the blog mentions that right now, it plans to keep both FandangoNOW and Vudu as fully operational ecosystems, it states that "[i]n the months ahead, we will explore ways to bring great online entertainment experiences to our valued customers."  This implies that at some point the two entities will merge.

Personally, I don't love this as more digital movie distributors usually meant better deals on various sites.  Vudu frequently has sales on movies and FandangoNOW has their own $5 sales.  If you find Movies Anywhere movies from either, then the movies would go across services so where you bought it from didn't matter.  And having more distributors meant more opportunities for the movies you liked going on sale.  This could also be bad if the new Vudu/FandangoNOW entity decides to cut off app support for Vudu, since Vudu's app is widely available and works well.  FandangoNOW has no native app on Apple TV, so losing Vudu would mean fewer native ways to watch content.

Only time will tell what this means for the movie going public.  Pleas post your own thoughts below!  We'd love to hear what you think!