SIOUX FALLS, S.D., Jan. 6, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — LodgeNet Interactive Corporation (NASDAQ: LNET), the leading provider of interactive media and connectivity services to hospitality and healthcare businesses and the consumers they serve, today announced that Universal Pictures’ Bridesmaids was the top selling on demand movie in hotel rooms served by LodgeNet during 2011. The comedy, about a down-and-out maid of honor on a mission to give her best friend a wedding to remember, was directed by Paul Feig and distributed by NBCUniversal.
The top selling on demand theatrical movie titles in hotel guest rooms during 2011 were:
- Bridesmaids (Universal Pictures)
- The Hangover Part II (Warner Bros.)
- Limitless (Relativity Media)
- Fast Five (Universal Pictures)
- Little Fockers (Universal Pictures)
- Just Go With It (Sony Pictures Entertainment)
- The Lincoln Lawyer (Lionsgate)
- No Strings Attached (Paramount Pictures)
- Hall Pass (Warner Bros.)
- Life As We Know It (Warner Bros.)
A company record 37 titles generated $1 million or more in sales revenue on LodgeNet interactive TV systems in 2011. This included releases from all of the major Hollywood studios as well as independent studios and distributors.
“We would like to congratulate NBCUniversal on having the top selling title in LodgeNet served hotels during 2011,” said Derek S. White, President, Interactive & Media Networks for LodgeNet. “With a broad range of titles appealing to consumers of every segment, the content provided by NBCUniversal was a key component of our in-room entertainment mix and was instrumental in helping us achieve a record-setting year for million dollar titles.”
“We are thrilled to recognize Bridesmaids as the top selling VOD title across the LodgeNet system, as well as the strong performance of Fast Five and Little Fockers. The success of such wide-ranging titles reflects the ongoing demand for compelling in-room entertainment, and we are proud to partner with LodgeNet to offer travelers recently released movies they may not have had a chance to see or that they want to enjoy again,” said Mike Aaronson, SVP, NBCUniversal Digital Distribution.
A key ingredient of LodgeNet’s performance in 2011 was “VOD 2.0”, an in-room entertainment marketing initiative the company launched in June to approximately 1.1 million hotel guest rooms. Through a combination of a tiered pricing structure, a broader range of content choices, an improved user interface and maximized visibility of LodgeNet’s early movie release window, VOD 2.0 has driven a 20-25% increase in movie title “browsing” and an average 10-15% lift in theatrical movie buy rates. As a result of these improvements, theatrical movie revenue per room since the VOD 2.0 roll-out has increased by approximately 5% from 2010 levels.
LodgeNet also announced that beginning this month, USA Today travel reporter Barbara De Lollis is publishing a monthly update of the Top 10 Hollywood blockbusters that travelers order in LodgeNet served hotels. The listings – which can be found in De Lollis’ “Hotel Check-In” column – are based on pay-per-view movie orders in the 1.6 million interactive rooms the company serves.
