Time Warner Cable Selling Movies Same Day as Theatrical Release

Time Warner Cable (NYS: TWC) said Friday it is selling video-on-demand subscribers two movies on the same day they premiere in movie theaters, and it also began selling a third movie weeks before its scheduled theatrical debut.

The move comes just two days after Comcast (NAS: CMCSA) abandoned a plan to team up with Universal Pictures to test how many subscribers in Atlanta and Portland, Ore., would be willing to pay $59.99 to see a movie three weeks after its theatrical debut.

Time Warner Cable began selling Trespass, starring Nic Cage and Nicole Kidman, on demand Friday. The action thriller debuted in movie theaters on the same day.

The MSO said it will begin selling Margin Call, starring Kevin Spacey and Demi Moore, on Oct. 21, the same day it hits theaters. And it also began selling a third movie on Friday, Melancholia, which isn't scheduled to debut in theaters until Nov. 11.

Time Warner Cable is charging subscribers just $6.99 to watch Margin Call and Trespass on VOD. It is charging $9.99 for Melancholia.

While the movies Time Warner Cable is selling on VoD may not be a popular as Tower Heist, the comedy starring Eddie Murphy and Ben Stiller that Comcast planned to test, its VoD distribution could also spark a backlash from theater owners.

This article originally published here. Get your cable industry briefing here.

At the time thisarticle was published Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools don't all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Copyright © 1995 - 2011 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.