NBCU Killing Off Vudu Brand, Will Rename Service ‘Fandango at Home’
Adieu, Vudu.
The Vudu name is being put out to pasture, 20 years after it was founded as a pioneering digital movie service. Vudu, which is part of NBCUniversal’s Fandango movie ticketing and entertainment division, will be renamed “Fandango at Home” in the coming weeks.
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Vudu first launched its service with an internet set-top box in 2007, before the company was acquired by retail giant Walmart in 2010. Then, in 2020, NBCU-owned Fandango bought Vudu from Walmart in 2020
The name-change is a reversal for Fandango, which in 2021 phased out the FandangoNow movie and TV storefront — and replaced it with the Vudu name. Vudu began notifying customers of the rebranding via email on Thursday (Feb. 15). In the message, it said the change to Fandango at Home would occur “in a few weeks.”
According to Cameron Douglas, Fandango’s senior VP of OTT and streaming, the goal for the name change is to “better align our products under one brand, reinforcing Fandango as the destination for premium entertainment at home and at the theater.”
“Fandango remains committed to super-serving fans with all their entertainment needs, and we are excited about the opportunities this rebranding brings to deliver a seamless and enjoyable service to our users,” Douglas said in a statement.
In an FAQ posted on the Vudu site, Fandango says, “All your movies and TV shows from Vudu will remain in your Fandango at Home Library. Nothing in your account will change, however you will now have the option to link your Fandango and Fandango at Home logins.”
Vudu initially launched with its own set-top box that downloaded movies over the internet for local playback. In its early days, Vudu focused on delivering high-quality digital formats, including its own proprietary “HDX” format. Today, the service offers more than 200,000 titles to rent or buy, including new releases and thousands of free titles.
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