Vudu, Walmart’s digital streaming service, has been sold to Fandango, the company best known for its movie ticketing service. This shouldn’t come as a surprise, as rumors of Walmart shopping Vudu to potential buyers have been circulating for some time.
As of this writing, neither company has revealed a dollar amount for the purchase, only explaining that the two firms have come to an agreement on the transaction.
While Walmart is exiting ownership of the digital movie service, part of the agreement states that the digital movie and TV store on Walmart.com will still be powered by Vudu. Additionally, customers will be able to use their Walmart login and their Walmart wallet to purchase items on Vudu going forward.
For Vudu users, this shouldn’t make a big difference in their daily lives, as both companies have promised uninterrupted service. According to Vudu, “All the movies and TV shows you own on Vudu will still be there. You will continue to have access to them as always.”
Additionally, Vudu is promising that the core idea of the service will not change in spite of being sold to Fandango. On that, the company says, “Nothing about how and when we offer new releases or catalog titles will change.” During these times when going to a movie theater isn’t possible, this is more important than ever and shows that this purchase could be a smart move for Fandango.
Fandango already has a streaming service called FandangoNOW, and it hasn’t made it clear how the company plans to integrate Vudu into its existing service, only saying that its “priority is to ensure that Vudu customers and partners are given the highest level of service during this time of transition.” The company stated that it will explore ways to bring entertainment in the future, which could mean any number of things as far as combining the two services or keeping them separate.
