XDC has signed non-exclusive agreements with Sony Pictures and Universal and is now the first deploying entity to sign with six major U.S. distributors for the deployment of up to 8 000 DCI-compliant digital cinema installations across Europe. Sony Pictures Releasing International and Universal City Studios will support XDC acting as a deploying entity to roll out DCI-compliant digital cinema systems for theatrical presentations in several countries in Europe. Under the terms of the agreements Sony Pictures and Universal have independently and non-exclusively agreed to supply European exhibitors with their feature films in digital form for projection on DCI-compliant digital cinema screens as well as to make financial contributions in order to promote DCI-compliant digital cinema projection systems. These agreements together with those signed with Warner Brothers Paramount Pictures Twentieth Century Fox and The Walt Disney Studios are a major milestone in Europe and for XDC in particular. The company is now the first one to offer a full Hollywood slate and will work with the European Distributors. Serge Plasch XDC’s chief executive officer says “These agreements with Sony Pictures and Universal together with the ones signed with the other studios mark and ease the beginning of the large scale deployment of digital cinema in Europe. For XDC the next steps are the negotiation of similar agreements with European movie distributors the sale of this co-financing proposal to cinema exhibitors across Europe and last but not least both equity and debt raising to fund the digital roll-out phase. This infrastructure deployment will also help XDC to develop its other activities: first the design and sale of cinema advanced solutions; secondly the installation and maintenance of complete digital cinema systems for exhibitors; and thirdly digital content processing and distribution services for movie distributors and advertising sales houses.” XDC www.xdcinema.com
