Digital Cinema Distribution Coalition to Surpass 32,000 Screens by 2018

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Tue, 08/11/2015 - 13:13 -- Nick Dager

Digital Cinema Distribution Coalition (DCDC), the North American theatrical content distribution organization founded by Warner Bros. Entertainment, Universal Pictures, Regal Entertainment Group, Cinemark Theatres and AMC Theatres, says it’s accelerating the rollout of its network and will surpass 32,000 screens in more than 3000 theatre locations in 2018.
 
“The DCDC Network has effectively converted traditional movie theatres into true community entertainment centers that have successfully expanded the shared content experience for consumers to all forms of content, including movies, operas, ballets, eSports, live-store and live- live events, from anywhere in the world,” said DCDC CEO Randy Blotky.
 
Just since May, fifteen additional exhibitors with approximately 200 locations and more than 1,800 screens have signed up, bringing the total number of theatre circuits under contract with DCDC to 73 across 2,300 theatre locations and 28,000 screens. As of August, more than 1,700 of those theatre locations already have DCDC’s proprietary equipment installed, successfully delivering digital content to nearly 22,000 screens. To date, DCDC has made more than 360,000 successful deliveries over its network for its content provider customers.
 
The number of content providers that have joined DCDC has also continued to grow and now stands at 24. Since the spring, several additional distributors have become DCDC customers, including The Weinstein Company, STX Entertainment, Arts Alliance Distribution, By Experience, Gathr Films, Group 1200 Media, Magnolia Pictures, Pure Flix, SpectiCast and Shorts International.

Contributing to the influx of new distributors has been DCDC’s focus on offering a new high- quality, live-streaming technology solution that it unveiled at CinemaCon in April. Working in conjunction with its primary service provider, Deluxe-EchoStar, the new system is designed to allow the DCDC KenCast catch server to stream live content into an unlimited number of auditoriums from two simultaneous real-time 1080p-HD event feeds, as well as two additional pre-recorded events (encores). This allows exhibitors the flexibility to book up to four events simultaneously to an unlimited number of auditoriums.
 
“The rapid growth we are experiencing can be directly attributed to the unprecedented and close collaboration among the five owners of DCDC in creating a highly unique mechanism for the use and benefit of the entire industry,” Blotky said. “They have engaged in the incredibly complex work of designing an electronic content delivery network that has accommodated both technological and business considerations; allowed for the creation of an economic operating model that has accrued significant cost savings to content provider and exhibitor customers of DCDC; and enhanced the flow of creative properties to theatres across the U.S. while benefiting content creators and content consumers alike.”

 

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