CinemaNow, the LA-based online movie/video service, has received $20.3 million in late stage (fifth round) funding, in an effort to ramp up its efforts to expand beyond online, into possibly satellite and mobile. The round was led by new investors satellite TV firm EchoStar and Japanese mobile content giant Index Holdings. Previous investors Transcosmos, Cisco Systems, Lionsgate and Menlo Ventures also participated in the financing, marking the company’s largest single round to date..total money invested since 1999 is now more than $40 million.
Transcosmos has an already existing partnership with CinemaNow for the CinemaNow Japan service launched in the spring of 2005.
Variety: Echostar plans to integrate CinemaNow into its new generation of Internet-connected set-top boxes, eventually giving CinemaNow access to EchoStar’s 12 million subs….EchoStar made a similar deal last year, when it took a multimillion-dollar stake in portable media player manufacturer Archos. The two built a co-branded player to let subscribers of EchoStar’s Dish Network watch TV shows on the go.
Related:
—CinemaNow Adds WB’s Movies and TV Shows In Download-To-Own Roster
—Disney Joins CinemaNow Download-To-Own Roster
—Studios Agree To DVD-Download Simul-Release; Burn, But Only PC Viewing