BOX OFFICE OPENS AT MSN PORTAL TEAMS UP WITH ONLINE TICKET SELLER.Byline: Greg Hernandez Staff Writer MovieTickets.com has signed an agreement with MSN (1) (MicroSoft Network) A family of Internet-based services from Microsoft, which includes a search engine, e-mail (Hotmail), instant messaging (Windows Live Messaging) and a general-purpose portal with news, information and shopping (MSN Directory). to become the portal's provider of online movie ticketing and predicted Thursday that online ticket purchasing - still in its early stages - will become as commonplace as using a cellular phone. The deal gives MSN users one-click access to movie ticket sales and further intensifies the competition for business between MovieTickets.com and Santa Monica-based Fandango fandango (făndăng`gō), ancient Spanish dance, probably of Moorish origin, that came into Europe in the 17th cent. It is in triple time and is danced by a single couple to the accompaniment of castanets, guitar, and songs sung by the Inc. The rivals have seen their business skyrocket sky·rock·et n. A firework that ascends high into the air where it explodes in a brilliant cascade of flares and starlike sparks. intr. & tr.v. ever since fans of ``Harry Potter A potter is someone who makes pottery. Potter may also refer to: People
``MSN clearly is one of the most important players on the Internet in terms of the number of users and in terms of their demographic, which is a moviegoing demographic,'' said Mitch The name Mitch can mean:
Event movies like ``Spider-Man'' and ``Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones'' have seen up to 10 percent of their opening weekend tickets being purchased online. ``Austin Powers in Goldmember,'' which hits theaters today, is also enjoying robust advance sales. ``As more and more consumers are turning to the Web to plan their entertainment activities ... we are pleased that industry-leading providers like MovieTickets.com are able to take advantage of MSN's large consumer reach,'' said Richard Bray, vice president of MSN. MovieTickets.com, which is headquartered in Florida with an office in Santa Monica Santa Monica (săn`tə mŏn`ĭkə), city (1990 pop. 86,905), Los Angeles co., S Calif., on Santa Monica Bay; inc. 1886. Tourism and retailing are important, and the city has motion-picture, biotechnology, and software industries. , scored a major coup in May when it teamed with LucasFilm Ltd. on starwars.com, the official Web site for the latest ``Star Wars'' film. Fans of the movie were provided a direct link to the ticket service for advance purchases for the movie. MovieTickets.com, Fandango and AOL (A division of Time Warner, Inc., New York, NY, www.aol.com) The world's largest online information service with access to the Internet, e-mail, chat rooms and a variety of databases and services. MovieFone are the three major players in the fast-growing niche of advance movie-ticket sales. The services have surged in popularity as consumers have adapted to making purchases on the Internet in general. They also benefit from the consumer-savvy younger generation's desire to see blockbuster block·bust·er n. 1. Something, such as a film or book, that sustains widespread popularity and achieves enormous sales. 2. A high-explosive bomb used for demolition purposes. 3. movies on their opening weekend. ``There's really two sectors using it the most: the teen and young adult sector and the other group is families,'' Rubenstein said. ``For a family of four, it's the same as going to a Broadway show where you get the tickets in advance.'' MovieTickets.com is available on 53 percent of the nation's screens that offer Internet ticketing. Other online portals that have a direct link to the service include Yahoo and the Web sites for Disney, the New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of Times, Washington Post and Univision. A growing number of theaters now have the capacity to accept tickets that are ordered and printed out at home. When the customer arrives at the theater with the ticket, it is scanned with a bar code. Rubenstein predicts that eventually, more than 50 percent of the people using the service will print their tickets themselves as more theaters install bar codes. |
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