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New BlackBerry store touted with TV and film offerings

By Matt Sylvain
January 29, 2013

Research In Motion has re-named its online store to BlackBerry World from BlackBerry App World, and is touting an enhanced selection of TV, film and music programming

This news comes ahead of its its soon-to-be-released BlackBerry 10.

“Music and video content is an integral part of a rich mobile experience. People want easy and convenient access to their favorite music, movies and TV shows wherever they are,” said Frank Boulben, chief marketing officer at Research In Motion. “RIM is committed to working with content providers to bring the best, most up-to-date content to our customers with BlackBerry 10, and to make it easy for them to get what they want.”

Many of its films will be available the same day as they are released on DVD and next-day availability for most current TV series, RIM explained in a statement Monday.

“The competitive offering will feature content from all major studios, music labels and top local broadcast networks,” it said, adding the video download and rental section in BlackBerry World will initially be available in the U.S., U.K. and Canada.

It also said that, “varying by region and distributor,” customers will have access to movies from 20th Century Fox, Entertainment One, Lionsgate, MGM, National Film Board of Canada, Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (U.S.), Starz Digital Media, StudioCanal, The Walt Disney Studios, Universal Pictures (U.K.) and Warner Bros.

It says he will carry TV programming from ABC Studios, BBC Worldwide, CBC/Radio-Canada, CBS, DHX Media, ITV, National Geographic, NBCUniversal (U.K.), Nelvana, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (U.S.), Starz Digital Media, Twentieth Century Fox Television, Univision Communications Inc, and Warner Bros.

The BlackBerry 10, which is set to launch later this week, reportedly features among other things a video display-friendly, iPhone-like touch-screen interface.

In related news, The Weather Network and MétéoMédia, divisions of Pelmorex Media, Monday announced the launch of The Weather Network application for BlackBerry 10. It includes picture and video upload functions, tools that likely will increase the network’s use of user-generated and crowdsourced content.