Cinram International has paid US$50 million to purchase Ditan Corp., a U.S.-based distributor of software and direct-to-store video. The deal announced Monday is expected to close in the second quarter of 2007, pending regulatory approval, and gives Cinram a foothold in the video game industry.

Ditan, a 180-person operation with offices in Atlanta, Seattle and elsewhere in the U.S., has ‘a large stable of renowned video game customers and retailers with… contracts that will be accretive to Cinram,’ said Cinram CEO David Rubenstein in a statement. Cinram provides DVDs, CDs and other media products to studios, music labels and software companies around the world.