Start Online Movie Rental/Streaming Website?

**olimits7** · 02-02-2010 10:59 PM

Hi,

I'm trying to research information on how to start up an online movie rental/streaming website similar to Netflix.

It's easy to find information on selling movies online by setting up an account with a wholesaler, but I can't find anything regarding an online rental/streaming website.

I'm just trying to get pointed in the right direction to finding out more information/contacts on how I can start up an online rental/streaming website.

Some questions I have are:
1. Do I need a special rental/streaming license for an ecommerce site?
2. If I do, where would I go for this?
3. Are there companies like distributors/wholesalers that you can setup online rental/streaming accounts with?

Thank you,

olimits7

**Carlos™** · 02-03-2010 02:43 AM

The movie streaming industry is booming, its going nuts just ask hulu.com - but...

1. You need to contact a distributor of movies, the companies involved with publishing/developing these movies to acquire license to use (but this may also attract investors in your company - because movie companies want to make money, too, so they will help fund your company, but you have to pay fees - these are actually called "royalties.") - 2. To go about it, is by contacting the companies you want movies in your service - for example, if you want Spiderman on DVD and BluRay (I'm not saying you're renting DVD's and bluray, but..that's not my point.) you have to contact that company in order to be able to rent it out, and to allow "streaming." That is, if you want to be a legal company providing this service. There are sites that are ripping movies and selling them for profit. This is illegal, and causes lawsuits, FYI.

#3 is hard to answer because I'm not in the industry, I just know that you have to collaborate with the companies in order to get them on your side AND avoid lawsuits at all costs.

**olimits7** · 02-03-2010 09:56 AM

Hi,

Thank you for your reply...

Yes, I guess I would have to contact the studios; like Warner Bros, Paramount, Sony, 20th Century Fox, etc...

However, these companies are so big; it's going to be a pain to find the right people to contact who handle this.

I'm surprised there isn't a central distributor type company that you can go use to rent/stream movies to customers, and this distributor would already have all the contracts/licenses setup with all these studios.

olimits7