MORRISTOWN, N.J., —May 8, 2008
AccessIT Formalizes Agreement with Lionsgate to Receive Content and Virtual Print Fees Through November 2017
Long Time Software Division Customer to Extend Relationship
Access Integrated Technologies, Inc. ("AccessIT") (NASDAQ:AIXD), the global leader in digital cinema,announced today that LIONSGATE® will provide movies to digital cinema equipped theatres in the Phase 1 digital cinema program and will pay virtual print fees (VPFs) under a long-term agreement similar to those signed by all the other major studios. Lionsgate is already a long-time customer of AccessIT’s Software Division, employing its industry-leading Theatrical Distribution System (TDS) which enables theatre bookings for screens in the U.S. and Canada. AccessIT and Lionsgate have begun negotiations on a Phase 2 agreement.
Since October of 2006, Lionsgate has provided such movies as “The Forbidden Kingdom”, “Rambo”, "3:10 to Yuma", and the “Saw” franchise to AccessIT’s Phase 1 network of exhibitors and paid VPFs. This agreement serves to formalize the distributor’s intent to supply movies in the future, and to pay VPFs according to a set schedule.
“Having worked with AccessIT on both the software side and the digital cinema side, we are very pleased to formalize our commitment for their Phase 1 customers,” said Steve Rothenberg, President of Domestic Distribution at Lionsgate. “Our experiences with them to date have been extremely positive and we are confident that their highly professional teams will continue to provide an excellent level of service. We look forward to finalizing our agreement with them for their Phase 2 deployment customers as well.”
“Lionsgate has been a strong proponent of digital cinema having released 23 digital titles starting back in October, 2006, with ‘Employee of the Month’ “said Chuck Goldwater, President of AccessIT’s Media Service Division. “With a full schedule of movies right up there with the other major studios we look forward to more digital releases from Lionsgate to continue to support exhibitors’ digital cinema installations and the industry demand for more digital screens. We are proud to build upon our long relationship with Steve Rothenberg, Mike Polydoros and the entire Lionsgate team.”
AccessIT’s Digital Cinema division is the industry-leading deployment program for Digital Cinema that provides the funding, installation support and administration for the company's studio-supported Digital Cinema rollout plans. Its Phase 2 plan for up to an additional 10,000 screens will provide networked, turnkey, Digital Cinema systems in conformance with DCI specifications, including AccessIT’s unique Library Management Server® and Theatre Command Center® software. The system will also include digital projectors and JPEG 2000 media servers from a variety of vendors whose equipment is designed to meet the DCI specifications as well as a demanding set of performance and reliability requirements AccessIT developed through its success with the Phase 1 plan. To date, AccessIT has contracted for and completed the rollout of more than 3,700 systems in forty-one states with exhibitors including Atlas Theatres, Allen Theatres, Carmike Cinemas, Celebration! Cinema, Cinema West, Cinetopia, Emagine, Galaxy Cinema, Marquee Cinemas, MJR Theatres, Neighborhood Cinema Group, Rave Motion Picture Theatres, Showplace Cinemas, UltraStar, and AccessIT’s own Pavilion Digital Showcase Theatre.
