Warner Bros. to release The Dark Knight on Korean VOD services before local DVD release

December 3, 2008 - Warner Brothers Digital Distribution is to release the latest Batman film The Dark Knight on the VOD libraries of Korean telcos KT and SK Broadband and local cable operator Home Choice two weeks before its DVD release in the country, reports online news portal ScreenDaily, making the first time a major Hollywood studio has given a blockbuster a 'pre-DVD VOD' release.

“The digital infrastructure is in place in Korea and we’re using it as a test market for pre-DVD VOD service," said Warner Bros. in a statement. "We’re taking action against illegal film downloads, and plan to expand our digital distribution business in Korea.”

The Dark Knight was one of the biggest movie releases of 2008, starring Christian Bale and the late Heath Ledger and taking 4mn admissions in Korea alone when it opened last August.

KT added 102,245 subscribers to its IPTV service 'MegaTV' in the third quarter of this year to reach 808,101 by the end of the period, the company recently reported, while SK Broadband currently has 760,000 customers for its 'Broad&tv' IPTV service. No subscriber figures were available for cable operator Home Choice at the time of writing.