NBCUniversal-owned Fandango continues to expand beyond movie ticketing, announcing today that it has acquired Flixster and Rotten Tomatoes from Warner Bros. Entertainment.
Flixster allows users to learn more about movies, while Rotten Tomatoes is the best-known aggregator of movie reviews — it’s ubiquitous enough that people complain about its effect on film criticism. Both services will continue to exist as standalone websites/apps, but the streaming service Flixster Video (which is not part of the acquisition) will shut down later this year.
The ownership history is a bit complicated here, with Rotten Tomatoes changing hands a few times before being acquired by Flixster in 2010, which in turn was bought by Warner Bros. the following year. And now, as a result of the acquisition, Warner Bros. is taking a minority stake in Fandango.
“Flixster and Rotten Tomatoes are invaluable resources for movie fans, and we look forward to growing these successful properties, driving more theatrical ticketing and super-serving consumers with all their movie needs,” said Fandango President Paul Yanover in the acquisition release.
We’ve talked to Fandango in the past about its aim to be more than just a utility for buying tickets. It previously expanded its content offerings by acquiring Movieclips and streaming movie service M-Go.