LOS ANGELES-Verizon Wireless and New Line Cinema announced they will partner to launch a range of promotions in conjunction with the movie studio’s highly anticipated The Lord of the Rings movies. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Under the two-year new deal, Verizon will offer a range of movie-related content, including BREW-based games and a fan chat service. The deal covers the December release of The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, as well as next year’s The Return of the King.
The deal comes after New Line Cinema partnered with Finnish wireless entertainment company Riot Entertainment to promote the first film in the series, The Fellowship of the Ring, which was released last year. According to those in the industry, Riot paid hundreds of thousands of dollars for the rights to promote the movie in the wireless industry. However, the costs proved too much, as Riot ran out of funding and shut down earlier this year.
The deal also marks a further validation of the wireless data industry, as big media companies continue to work to promote their brands through the nascent channel.
