Plex, the media platform co-founded by Scott Olechowski, is aiming to become "the place where people can discover what to watch" across all platforms. The company has partnered with Fandango to sell movie theater tickets, marking a significant expansion beyond its media server roots. This move targets the streaming industry's discovery challenge, allowing Plex to create a measurable path from content discovery to purchase for studios and advertisers.
Plex's Fandango partnership contrasts with its media server business, which lets users share owned movies without licensing fees. This venture comes over two years after Plex launched its streaming service for movie rentals and a free ad-supported television (FAST) service. These new revenue streams coexist with the company's core media server software.
Plex acknowledges challenges in sustaining lifetime passes financially but hopes its new businesses will fund media software advancements. The company appears focused on building non-server aspects of its platform. Users can opt out of some data sharing, as Plex collects data from those searching on the platform.
Source: Ars Technica · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing