PARAMOUNT OKAYS DAY-AND-DATE DEAL WITH REDBOX

Paramount on Tuesday agreed to allow Redbox to rent its movies on the same day that they hit the shelves in DVD outlets. Its decision came after the studio conducted a study that concluded that it had seen sales rise for titles that were also available in Redbox’s kiosks. “Ultimately, we didn’t see the cannibalization of new DVD sales,” Dennis Maguire, president of Paramount Home Entertainment, told Daily Variety. “We feel we’re staying in step with how people want to watch their movies.” In a separate interview with the Los Angeles Times, he added, “Those people who want to rent are going to figure out ways to rent … and us restricting them from renting isn’t going to turn it into a purchase.” Universal, Warner Bros. and 20th Century Fox require Redbox to wait 28 days after their movies are released on DVD before making them available on their kiosks.