This week, Japan's expanding online video service operator Nico Nico Douga made a surprise announcement, launching a movie distribution service in partnership with Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
With its service beefed up by major Hollywood titles, Nico Nico Douga, which has rapidly increased its presence over the past few years, is eyeing further growth and cultivating the video on demand (VOD) market.
The company also aims to bring a new twist to the movie industry by taking advantage of the most distinctive function of its service — which lets users comment on videos as they are watching them, enabling them to experience "social viewing," which some experts say will be a key element of the video industry in the future.