Plex Partners With Fandango to Turn Streaming Discovery Into Movie Ticket Sales

Plex is partnering with Fandango to help users discover movies and purchase tickets, expanding the company’s business beyond its media server software and streaming services.

Plex wants to make content discovery more useful

“A place where people can discover what they need to see, no matter where the content resides,” is how Scott Olekowski, Plex co-founder and chief product officer, described the company’s goal in a statement.

Content discovery is a major challenge across the streaming industry. Smart TV operating systems, streaming services and generative AI chatbots are all competing to help viewers find something to watch. If Plex can use user data to deliver valuable recommendations, content discovery could become a profitable part of its business.

Plex also says its partnership with Fandango will create a more measurable path from discovery to purchase for studios and advertisers. Marketers will be able to better understand which campaigns lead to conversions, according to the company.

Fandango partnership expands Plex beyond media servers

Plex’s move into movie ticket sales contrasts with its media server business, which lets users share their own movies with friends and family without paying Hollywood licensing fees.

The ticketing expansion comes more than two-and-a-half years after Plex launched a streaming service for renting movies. Plex has also introduced a free ad-supported television (FAST) streaming service and added social media features to its platform.

Together, these businesses give Plex additional revenue streams beyond its media server software. The services can coexist: users who only want Plex for media hosting do not need to use its on-demand streaming service.

Users can also opt out of some data sharing. Plex says it collects data from media server users, including information related to interactions such as searches on Plex. Learn more about Plex’s privacy policy and search data collection.

New businesses could help support Plex’s media software

Plex has discussed the challenge of making lifetime passes financially sustainable on the media hosting side of its business. Its newer streaming, advertising and ticketing initiatives could help fund ongoing advances and maintenance for Plex’s media software.

At the same time, Plex appears to be placing greater emphasis on the non-server side of its business, including content discovery, streaming and movie ticket sales.