An online bookstore for children
KidFlix and Barnes and Noble will team up to create a cobranded children's bookstore on KidFlix, which launched earlier this month.
The two sites will team up to create a cobranded children's bookstore on KidFlix, which launched earlier this month. The idea behind the project is to give parents the option of teaming up their video picks with their book picks, said Jonathan Kaplan, president and chief executive of MovieStreet, KidFlix's parent company.
"Video is a great way for families to control the time they spend with their children and children spend in front of the TV," Kaplan said. "Barnes and Noble is creating a store on our site that will provide guidance and editorial and merchandising around video and books."
For instance, he said that a child who sees the movie 101 Dalmations might then be interested in reading a book about dalmations.
The two sites will have a revenue-sharing agreement, but Kaplan declined to disclose financial details. "We will continue to have a long and strong relationship with Barnes and Noble and there will be other announcements," Kaplan said.
MovieStreet also has formed a partnership with women's-oriented site iVillage to be the site's exclusive video provider.
But MovieStreet has a long way to go before it dominates even the children's online video market. Online video sales have quietly become hot sellers on the Net, and MovieStreet has plenty of competition with the likes of Reel.com and heavyweight Blockbuster. Most sites, including those two, have special children's areas.