Intertainer reels in Universal

Intertainer, a video-on-demand (VOD) Web destination, said Monday that it extended a deal with Universal Studios Pay-Per-View to include first-run feature films on its Net and digital cable service, a first for the movie studio on the Web. The agreement expands a cable VOD deal between the two companies by adding additional titles and allowing access over the Web, for a short-term testing period. Intertainer, based in Culver City, Calif., will now have access to Universal big-hit films such as "Spy Game," select TV assets and rights to up to 200 library feature movie titles, annually. Financial terms were not disclosed. Universal Studios Pay-Per-View, a part of Vivendi Universal Entertainment, is behind rival online movie venture MovieLink, backed by five major movie studios and scheduled to launch this fall.

The deal for Intertainer signals a greater foothold in Hollywood, which has long been reluctant to make its assets available online. The company, which provides on-demand entertainment over broadband Internet connections and to cable operators, has deals with Warner Bros., DreamWorks SKG, MGM and A&E Networks.