HOLLYWOOD - Adult production company X-Play has signed an exclusive deal with AEBN that producers Jeff Mullen and Scott David are calling "the biggest multi-picture video-on-demand transaction in the history of adult movies."
The deal gives AEBN exclusive VOD rights to X-Play's next six adult comedies for seven months following each movie's initial 60-day DVD sales window. Terms of the agreement are confidential.
"We've been negotiating this deal for six months," Mullen told AVN. "I can't quote figures, but I can say that we received a sizable cash advance and a more equitable share of the profits."
Mullen sees the agreement as an important benchmark in the evolving negotiations between adult content producers and VOD distributors.
"One of the big problems in the adult industry has always been producers slashing prices and selling out the product cheap," Mullen said. "It happened with VHS, it happened with DVD, and it's happening now. With the new generation of content delivery and so much free porn on the Internet, a lot of companies aren't going to survive. We believe in our product, and we worked very hard to keep the integrity of our price-point. We also didn't want to give the VOD companies more ammunition to cut a lousy deal with the next producer. We're very happy with AEBN and thrilled with the deal."
The success of X-Play's Not the Bradys XXX and the ensuing craze of adult sitcom parodies got AEBN's attention.
"Humor and familiarity are two main ingredients in order to have a successful movie," said AEBN founder and president Scott Coffman. "When you look at the success of other parody movies like Scary Movie or Not the Bradys XXX it shows that it doesn't matter if it is a mainstream or an adult movie. It is what the customer is looking for and AEBN is always looking to give our customers new and exciting content."
The first X-Play feature to appear exclusively on AEBN under the new deal will be Not Bewitched XXX on Nov. 23. Not the Bradys XXX 2: Marcia Marcia Marcia and Not Three's Company XXX will follow, along with future productions including Not the Love Boat XXX and Not the Cosbys XXX.
"These Not movies are the most innovative, high quality and unique productions our industry has seen in decades," said Marc Bruder, who helped X-Play broker the deal through his broadcast company CED. "CED is glad to be involved as the worldwide broadcast distributor. AEBN is the perfect online partner for Jeff and Scott's company. Not the Bradys XXX was number one in every market and Not Bewitched XXX and the other upcoming movies will also achieve the top spots as they are released over the coming months."
Mullen commented on the deal's significance in the changing landscape of adult content delivery.
"The adult movie business has entered a difficult new generation, and we understand exactly what is at stake not only for us but to other companies as well," Mullen said. "There are many issues between producers and the major internet distributors being addressed; through a shared interest in obtaining lasting success, we have been able to work out numerous deal points with AEBN that will keep the integrity of the producer/internet distributor relationship healthy in the coming years. We are excited to be a groundbreaking participant in this new-era distribution deal with AEBN which hopefully will allow more quality companies to thrive in the future."
AEBN is preparing an exclusive suite of webmaster support tools to help affiliates profit from the release of Not Bewitched XXX. For more information, e-mail [email protected], call (800) 628-0241 or visit www.aebn.net.
Not the Bradys XXX is distributed on DVD by Hustler Video. Not Bewitched XXX is distributed on DVD by Adam & Eve Pictures.
For worldwide broadcast rights on Not Bewitched XXX call Marc Bruder at (310) 829-2222 ext. 10, or email [email protected].
