Moviefone is now BermanBraun’s problem to solve.
AOL, which bought the ticket information company in 1999 for more than $400 million in stock, will partner with the digital media company to overhaul the site’s user experience and spruce up its design. In recent years, Moviefone has lost ground to Fandango, which has expanded beyond ticket sales into content creation after hiring Dave Karger away from Entertainment Weekly to help launch a suite of webshows.
Moviefone has moved away from simply providing movie times and that pesky “phone” reference in its name to creating stories about film and media.
The changes will start to take shape in early 2014, the companies said. They will involve new apps, as well as an expanded social-media presence.
“We look forward to the opportunity to reimagine Moviefone as a vital and essential entertainment brand for the mobile generation.” BermanBraun principals Gail Berman and Lloyd Braun said in a statement.
