Short films like “Boundin'” and “For The Birds,” which appeared at the beginning of full-length Pixar movies, have sold briskly on Apple’s iTunes new video marketplace.
One in eight of the 1 million videos sold on iTunes have been from the Pixar library, the animation company disclosed during its recent earnings announcement. Apple began selling videos for $1.99 each when CEO Steve Jobs announced the video iPod in October.
Though the videos have been encoded to play on a small screen, they have proved their appeal. Pixar shorts run about ten minutes in length, half the time of a full-length episode of ABC programs like “Lost,” also available on a day-after-airing basis through iTunes.
The numbers for the year over year period were up a bit for Pixar. Revenue of $27.4 million on income of $45.8 million exceeded last year’s third quarter figures of $22.4 million revenue on $44.5 million income.
Lower taxes, “The Incredibles” merchandising, and high demand for the “Finding Nemo” DVD helped the company see better numbers this year. Investors seemed encouraged by the numbers, which beat analyst estimates, as Pixar closed up 12 percent on the stock market.
Pixar’s top issue, finding a new distribution deal, has been an ongoing process since talks reopened with current distributor Disney after the departure of Michael Eisner from the House of Mouse. Jobs commented during the Pixar announcement that the forthcoming movie “Cars” would either be the end of the relationship with Disney or a “bountiful new chapter.”
David Utter is a staff writer for Murdok covering technology and business. Email him here.
