Fandango has decided to completely rebrand Vudu, a streaming video service that’s been around for over a decade, to Fandango at Home. “We will still have the same great films, shows, deals, and bundles, plus your library will stay right where it’s always been,” the company said in a post on X (via 9to5Google).
After many years of operation under Walmart, Vudu was purchased by Fandango in 2020. There haven’t been many obvious changes to the service since then; this rebranding is easily the biggest. Fandango shut down its previous FandangoNOW service when it scooped up Vudu, so perhaps it’s not a surprise that the company ultimately wanted its own name back in there. (It had already stuck “Fandango” beneath Vudu in the app’s logo.)
Vudu has been a go-to for home theater enthusiasts over the years for several reasons. Years ago, the company’s streaming bit rate and video fidelity was a step above most competitors. And under Walmart’s stewardship, Vudu also launched unique programs like disc-to-digital, which allowed consumers to pay low prices to add movies to their digital locker — many of which would then be compatible with Movies Anywhere. This initially required going into a Walmart store, but eventually Vudu streamlined the process to where you only needed a smartphone.
Even with the new name, the cohesion between Fandango the movie ticketing business and Fandango at Home isn’t exactly seamless. In an FAQ, Fandango notes that “at the moment, you cannot use Fandango gift cards for Fandango at Home purchases.” Customers will now have the option to link their Fandango and Fandango at Home logins, so at least there’s that.
https://www.theverge.com/2024/2/16/24075041/vudu-fandango-at-home-rebranding-new-name