AppleInsider StaffKevin Swint, former divisional manager for digital media at Wal-Mart Stores, will join Apple this week as general manager of international video for iTunes, where he'll be responsible for acquiring movies and TV shows for all non-U.S. countries.
He'll reportedly be seeking licensing deals for both pay-per-download content and timed digital rentals, the latter of which would help see the launch of iTunes Movie Rental services over seas.
Swint's departure from Wal-Mart comes just weeks after the retailer shuttered its much-hyped online video download service and also decided to scale back on its remaining digital music and movie initiatives.
"I am starting at Apple this week and the role is head of video international, but I really shouldn't comment any further," Swint said in an e-mail to MultiChannelNews, confirming his departure from Wal-Mart.
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15 Comments
Hopefully he doesn't bring along the Wal-Mart cooties.
Gee, given Walmart's success both with media downloads and with international expansion, this is terrific news for Apple. For me to poop on.
Gee, given Walmart's success both with media downloads and with international expansion, this is terrific news for Apple. For me to poop on.
Hey - whats the pessimism for ? There is nothing available now - which means that things CAN only get better. As nothing can be as bad as nothing - which is the rough situation for any other country then the the US of A
iTunes Movie Rentals overseas? It would be great if Apple got themselves organised and brought iTunes to other parts of the world, namely Singapore :-(
I'm surprised Wal Mart is giving up on digital media- I figured they would undercut everyone as they usually do. Really though- it seems weird they just gave up on it.