Houston, TX – June 12, 2007 Responding to customer demand for more classic movies
in addition to new releases in its DVD rental kiosks,
TNR Entertainment Corp., the nation’s leading
owner and operator of these self-service kiosks in supermarkets
and grocery stores, has expanded its inventory of titles
to include such established and lasting popular films
ranging from E.T., Saving Private Ryan, and Platoon
to Titanic, Rush Hour and Blazing Saddles, among 50
other titles.
The expanded selections are initially available in
nearly 250 The New Release ™ kiosk locations throughout
Texas (Austin, Corpus Christi, Galveston, Houston, Midland,
Odessa, San Antonio, Waco), Colorado (Denver, Aurora,
Ft. Collins, Lakewood), Florida (Boca Raton, Lantana,
Palm Beach), Wisconsin (Milwaukee), and North Carolina
(Charlotte). Supermarkets and grocery stores in those
areas with The New Release kiosks include H-E-B, King
Soopers, Kroger, Publix, Bloom and Roundy’s.
“Extending our film selections to broader categories
beyond only the newest titles not only satisfies specific
consumer demand, but also allows us to reach a broader
customer base — those with favorite films over
two years old. It’s also an effective way of increasing
multiple rentals,” said Tony Sciolla, Chief Marketing
Officer for TNR, parent company of The New Release.
All of TNR’s kiosks nationwide — currently
1,900 in 28 states — are expected to offer a combination
of both new release and classic film titles in the near
future.
Sciolla said the criteria for title selection was either
a film’ s major box office success of over $100
million such as E.T., Forrest Gump, and Home Alone,
or its reputation as a perennial favorite — films
such as Caddy Shack, The Princess Bride, Raiders of
the Lost Ark, The Usual Suspects. Other titles now available
in selected TNR kiosks include Scarface, Jerry Maguire,
Castaway, Sixth Sense, Hannibal, Ghost, There’s
Something About Mary, American Graffiti, Casino, Goodfellas,
The Shawshank Redemption, Liar Liar, Dumb and Dumber,
Patriot Games, The Untouchables, What Women Want, The
Mask, Risky Business, Seven, Red Dragon and Trading
Places.
For a complete listing of the Company’s titles,
as well as its supermarket and grocery store locations,
see the geographic search section of TNR’s website,
www.thenewrelease.com. TNR has approximately 1,900 kiosks
are nationwide in such grocery chains as Dillon’s,
Food 4 Less, Food Lion, Fry’s, H-E-B, Kroger,
King Soopers, Publix, Quality Food Centers, Ralph’s,
Roundy’s/Pick ‘N Save, and Spartan/Family
Fare.
TNR is currently underway on a significant national
expansion program, expecting to significantly increase
its current network of kiosks by the end of 2007. The
New Release automated DVD rental kiosks provide supermarket
customers with a more convenient one-stop shopping experience.
As the Company’s kiosks are being introduced in
new markets, more consumers are able to enjoy renting
the latest — and now selected classic —
DVD titles for $1-a-day and no late fees – a simple
and affordable pricing structure that TNR was the first
to successfully market. Unlike its competitors, TNR’s
kiosks house up to 1,000 units each, representing more
than 200 titles, including top new releases. The fully-automated
kiosks operate on a wireless communications network
and next-generation DVD kiosk operating system.
Privately-held TNR Entertainment, based in Houston,
dominates the self-service DVD rental category in the
grocery channel. Led by TNR’s management team
of CEO Richard B. Cohen and COO Jeff Karbowiak, the
Company’s aggressive growth plans call for continuing
national expansion of its retail locations, with its
kiosk network expected to grow to nearly 3,000 by this
year end.
Based in Houston, Texas, TNR Entertainment Corp. is
backed by an institutional investor group including
Celerity Partners, LP of Los Angeles; Chapton Partners,
LP, a Houston family partnership; Laminar Direct Capital,
LP, a member of the D. E. Shaw group of companies; and
MCG Capital Corporation (NASDAQ: MCGC), a leading specialized
financial services company and financial advisor.
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