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Stagedirect Inks Deal with Roomster to Deliver Fringe Theater Video On-Demand to Hotels Nationwide

Roomster to feature all StageDirect titles alongside major Hollywood releases in groundbreaking digital video-on-demand service

StageDirect has signed an agreement with Portland-based Roomster, Inc. to offer its titles to hotel guests across America. Roomster's new video-on-demand system uses digital files rather than videocassettes, giving hotel guests greater selection and viewing flexibility. Roomster plans to have its proprietary system installed in 100 hotels nationwide within a year. The company is also exploring inroads to apartments, cruise ships, hospitals and offices. The deal gives StageDirect a new venue for sales and brand exposure.

"We're flattered that Roomster has chosen us," says StageDirect Founder and CEO Gary Cole. "In addition to reaching hotel guests with a penchant for theater, we'll be exposing our unique brand of entertainment to a much broader audience. This deal will fuel the growth of StageDirect and promote interest in theater."

Roomster's proprietary video-on-demand system replaces VCRs and videocassettes with digital files. Under traditional videocassette-based systems, content and viewing are restricted by a hotel's limited number of cassette decks. With digital files, however, selection is virtually limitless. What's more, hotel guests view their own digital copies of a show, allowing them to start and pause at will.

"StageDirect is a good example of what Roomster has over the competition," says Roomster President and CEO John Barrows. "Our video delivery system allows us to go beyond mainstream entertainment. We generate more sales for hotels by offering guests a wider choice of shows. I believe StageDirect's productions will be very well received."

Roomster is initially targeting hotels with fewer than 150 rooms, a relatively untapped market that comprises an estimated 85 percent of the hotel industry. Roomster's service is ideal for smaller hotels, as interface upgrades and show additions are managed remotely from a central location. This allows small hotels to offer video-on-demand services to its customers with minimal fuss and overhead. StageDirect and other content providers are compensated on a per-viewing basis.

"That one of our shows like 'Jokes and Their Relation to the Unconscious' could be offered alongside 'Rush Hour' is a huge step for fringe theater," says Cole. "Though I have no delusion of mainstream America foregoing Hollywood for theater, I do envision attracting new customers in a market that we couldn't otherwise reach."

Roomster's digital video-on-demand system can be previewed at Portland's Avalon Hotel. The company's web site can be viewed at www.roomster.com.

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Jody Nichols
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jody@mediacabin.com