Comcast in deal to buy Fandango

Comcast Corp., the world’s biggest cable-television provider, said Wednesday that it had agreed to buy online movie-ticket seller Fandango Inc. and that the companies would create a website for viewing films and television shows.

The new Fancast.com site will start in the summer and will allow users to view shows on demand on television, the Internet or mobile devices, Comcast said.

Fandango’s website, which includes show times, reviews and trailers, gets as many as 5 million visitors a month. The site sells tickets for about 1,300 movie theaters in the U.S.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The purchase extends Comcast’s foray into the Internet. The Philadelphia-based company started the Ziddio video-sharing website last year. Chief Executive Brian Roberts also is stepping up spending on Comcast’s television, telephone and Internet services.

“Right now it’s all clicking -- the business is on fire,” Roberts said in an interview at Comcast’s headquarters.

Fandango was started in 2000 by seven of the 10 largest movie exhibitors in the U.S., including AMC Entertainment Inc., Carmike Cinemas Inc. and Cinemark Holdings Inc., according to its website. Accretive Technology Partners and Technology Crossover Ventures also are investors.

Fandango Chief Executive Chuck Davis will continue to run the site from Los Angeles and will be responsible for expanding Fandango’s online entertainment and ticketing business, Comcast said.