Fandango to acquire MovieTickets.com

Online movie ticket retailer Fandango said on Friday it plans to buy competitor MovieTickets.com for an undisclosed amount.

The acquisition will enable Fandango, owned by Comcast Corp.’s

CMCSA, +0.28%

 NBCUniversal, to offer movie ticketing in Canada and the U.K. for the first time, while also increasing the company’s presence in the U.S. and Latin America.

Fandango expects the deal to close in the fourth quarter.

Also see: Fandango takes online ticket expertise to Brazil with Ingresso acquisition

“MovieTickets.com has done a terrific job, building a popular and trusted brand with millions of loyal customers and hundreds of exhibitors, and has been a champion of serving theater circuits large and small for nearly two decades,” said Fandango President Paul Yanover in a statement.

After the acquisition, MovieTickets.com will continue to operate from its headquarters in Florida. MovieTickets.com will bring new cinemas into its network, including National Amusements, Cineplex, Landmark Theaters, Marquee Cinemas and a number of independent theaters.

Read: Fandango wants to take over your entire movie experience

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Fandango has worked recently to improve and expand its offerings outside of just movie ticketing to have a hand in every stage of the movie experience.

Over the past few years, Fandango has acquired Movieclips, Flixster, Rotten Tomatoes and a streaming platform it renamed Fandango Now.

Comcast shares are up nearly 5% in the year to date, while the S&P 500 index

SPX, +0.25%

 has gained more than 14% and the Dow Jones Industrial Average

DJIA, +0.23%

 is up close to 16%.