News Corp.’s 20th Century Fox tapped into the growing broadband community on Monday by launching an interactive broadband channel to promote its summer releases.

The channel started off by promoting the studio’s Kingdom of Heaven, allowing consumers to view full-screen, DVD-quality video trailers and battle scenes as well as behind-the-scenes video clips and interviews with the actors.

Fox has signed a five-movie deal with Maven Networks, a Cambridge, Massachusetts-based maker of broadband video technologies. The agreement includes other summer releases such as Mr. and Mrs. Smith and Fantastic Four. Viewers of this channel can share clips with friends, purchase tickets in advance, and view a full-screen interactive photo gallery.

“With more than 56 percent of U.S. households now actively using broadband Internet, and the weekly online video audience at over 20 million, it’s no surprise that consumer demand for top-quality video content is skyrocketing,” said Hilmi Ozguc, CEO of Maven Networks.

Fox’s new broadband channel does not use streaming video capabilities via Real Networks, which has its own limitations. It is IPTV with a full-screen and DVD-quality video like you would see on TV.

Media and entertainment as a category is one of the largest spenders of online advertising along with travel and retail, said Gary Stein, a senior analyst with Jupiter Research. “[They’re] looking for more vehicles highlighting the most compelling feature of the movie—the scene itself,” and broadband IPTV is one of those vehicles that will draw users into the movie-going experience, said Mr. Stein.

Jupiter Research estimates that 40 percent of U.S. households have a broadband connection.

Although this is not the first time that Fox has utilized broadband for advertising, it’s the first time the studio has made a five-film commitment. It had used Maven’s technology to drive exposure for its 2003 release, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World. That promotion prompted users to return to the desktop channel an average 3.6 times to view trailers and other features.

This medium also shows a follow-through on the part of consumers who may be directed to buy movie tickets and related merchandise, said Mr. Stein. With Master and Commander, fan click-through rates to view theater schedules or purchase tickets rose to an average of 24 percent during the weeks around the release.