I got this press release mere moments ago. Warner Brothers has announced that it will begin distributing films directly through social media networking site Facebook. This move makes a lot of sense, actually. You want to make it as convenient and easy as possible for people who want to watch your content instantly to be able to easily and cheaply pay you for it. Case and point: Yesterday I wanted to watch The Social Network. It’s out of theatres but out on DVD, but I didn’t want to leave the house. It wasn’t yet on Netflix Instant Streaming yet, but it was on Xfinity’s Pay Per View. Sure, maybe I could have downloaded it illegally (something I don’t do), but I could have it instantly for $4.99.

I bought it right then and there.

People spend more time on Facebook than just about any other website on the Internet, so it would make sense to try to capture people there. And with more and more TV’s being able to hook up to computers, it makes more and more sense.

The first film they’re rolling out today is The Dark Knight. If you like The Dark Knight and spend 3 Facebook credits (about $3) you can watch the movie for 48 hours. And really, if it doesn’t work, what are they out? These movies have already paid for themselves ten times over. This is just testing new distribution waters and it’s very smart.

Here’s the official press release:

WARNER BROS. ENTERTAINMENT BECOMES FIRST HOLLYWOOD STUDIO TO OFFER MOVIES DIRECTLY ON FACEBOOK

BURBANK, CALIF., March 8, 2011 – Warner Bros. Digital Distribution (WBDD), a market leader in video-on-demand and electronic sell-through, today announced it will begin testing an offering of selected movies for purchase or rental through Warner Bros. Entertainment’s Facebook movie Pages. Consumers will be able to use Facebook Credits to easily buy or rent a title, all while staying connected to Facebook.

Starting today, millions of fans who “Liked” Christopher Nolan’s blockbuster film “The Dark Knight” can rent the title through its official Facebook Page (http://www.facebook.com/darkknight). Consumers simply click on the “rent” icon to apply their Facebook Credits, and within seconds they will begin enjoying the film. The cost per rental is 30 Facebook Credits or $3. This offering is presently available only to consumers in the United States. Additional titles will be made available for rental and purchase on a regular basis over the coming months.

“Facebook has become a daily destination for hundreds of millions of people,” said Thomas Gewecke, President of Warner Bros. Digital Distribution. “Making our films available through Facebook is a natural extension of our digital distribution efforts. It gives consumers a simple, convenient way to access and enjoy our films through the world’s largest social network.”

Fans will have full control over the film while watching it through their Facebook account for up to 48 hours from purchase. They can choose to watch it in full screen, pause the movie, and resume playing it when they log back into Facebook. Consumers will also have full Facebook functionality including the ability to post comments on the movie, interact with friends and update their status.

So what about you guys: Do you see yourselves renting films on Facebook?