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The battle for the UK streaming rights between LoveFilm and the incoming Netflix is really hotting up. While Netflix has seen the majority of exclusive deals, LoveFilm’s hit back, first with Warner Brothers and now Sony Pictures.
Sony Pictures covers quite a wide range of blockbuster releases, having swallowed up Columbia, Tristar, and others. Highlights from its collection include: The Social Network, Salt, and 2012. It’ll also add a whole host of TV shows to LoveFilm’s relatively extensive catalogue of kids shows, with Fireman Sam and Wallace & Gromit headlining the collection.
Don’t expect a whole raft of Sony Pictures to show up next week though — the deal is only scheduled to come into force in June 2012. With all these exclusivity agreements being signed left and right, the UK streaming market looks set to turn out like the current state of platform exclusive console gaming — you’re going to have to sign up for both Netflix and LoveFilm if you want access to all the studio’s films and TV shows.
It’s about time that LoveFilm had a challenger. They all but trounced the UK competition when it came to the rentals by post market (remember ScreenSelect, DVDs365, Video Island etc.) with the only other play being Blockbuster which themselves are in trouble.
Lovefilm at the moment are the only real film streaming service in the UK whereby a subscription entitles you to a certain (albeit old) catalogue of films free to stream, along with paid on-demand films. The arrival of Netflix should make the market a little more competitive, and to kick Itunes up the backside a little.
I do agree, but if they keep sealing these exclusive deals we might not be able to enjoy the full force of competition for our hearts and wallets. I was kind of hoping Amazon would do a Lovefilm/Prime subscription like they have in the the US, but now it seems that it will only be a dream.
You almost wonder whether all of these firms realise how thick they’re being. How often do we hear them moan on about piracy, and the fact it’s losing them money, and then they go and make it so it’s impossible to get hold of their stuff legally without signing up for more than one service.
They’re basically asking you to just go torrent it.
Spot on.
2012… highlight? really?