YouTube Launches UK Movie Rentals
YouTube has launched into the UK movie rental market. Following similar developments in the US and Canada, it used its blog to reveal that over a thousand feature films from Hollywood and British studios can now be rented at youtube.com.
Titles in the line up include iconic films like The Dark Knight and Reservoir Dogs as well as new releases such as Hanna and Fast Five. There are also British classics such as Monty Python’s The Meaning Of Life and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. Rental prices start at between £2 - £3.
The Google-owned business has launched into a space that already has Amazon-owned LoveFilm and Tesco-owned BlinkBox. There are also persistent rumours that US market-leader Netflix might also be tempted to launch into the UK (following forays into Canada and Latin America).
Price is clearly going to be key in this space. YouTube’s opening gambit doesn't look very competitive (particularly when you consider that most people go to the service looking for free content). But it is also talking up added extras: “Many movie pages feature YouTube Movie Extras with free behind-the-scenes videos, cast interviews, parodies, clips and remixes from YouTube’s community of content creators. Over time we'll be adding videos & features to YouTube Movie Extras.”
Launch partners in the UK include Warner Bros., Universal, Sony, Lionsgate, eOne, Metrodome and Revolver.
