Lovefilm has signed a multi-year deal with Warner Brothers for access to its catalog of movies. The agreement also contains exclusive streaming rights in the UK for a newly created "second pay-TV window," which means that after the traditional pay-tv window, WB movies will only be available to stream on Lovefilm for four to five years before it enters the free-to-air realm.
Lovefilm secures Warner Brothers UK streaming rights deal
Lovefilm has partnered with Warner Brothers in order to brace itself against Netflix’s arrival in the UK.
Lovefilm has partnered with Warner Brothers in order to brace itself against Netflix’s arrival in the UK.
Movies like The Dark Knight, The Hangover, and Gran Torino will be available from December onwards. The company also announced that it will be offering streaming on the Xbox 360 for the first time by the end of the year, broadening its list of compatible platforms. The agreement is a step towards countering the deals that Netflix has made with Miramax, Lionsgate, and MGM in preparation for its UK launch. While Lovefilm may have the backing of Amazon, it's going to need many more steps like this before it can be sure not to be rolled over by the arrival of the American service.
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