Amazon’s movie streaming and rental service Lovefilm has come out fighting. Today might see the launch of American rival Netflix on British shores, but the UK’s most famous film provider isn’t shrinking away from the competition. It’s just unleashed its final stats for 2011, announcing two million subscribers driven by a record number of sign-ups. Your move, Netflix.
Lovefilm says “hundreds of thousands of new customers” now have access to Lovefilm Instant, its streaming service that offers TV and movies alongside DVD, Blu-ray and Video Game rentals. The company, owned by Amazon, says it’s the fastest rate of customer growth it has seen since 2009.
Either Lovefilm is doing something right, or the market for streaming movies is ripe for plundering… just in time for Netflix to arrive on the British scene.
But to bolster its impressive customer stats, Lovefilm is also introducing a new tariff. An unlimited streaming-only package which provides access to films and TV shows via Lovefilm Instant for an introductory price of £4.99 per month (£1 less than the Netflix UK tariff). The company’s streaming services can be accessed via a PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, iPad, laptop and a variety of other devices, including some smart TVs.
It’s a solid stance against Netflix, but we’ve a feeling this is just the beginning of a war for control of the movie pipe to our living rooms. Ready to watch from the sidelines, or are you already a subscriber to either service? Tell us why in the comments below.
