LoveFilm Cuts Its Prices On Netflix Launch Day
Your move, Netflix.
Netflix surprised us with a UK and Ireland launch this morning, however, it seems competitor LoveFilm isn't content to sit around and just watch the competition move in on its turf. The company has been on a bit of a signing-frenzy with TV and film companies as of late and it seems LoveFilm has yet another ace up its sleeve. Soon after word of the Netflix launch got out, Amazon-owned LoveFilm cut its prices for unlimited streaming from £5.99 to £4.99.
The Telegraph reports that LoveFilm's LoveFilm Instant streaming package will have a permanent price of £4.99. This is after the first complimentary month of service, of course. This means LoveFilm's streaming package is now a full pound cheaper per month than Netflix's just announced solution (which also comes with a free month to get you hooked start you off).
Now, this is a pretty aggressive move from LoveFilm, and we'd forgive the new kid on the block for being a little bit more cautious of its rival following this swift response. However, it looks like Netflix isn't worried about Amazon at all. Nope, not one little bit. In fact, the company is more worried about Sky in terms of competition.
"I don't think of Lovefilm as a threat at all," the Telegraph quotes CES Reed Hastings as saying. "The main rival is BSkyB, with Sky Movies and Sky Atlantic - they're the ones with big content. Lovefilm has some strengths but we've got some strengths including that we're on all platforms. We are both competing against each other, against BSkyB," he said.
Ah, we love the smell of healthy competition in the morning, don't you?
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Isn't this redatory pricing? I thought that was illeagal
So they're happy to cut their streaming prices, but not to put up a package with unlimited physical rentals but no streaming? Great.
I would grumble and say "I like a service that plays through to the end without stuttering as it works out what to play next", but given the number of defective disks that LoveFilm send then they're probably even on that count!
I've been using LoveFilm for last 5 months or so and never had a problem with any of their discs - either games or DVDs. I found their service to be pretty good actually.
A package with just physical rentals and no streaming would be nice though as I never stream anything from them...
I have been with Lovefilm for ages.
Having now signed up for Netflix, I might let my lovefilm account go.
I will miss the physical bluray discs, but the streaming selection on the PS3 is massive, it seems to be their whole service not some tiny cut-down like lovefilm. So far it's got everything from Firefly to Fawlty Towers, and a vast number of films.
Not a bad time to be a streaming consumer.