Apple readies iTunes movie sales for UK, Canada

Jonny Evans
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May 29, 2008
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 Apple is preparing to announce film download and rental services through iTunes in the UK and Canada.

The company is understood to have reached deals with Disney, Paramount, Twentieth Century Fox, Warner Brothers, Lions Gate and MGM under which iTunes in both named countries will begin offering popular films for purchase and rental using Apple’s service. The move is likely to help boost Apple TV sales, and to improve the utility of iPod and iPhones.

Despite the lack of costs of manufacture or distribution of physical product, the studios have insisted they don’t want to undercut DVD prices with the move, suggesting prices for films will be set between £6 and £25, depending on the title, according to a report in The Times. The eternal refuseniks, Sony Pictures and Universal Studios have refused to agree the new deal at this point, the report claims.

Disney CEO Bob Iger last year explained his company has sold four million films and 40-50 million videos through iTunes since making its media available through the service in 2006.

In the US, Apple has reached deals to offer films through iTunes on the same day they ship on DVD.

 

Comments (10)

Darran (not verified) | May 29, 2008 - 3:13am

For £25 it'd have to be one hell of a film, that's like the price of a Blu-Ray Disc.

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | May 29, 2008 - 3:35am

Stupid studios still think they can rape the public with high prices for digital copies of movies. See how many movies people buy from iTunes at £25. Then they can blame poor sales on piracy.

bob (not verified) | May 29, 2008 - 3:36am

or i could keep my american account and get the releases before they are out over here and cheaper, :)

Kev Orng (not verified) | May 29, 2008 - 6:02am

How do you do that?
I tried to set up a US account and it wouldn't let me. Do I need a US credit card or something?

Jonny Evans | May 29, 2008 - 6:11am

 Go to eBay and bid and win some US iTunes gift cards. Visit the US store and use them as credits to your account. This is meant to work, but I"ve not tried it.

Christian BS (not verified) | May 29, 2008 - 3:44am

I'm sorry, but there is no way in which I would pay £25 for a single solitary film. That is more expensive than a 2-disk edition DVD.

TonyO (not verified) | May 29, 2008 - 3:51am

Its about time this service launched!! We've been waiting long enough. Nice to see they've stuck to the same old practice of stuffing the UK on pricing again. Whats the betting that rentals will be from £2.99 whilst the US sticks at $2.99. I'll do the same as Bob and get a US iTunes account... couldnt be bothered before

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | May 29, 2008 - 4:25am

I thought Steve Jobs wanted to promoting movie renting instead of the typical "buying" service since everyone watches movies once or twice at max. So why the hell are they selling movies and at these ridiculous prices? Then again, the UK gets ripped-off everytime something new arrives.

Jonny Evans | May 29, 2008 - 4:46am

 The price figures cited by the Times are estimated, not final. Also, should the prices be high, don't blame Apple, as it's the studios forcing this. 

Then again, name me a US firm that doesn't exploit UK customers, and I'll be happy: Adobe, Apple and all the US film firms all have a weird way of inflating UK prices, saying it costs more to do business here - despite the fact we're a fraction of the size and population of the US, so that sounds like BS as an excuse to me.

Rant over...

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | May 29, 2008 - 7:38am

If SJ and apple is on the consumers side, then he should just close the itunes store for 24 hours, see how the music and film industry like it when they lose all that revenue and they might see sense that itunes makes them a hell of a lot of money and they shouldn't rip people off!