Amazon raises the price of Prime to $99/year, citing increased fuel and transportation costs
Amazon is raising the price of Prime by $20, to $99 per year. If your membership renews on or after April 17, you’ll be paying the new price.
Netflix and Amazon’s Lovefilm grew 120 percent in the U.K. last year
http://www.theguardian.com/media/2014/mar/12/netflix-spotify-uk-home-entertainment-sector
Home entertainment revenues have been on a steady decline in the U.K. since 2008, but in 2013, that trend got reversed by Netflix (S NFLX) and Amazon’s (S AMZN) Lovefilm, according to a report from the Guardian. Video subscription services like Netflix and Lovefilm grew 120 percent last year, the paper said, quoting a recent report by the British Entertainment Retailers Association. Digital music services like Spotify and Deezer also fared well, growing 34 percent, but physical media sales were down 8 percent, and now only make up 40 percent of the home entertainment market.
Amazon teams up with BBC to revive Ripper Street drama
Amazon is partnering with the BBC to revive the cancelled Ripper Street crime drama. Is your favorite canceled show next? Probably not, but one can always hope.
Streaming video site Wuaki.tv partners with Panasonic, saying most of its viewing comes from smart TVs
Streaming video service Wuaki.tv, which launched in the U.K. this summer, has partnered with Panasonic to make its app available on Viera smart TVs. The company says it expects smart TVs to be the largest viewing platform for its content.
Amazon Prime Instant Video gets Fargo, Annie Hall and History Channel’s Vikings in MGM deal
Amazon (s AMZN) and MGM announced a deal Tuesday to make more MGM movies, as well as the History Channel hit Vikings, available for streaming on Prime Instant Video. Previously, Vikings had been available exclusively through Amazon’s European streaming service Lovefilm. It’s not available for streaming on Netflix (s NFLX). Movies included in the deal: Fargo, Platoon and Hoosiers (can also all be streamed on Netflix); Annie Hall and Hotel Rwanda (not available for streaming on Netflix).
Rakuten’s streaming video site Wuaki.tv launches in UK, with prices starting at £2.99/month
Streaming video service Wauki.tv has launched in the U.K. It plans to stand apart from Netflix and Lovefilm by offering lower prices and both subscription and à la carte content.
Lovefilm heads off Netflix again with Universal deal
Amazon’s European subsidiary now has exclusive second pay-TV window rights locked up for three of Hollywood’s six major studios, leaving precious little premium content left over for rival Netflix to acquire when it expands into Western Europe later this year.
Roku adds BBC iPlayer to bolster UK launch
Roku has filled a vital gap in its lineup by announcing the addition of a channel for the BBC’s popular iPlayer service, just as it starts shipping its media streaming boxes to Britain for the first time.
Lovefilm lands on LG, Roku up next
U.K. Netflix clone Lovefilm just announced an app for LG’s smart TV’s, and the company is also getting ready to launch on Roku’s media streamer once the device becomes available to Britons. Details on the Roku app are scarce, but it could launch in early February.
Netflix is about to discover that Britain bites back
Netflix wants to recover from a disastrous few months by launching in the U.K. and Ireland — but the company will have to overcome many obstacles to achieve success, not least competition from broadcasters who have very different priorities from their American counterparts.