YouTube is apparently gearing up to expand its limited streaming movie rental service to include mainstream rentals, and could begin expanding its available selection in the next few days. Assuming YouTube has been able to pull the deals together, it would give the online video streaming service a new way to compete with Apple’s iTunes movie rental offerings.
YouTube may be expanding streaming movie rentals
Sony Pictures Entertainment, Warner Bros., Universal, Lionsgate, Kino Lorber, and several other studios are apparently onboard, according to TheWrap. Paramount, Fox and Disney, however, haven’t signed on as of yet, which means YouTube may launch its expanded library without all of the major studios lined up.
Currently, YouTube’s movie rental service is limited to older titles and includes a substantially smaller selection than Apple’s iTunes Store. YouTube also doesn’t offer a movie purchase option like Apple does, and movies must be viewed in a Web browser.
So far there isn’t any word on what YouTube plans to charge for its expanded movie rental service, nor has the company even confirmed that the rumored changes are on the way.
“We’ve steadily been adding more and more titles since launching movies for rent on YouTube over a year ago, and now have thousands of titles available,” a YouTube spokesperson said. “Outside of that, we don’t comment on rumor or speculation.”
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