Streaming kills the video star

It looks as though the tide is turning for connected TV services. This month for the first time ever, LOVEFiLM announced its members streamed more films and TV series over the internet than it rented DVDs. The number of films and TV episodes streamed online increased by 20 per cent over the previous month and increased by 400 per cent compared with the same month last year.

These services are currently offered over internet-connected devices such as games console, laptops and connected TVs. But we should start to see connected TVs and STB’s take the lion’s share as consumers become more aware of the benefits of plugging an Ethernet cable into the back of their TV’s and set-top boxes.

Amazon’s LOVEFiLM was the pioneer in online film delivery services in the UK and with over two million members it’s still the largest in Europe. But the marketplace is hotting up with competing offerings from the likes of Netflix, Dixon’s KnowHow service and Sky’s NowTV to be launched in the summer.

We hope to see these companies take movie streaming services to the next level, by not only offering great content but interactive features as well. Service providers need to consider what value added content they can deliver on top of programmes, such as social media interaction and recommendations.