Google launches Australian movie rentals for Google Play, YouTube
Google has joined the Australian movie-rental market with the launch of services on both Google Play and YouTube, with pricing from $3.99 to $6.99.
Today, Google has launched its movie-rental service to Australian users across its mobile and web platforms, with rentals available through Google Play and YouTube. The service launches with thousands of movies and prices, ranging from $3.99 for back-catalogue SD to $6.99 for new-release HD.
The service can be accessed on Google Play, making it available to most Android smartphone and tablet users, as well as through the web via both Google Play and Google's dominant video site, YouTube.
Google has announced that a wide range of film studios are participating in the service, including The Walt Disney Company, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, NBCUniversal, Village Roadshow Pictures and Lionsgate, as well as local distributors, such as Roadshow Films, Icon Film Distribution, Madman Entertainment, Hopscotch and Transmission Films.
The service is operating with two-tiered pricing, with new releases available at $5.99 and $6.99 for SD and HD, and older titles available from $2.99. YouTube Movies also offers a number of free movies and documentaries. Viewers will have 30 days to start watching any rental, and 48 hours to complete watching once viewing has begun.
Movies can be streamed instantly or downloaded to be watched while offline, and a logged-in user can watch the same title across both Google Play and YouTube.
Google joins Telstra, Sony, Microsoft and Apple in the Australian on-demand movie-rental market.