Amazon-owned VOD service LoveFilm could launch in France next March, French newspaper Les Echos reports. While the company hasn’t made an official announcement, there are reasons to give credit to this fresh rumor.
As a matter of fact, it first emerged this morning during an official State Council hearing between France’s competition authority and media group Canal+ as part of the investigation into the TPS/CanalSat merger, which took place in 2006.
While defending that his group shouldn’t be prevented from licensing exclusive content, Canal+’s CEO Bertrand Méheut made an interesting comment on its upcoming competition. Here’s what he declared, according to Les Echos:
“Amazon is launching its VOD service in France in March 2013. We know it because [Canal+’s distribution subsidiary] StudioCanal is selling exclusive rights to Amazon.”
While Amazon also offers a film & TV streaming service in the US, it seems more likely to use its LoveFilm brand if it does roll out in France. As you may remember, the “British Netflix” was acquired by Amazon in January 2011. Since then, it has expanded into Germany, Sweden, Denmark and Norway.
We have reached out to LoveFilm for comment and will update this post if we hear back from the company.
Image credit: JACQUES DEMARTHON / AFP / Getty Images
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