LoveFilm, the movie and video game rental service that also offers an on-demand streaming service akin to Netflix in the UK, will soon be offering its users the option to switch their login details with an Amazon account.
Amazon acquired LoveFilm in January 2011, but since then the two businesses have been kept separate. While the online retailer hasn’t been hiding the fact that it’s now in charge of the rental service, there’s also been no sign that the two brands could merge or be involved in some kind of rebrand.
LoveFilm added the option for users to sign in with their Amazon account details last October. However, in an email sent out today, the company has revealed that it will soon be adding the option for users to switch their login details over completely.
“Switching just means we’re asking you to change how you login to LoveFilm,” it reads. “Don’t panic, all that’s required is a quick switch from your current details to Amazon account details instead.”
Users who switch over will keep their existing delivery and payment information, as well as their rental list, watchlist and viewing history stored online.
Notably, LoveFilm is actively recommending that users switch their details over once the option is available. The company claims that it’s because users will then have “one less password to remember”, but a more likely reason is that it wants to start positioning the two brands closer together.
The reasons for why Amazon and LoveFilm might want to do this are, for the moment, completely speculative. Amazon Instant Video, formerly called Amazon Video On Demand, is only available in the United States at the moment and is seen as one of the main rivals to Netflix.
For now, the login switchover will certainly help to remind LoveFilm users that they have an Amazon account, and also improve Amazon’s brand awareness (not that it needed it really). It’s unlikely that LoveFilm will change fundamentally anytime soon, but this could be the start of some foundations for a more significant overhaul further down the road.
Last month, LoveFilm extended its deal with BBC Worldwide for 2013, adding the UK version of The Office and Ricky Gervais’ follow-up hit Extras to its streaming catalog. A couple of weeks later, the firm also rolled out an update to its rental list area online, making it easier for users to navigate and switch between different disc formats.
LoveFilm Managing Director Jim Buckle is also stepping down from the company this month, in order to take up a new position as Chief Financial Officer at the online sports equipment retailer Wiggle.
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