UK supermarket chain Sainsbury's has announced plans to get into the digital streaming business. The company revealed that it would be partnering with Rovi for Sainsbury's Entertainment, a service that will allow customers to access video on demand, and digital copies of major film and TV titles. This will include new releases that will hit the service the same day they're released on DVD. The supermarket chain said that this new initiative will be available online at Sainsbury's Entertainment for now. Further down the road, it plans to offer access via Smart TVs, Blu-ray players, smartphones, and consoles.
"Rovi was a natural choice to collaborate with for the launch of Sainsbury's Entertainment's digital video service given the company's market expertise, long-standing industry relationships, and proven technology," said Luke Jensen, Group Development Director of Sainsbury's. "On demand streaming video is an exciting addition to our existing online offerings, and supports our customers as they progress from consuming content on physical disc to accessing their favourite entertainment on a range of devices, where and when they choose."
Sainsbury's isn't the only supermarket looking to get a slice of the streaming pie. In April of 2011, Tesco purchased an 80 percent majority stake in movie streaming service Blinkbox. London-based Blinkbox offers users TV shows and over thousands of films for both streaming and download via free (ad-supported) and paid-access plans. However, while Sainsbury's partnership with Rovi will net the supermarket its own own-brand streaming service, Blinkbox continues to operate under its own name.
Pricing for Sainsbury's Entertainment's streaming options has not yet been released, but we'll keep you posted.
