In an effort to compete with Amazon and iTunes, Barnes & Noble is launching Nook Video, which will offer “an expansive digital collection of popular films and television shows to be enjoyed anywhere on Nooks, TVs, tablets and smartphones.” The service launches in the US “this fall” and in the UK “this holiday season.”
Partners so far include HBO, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, STARZ, Viacom and Warner Bros. Entertainment, plus “favorite movies” from Walt Disney. “Other leading studios” will be announced soon, according to the release. For now, Paramount and NBC/Universal are missing.
Barnes & Noble is partnering with UltraViolet, the initiative from Hollywood studios that lets viewers watch content across devices and aims to break Apple’s stranglehold on the digital movie market. (Amazon is also an UltraViolet retail partner.)
Many details are missing from the press release, including prices, availability and free streaming options (if any). It’s also unclear which devices — Nooks and otherwise — will support Nook Video. Barnes & Noble is expected to release a new tablet soon, and the company also promises “soon-to-launch free Nook Video apps.”
