Matt Bullock
25 February 2011
Google is considering the launch of a subscription-based service for online content in the U.K., according to a report from the New York Post.
The service would be launched first in Great Britain as a prelude to an eventual transition to the U.S., where it will compete directly with companies like Netflix and Amazon, the Post reported. Sources told the newspaper the search engine giant has been in talks with the major Hollywood studios for months.
The Post asserts that one reason Google hasn't already made a big move into the world of professionally produced online video content is that many of the major studios are unimpressed with the company's record on copyright issues, and one executive told the paper Google must do more to fight piracy. However, the move could mean that a thaw is in the offing.
Via an online payment gateway, users could pay a nominal monthly fee in exchange for unlimited access to a huge array of digital content, including premium movies and television shows.
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