Amazon's LoveFilm U.K. Streaming Service Licenses Animated Marvel TV Shows

2:07 AM PST 1/30/2013 by Georg Szalai

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Marvel Comics

Amid increasing competition from Netflix, the deal with Disney UK and Ireland will allow subscribers to stream hundreds of shows featuring the likes of Iron Man and the X-Men.

LONDON -- Amazon.com-owned streaming video service LoveFilm, which has faced increasing competition from Netflix here, has struck a deal with Walt Disney's Disney U.K. and Ireland unit for animated TV shows featuring Marvel superheroes.

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Financial terms weren't disclosed.

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The agreement will allow U.K. and Irish subscribers of LoveFilm, which has nearly 3 million users across Europe, to stream hundreds of shows featuring the likes of Iron Man, the X-Men, the Fantastic Four and the Incredible Hulk from the past 50 years.

"It builds on the already extensive and unique collection of animated content available to stream, including titles from other market leaders, such as Aardman, eOne and DHX Media," the company said.

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The Marvel arrangement is the company's third content deal in two weeks. It also recently unveiled a new streaming deal with NBCUniversal International TV Distribution and Britain's Channel 4. Additionally, it has deals with the likes of BBC, Miramax and 20th Century Fox.

"We already have a fantastic range of animated TV content on offer for our customers, and it is great to see it expand with Marvel animation as a result of this new deal with Disney," said Jim Buckle, managing director of LoveFilm. "It is an exciting development, as many of our members will have grown up watching Marvel classics and can now catch up whenever they choose."

Netflix launched in the U.K. about a year ago and said last summer that it had passed the one million subscriber mark, making Britain its second-largest market behind the U.S. The company is offering a $9.40 (£5.99) per-month service. LoveFilm in reaction reduced its price to $7.85 (£4.99) a month.

Email: Georg.Szalai@thr.com

Twitter: @georgszalai