Movies coming to iTunes UK, Canada

A select number of movies should soon be available for sale from the UK and Canadian iTunes Stores, writes The Times. The British newspaper cites studio sources, who claim that Apple has signed new agreements with four major studios: Fox, Disney, Warner Bros. and Paramount. Lionsgate and MGM are also expected to join in the deal, but issues appear to remain with Sony and Universal. Crucially, people should be able to both buy and rent films from iTunes, at prices comparable to the countries' DVD and video-on-demand options.

In the UK this would put the cost of purchased movies anywhere between £6 and £25, with an average of £13. Canadian prices could be a more difficult issue, as while they are normally higher than in the US, the two countries' currencies are presently equal.

No date has been set for a formal announcement of the iTunes expansion, but it is believed that studios may have more control over release schedules; in the US, studios have promised day-and-date parity with DVD releases. Major titles are allegedly enroute, including Warner's Harry Potter adaptations.

Filed under: iPod, iPhone, Apple
Other story tags: iTunes, sony, video, UK, Universal, Canada, movies, Fox, Paramount, Disney