EzyFlix.tv today slashed the sale price of Guardians of the Galaxy, Transformers: Age of Extinction and several other high-profile titles to $16.99, undercutting iTunes and Google Play by as much as 33%.
While the initial offer is limited to five films and will run through Christmas, the company is looking to repeat the initiative next year, matching the prices paid by US consumers to combat online piracy and boost digital revenues.
“We will continually look for ways to encourage consumers to buy movies online at a fair price,” CEO Craig White tells IF. “We think the uptake will demonstrate to the US studios that when titles are legally available and at consumers' convenience, most Australians are willing to pay for them, but they should not have to pay a premium.”
The discounted offer also applies to Mrs. Browns Boys D'Movie, The Inbetweeners 2 and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. The price of $16.99 is for HD movies, which usually cost a couple of dollars more than SD.
White acknowledges this is a loss-leader exercise for his company, which has experienced strong growth both in online rentals and download-to-own.
“It’s outrageous that Aussies don’t have access to the same prices as other movie-loving nations when it comes to digital content. We are proud to be the first provider to deliver a premium digital service to locals without inflated the price tag,” White added.
Last month Roadshow Entertainment announced it would reduce the VoD and EST prices on some titles starting with The Expendables 3, which will be available to rent from December 11 for $4.99, down from the standard $5.99, and to buy for $15.99, reduced from $19.99.
Subsequently Roadshow informed digital platforms it will cut the prices of more than a dozen titles due for release from January through May. They include The Giver, The Immigrant and The Equalizer (January), The Judge and A Walk Among Tombstones (February) and The Best of Me and John Wick (March). For example, The Giver, The Immigrant and The Equalizer will cost $17.99 to buy in SD and $19.99 in HD, with The Judge at $19.99 and $24.99.
White applauds Roadshow’s initiative but observes, "Roadshow has shown great leadership but more needs to be done by every other distributor.”
EzyFlix.tv enables consumers to stream or download content on up to five devices, including iOS and Android devices, as well as on big screens via the Samsung SmartTV application and Google Chromecast.