Sony signs U.K. deal with Lovefilm

LONDON -- Sony has become the latest Hollywood studio to sign an exclusive U.K. distribution deal with Lovefilm, Amazon's online entertainment service. Like Lovefilm's previous pact with Warners, this creates a second pay TV window for Sony's movies, after the first window covered by Sony's output deal with BSkyB. Lovefilm's subscribers will be able to stream forthcoming Sony titles, as well as older films and TV series, from June 2012. Titles covered by the deal, which was signed with Sony Pictures TV, include "Arthur Christmas," "The Social Network" and "Salt." Since being taken over by Amazon early in 2011, Lovefilm has accelerated its deal-making with U.S. studios and independent distributors, to bolster its online streaming catalog alongside its established DVD rental-by-post service. It has signed deals with eOne, Studiocanal, Disney, Momentum and Lionsgate. Lovefilm is bidding to consolidate its market position ahead of the launch early next year of a rival U.K. streaming service by Netflix. Contact the Variety newsroom at news@variety.com