MarketingVOX: To compete with digital video offerings from Apple and Amazon, Wal-Mart is apparently planning its own download service.
The retail giant has announced that it is hiring a business manager for a digital-video downloading service via its website, according to the Financial Times. Wal-Mart is “currently in conversations with studios and technology companies regarding the possibility of offering digital download services,” FT writes, adding that discussions are ongoing.
A Wal-Mart service would compete with a similar offering annouced yesterday during Apple’s “It’s Showtime!” event in San Francisco. Amazon also threw its hat into the video download ring last week.
Pricing for new-release DVD downloads could be an issue for Wal-Mart. Apple announced a $12.99 price tag for new-release movie downloads, which undercuts Wal-Mart’s online price for new-release DVDs by almost $3. Wal-Mart’s music download service offers songs at 88 cents each – 11 cents less than iTunes. If it were wants to offer a similar discount for movie downloads, the price would be around $11.41 a movie – $4 less than the DVD price.
Related stories:
- Apple Announces iTV, Offers Film Downloads
- Apple to Bring Internet, TV Set Closer Together
- AmazonUnbox Offers Film Downloads
- AOL Video Offers Movie Downloads from Major Studios (updated)
- Fox to Offer TV, Movie Downloads via MySpace, IGN
- AOL to Launch New Video Service, Challenge iTunes
