Video on-demand is like a kangaroo: it never stops growing. In the UK, that means there are more streaming platforms launching, evolving or even shutting down every day. Where can you rent or buy movies? How does MUBI work? And what exactly is an Amazon Prime?

We present a quick guide to the video on-demand services in the UK – and, like the world of online video itself, this will keep on growing as we add more to it. If you have a site that would you like to be included on here, or you have questions about any particular service that you want us to answer, get in touch.

UK subscription VOD services

Netflix

Website: www.netflix.com
Cost: £7.49/month
Trial period: 30 days free
Licence agreements with: Disney, Paramount, MGM, Lionsgate, Metrodome, DreamWorks, Dogwoof, Artificial Eye

Netflix is a subscription service that allows customers to stream movies and TV shows for a monthly fee. In recent years, the company has place growing emphasis on its original productions, from House of Cards and Orange Is the New Black to Sense8, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and a host of documentaries, including the Oscar-nominated The Square and Virunga. Now, the site is producing its own feature films to boot, including Beasts of No Nation, starring Idris Elba and Brad Pitt satire War Machine.

For more information, keep up to date with our list of what’s new on Netflix UK and our monthly guide to what’s coming soon to Netflix UK.

Amazon Prime

Website: www.amazon.co.uk
Cost: £5.99/month
Trial period: 30 days free
Licence agreements with: Disney, Warner Bros., StudioCanal, Metrodome, Artificial Eye

Amazon’s subscription service is called Amazon Prime Instant Video and offers movies and TV shows to stream for a monthly fee. The service is available as a standalone subscription for £5.99 a month – but Amazon places a greater emphasis on its full Amazon Prime membership, which costs £79 a year (the equivalent of £6.58 a month) and includes next-day UK delivery, plus other benefits, such as Amazon’s music subscription service and a Kindle lending library.

Amazon also produces its own original productions, including Hand of God, starring Ron Perlman, The Man in the High Castle, produced by Ridley Scott, and Transparent, starring Jeffrey Tambor and the first web programme to win a Golden Globe for Best Series.

For more information, keep up to date with our list of what’s new on Amazon Prime Instant Video and our monthly guide to what’s coming soon to Amazon Prime UK.

NOW

Website: www.nowtv.com
Cost: £6.99 or £9.99/month
Trial period: 30 days free (NOW Cinema Membership)
Licence agreements with: Disney, Paramount, DreamWorks

NOW is a VOD service that gives contract-free access to Sky’s pay-TV content – the equivalent of cord-cutting US services, such as HBO Now. The service is divided into two types of content: movies (NOW Cinema Membership) and TV(Entertainment Membership).

A NOW Cinema Membership costs £9.99 a month and provides access to the Sky Movies catalogue, both through live-streaming of the Sky Movies channels and on-demand streaming of every title available. Sky has exclusive first-run deals with many major studios, so films tend to arrive on NOW first, before going on to Netflix or Amazon Prime.

A NOW Entertainment Membership costs £6.99 a month and provides access to Sky’s range of TV channels: Sky 1, Sky Living, Sky Atlantic, Sky Arts, ABC Studios, Comedy Central, Discovery, Disney Channel, FOX, GOLD, ITV Encore, MTV, Nickelodeon and Nick Jr. Channels can be streamed live and TV programmes can be streamed on-demand individually for up to 30 days after their initial broadcast.

For more information, keep up to date with our list of what new movies are on NOW and our monthly guide to what’s coming soon to NOW.

MUBI UK

Website: www.mubi.com
Cost: £5.99/month
Trial period: 30 days free
Licence agreements with: Sony, Paramount

MUBI is a subscription service that offers world cinema, classic, art house and independent movies to stream for a monthly fee. A new film is added every day, with each available for 30 days before being removed, creating an ongoing carousel of content. Offering more niche titles than mainstream SVOD services, MUBI’s focus has established itself as a place for carefully curated cinema, while deals in 2015 with Sony and Paramount have added more recent titles to its line-up.

For more information, keep up to date with our list of what’s new and coming soon to MUBI UK.

UK pay-per-view VOD services

iTunes

Website: www.apple.com/uk/itunes
Available on: iOS devices, iTunes, Apple TV

iTunes is Apple’s pay-per-view VOD platform, which allows you to buy and rent TV shows and movies to watch on Apple devices. Titles are available in both standard and high definition, typically for a standard £3.49 (SD) and £4.49 (HD) price. Content, however, can only be viewed on iOS devices, which means living room watching on a large screen is limited to Apple TV.

For more information, see our monthly guide to new and future VOD releases in the UK.

Amazon Instant Video

Website: www.amazon.co.uk
Available on: Android, iOS devices, Fire TV, Xbox, PlayStation, Selected LG TVs, Selected Samsung, Sony, Panasonic, LG TVs

As well as Amazon’s subscription service, Amazon also has a pay-per-view store for film and TV titles: Amazon Instant Video. Titles are available in both standard and high definition, typically for a standard £3.49 (SD) and £4.49 (HD) price. Content can be viewed on Android and iOS mobile devices, and in the living room can be viewed on selected smart TVs and Blu-ray players, plus consoles and Amazon’s Fire TV box and stick.

For more information, see our monthly guide to new and future VOD releases in the UK.

blinkbox

Website: www.blinkbox.com
Available on: iOS, Android, PS3, Xbox, Chromecast

Formerly owned by Tesco, blinkbox is now owned by TalkTalk and provides movies and TV shows available to buy and rent. Titles are available in both standard and high definition, typically for a standard £3.49 (SD) and £4.49 (HD) price. UltraViolet support allows you to redeem UV titles you’ve bought on disc for free digital download. iOS and Android devices can watch online and download titles, while streaming (without downloading) is possible through the PS3, Xbox 360, Google Chromecast, Xbox One and iMacs.

For more information, see our monthly guide to new and future VOD releases in the UK.

Google Play

Website: Play.google.com
Available on: iOS, Android, Chromecast, Nexus, Roku

Google’s own pay-per-view store (Google Play) includes movies and TV shows, as well as games and other apps for Android devices. Titles are available in both standard and high definition, typically for a standard £3.49 (SD) and £4.49 (HD) price. As well as desktop browsers, Google Movies and TV is available on Android devices, iOS devices, Chromecast, Nexus Player, and Roku boxes and sticks.

For more information, see our monthly guide to new and future VOD releases in the UK.

Wuaki.tv

Website: www..tv
Available on: iOS, Android, Xbox, Chromecast, EE TV, Selected Samsung, Philips, LG, Panasonic and Sony TVs

Wuaki.tv is a Spanish company that has launched its pay-per-view store in the UK. Deals with Lionsgate, Icon, Arrow Films and more have seen its library expand to rival Google Play, blinkbox, iTunes and Amazon Instant Video. Titles can be watched on iOS and Android devices, as well as – in your living room – Google Chromecast, Xbox, EE TV’s set top box and selected smart TVs.

For more information, see our monthly guide to new and future VOD releases in the UK.

Virgin Movies On Demand

Website: Onlinemovies.virginmedia.com
Available on: Virgin Media

Virgin Media’s own pay-per-view store is available through Virgin Media TiVo set top boxes. It is powered by Vubiquity, a streaming company that offers a white label content platform including titles from major studios. Titles are not available to download and keep and only available to rent.

For more information, see our monthly guide to new and future VOD releases in the UK.

TalkTalk Box Office

Available on: TalkTalk TV

TalkTalk’s own pay-per-view store is available to TalkTalk TV customers through its own set top boxes. It is powered by Vubiquity, a streaming company that offers a white label content platform including titles from major studios. Titles are not available to download and keep and only available to rent.

eir Movies

Website: Ondemand.eircom.ie
Available on: eir Vision, iOS, Android

eir Movies is the pay-per-view store provided by Ireland’s broadband and TV company. It is powered by Vubiquity, a streaming company that offers a white label content platform including titles from major studios. Titles can be downloaded to watch offline with supported devices including iOS and Android devices as well as the eir Vision set top box.

BT Box Office

Available on: BT TV, Mobile devices

BT’s own pay-per-view store is available to BT TV customers through its own YouView set top boxes. BT TV was the first TV platform to offer buy-to-keep movies, with titles from 20th Century Fox, Entertainment One, Disney and more. Titles are also available to watch on smartphones, tablets or PCs at no extra cost.

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