French supermarket enters VoD

France’s biggest supermarket chain has launched a VoD service that allows customers to buy or rent shows including The Walking Dead and Gotham and watch them on the go.

The Walking Dead

Carrefour’s service is branded Nolim Films and will enable customers to access content via smartphones, tablets, connected TVs and computers. Around 3,000 shows will be available, including superhero series Arrow and local content, with more series being added daily.

Hollywood blockbusters are also on offer, such as Gravity, Godzilla and Edge of Tomorrow, with prices between €1.99 (US$2.30) and €4.99.

Carrefour, which claims to be the second biggest retailer in the world, is partnering with Hollywood-backed cloud video service UltraViolet and OTT tech firm Saffron Digital on the venture.

Nolim will allow customers to buy content that can be added to their UltraViolet digital library and be watched via the new service, whether it is bought in a shop or online. Shows can also be downloaded to play when offline.

TV content will in some case be available 24 hours after its US premiere, while films will be accessible four months after their cinema debuts.

“Our clients’ consumption habits are constantly evolving. With Nolim Films, we will address their expectations and new uses of video,” said Noël Prioux, exec director of Carrefour France. “This new offer is part of the brand’s digital strategy, which relies on the complementarity of our distribution channels.”

Nolim’s launch yesterday follows Netflix’s arrival in France last year, with the US subscription VoD service currently working on its first French original, Marseille.