Wuaki.tv Aboard Google Chromecast in the U.K.

Headnote

DIGITAL

Wuaki.tv, the movie streaming service owned by Japanese e-commerce service Rakuten, has inked a deal with Google making its catalog of movies and TV series available on Chromecast, the search behemoth's digital media streaming device.

Chromecast is a small, thumbsized device that plugs into a TVs HDMI input. Once plugged in, Chromecast allows users to stream high-definition video and audio content from a tablet, smartphone or other device directly to their TVs big screen over a Wi-Fi connection. It essentially turns any TV into a smart TV, allowing viewers to stream hundreds of movies and TV series on-demand.

Wuaki.tv is offering a £20 ($33.50) discount on the purchase of a £30 ($50.27) Chromecast when purchasing any HBO original series. Wuaki recently inked a content licensing deal with HBO, which includes catalog access to "Game of Thrones," "True Detective" and "The Sopranos."

The Wuaki.tv catalog includes content from Disney, Sony Pictures, 20th Century Fox and Warner Bros., as well as U.K. distributors such as the BBC and ITV. Movies and TV series are available for both rental and purchase starting at £2.49 ($4.17) a title.

"A high number of our users stream content directly to their smart TVs, around 80%, through our dedicated apps," Josep Mitjà, co-founder of Wuaki.tv, said in a statement.