• by Wayne Friedman , August 30, 2010

Following on the heels of Google TV, Google is now looking to get into the pay-per-view film business -- looking to compete with Netflix and possibly Apple's iTunes. 

According to a recent report, Google's YouTube video site is in negotiations with movie studios to launch a global per-per-view service at the end of this year. YouTube already has a free movie service in place.

Recently, Google announced Google TV, a service intended to better connect traditional TV viewing with the capabilities of the Internet. The Google TV advantage seems to be the navigation tools it can bring to the party, such as Google's dominant search engine.

The Financial Times reported that the new Google YouTube PPV service for films would begin in the U.S., then roll out worldwide. Those films would appear on the same release date as DVD rentals. Top movies -- streamed, now downloaded -- could have a $5-per-title price tag.

News of Google's TV and film activities follows Apple's, which is looking to upgrade its up Apple TV service. It connects traditional TV sets to the Internet, as well as Apple iTunes' new TV plan: a 99-cent-rental-per-episode of TV series.

Netflix already has a growing digital entertainment business in which consumers can electronically rent TV and film content. The company is looking to add to its many studio deals.

Negotiations with studios and Google's YouTube have been going on for months. They have increased recently as a result of the flurry of other possible digital TV deals in the works. YouTube has been beta-testing a film rental service since January.