LoveFilm to rebrand as Amazon Prime Instant Video in Europe

European streaming video service LoveFlim is getting rebranded as Prime Instant Video in the U.K. and Germany, the service’s owner Amazon announced today.

LoveFilm provides people with unlimited access to a large library of movies and TV shows as well as the ability to rent DVDs and Blu-rays by mail for a monthly fee. It’s a direct competitor to the U.S.-dominant streaming service Netflix, which has launched in many European markets in the last year.

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The rebrand will streamline Amazon’s streaming video service with its domestic counterpart, despite the fact that Amazon doesn’t offer a standalone monthly Prime Instant Video subscription service in the U.S. Yet, the company will include complementary access to the streaming video service for European customers that subscribe to Amazon’s annual Prime membership — just as it does in the U.S.

There’s two big things to note about LoveFilm’s rebranding. The first is that Amazon clearly wants to combat growing competition from Netflix under its own name. Also, a unified “Prime Instant Video” branding is much easier to push from a marketing standpoint.

The second — and more interesting — thing to note is that the rebranding could back up rumors of Amazon launching its own set-top box in March. That’s assuming the set-top box will eventually go on sale in Europe.

As for LoveFilm, Amazon plans to pull the trigger on the rebranding February 26.