Also, I don't know what split is like, but it is ridiculously easy to buy a Kindle in the UK (and I'm going to extrapolate that to Europe). Or if that doesn't float your boat, then just pick up a Sony or Kobo eReader - all you need to do is walk into the any major electronics retailer.
Given that this market exists, and is being actively courted by every player in this field, B&N will NEED to sort out global distribution somehow, otherwise they will get crushed. Unless of course they believe a good run in the American market alone will give them enough momentum to launch in Europe whenever they see fit... and that's probably not going to happen.
I'm already becoming dissatisfied with my Nook over B&N's failure to really come to terms with the rest of the world. The number of non-North American authors I follow whose work is for sale in Kindle editions but not Nook editions isn't exactly zero.
Given that this market exists, and is being actively courted by every player in this field, B&N will NEED to sort out global distribution somehow, otherwise they will get crushed. Unless of course they believe a good run in the American market alone will give them enough momentum to launch in Europe whenever they see fit... and that's probably not going to happen.