Published:
14-Jan-10
Netflix has announced its Watch Instantly streaming service will be available via broadband-connected Wii consoles in the US. The company has not given a precise date but has indicated it will launch in spring 2010.
This follows a similar deal with Sony announced in October 2009 to make the service available via the PS3 (see link below). Watch Instantly is now available via all three of the current generation games consoles, as well as a range of connected TVs, Blu-ray Disc players and standalone set-top boxes. As is the case for the PS3 iteration of the Watch Instantly service, Wii owners will need to obtain a software disc, which will be freely distributed by Netflix, to view content on their console.
According to Netflix, around 50% of its 11m online DVD rental subscribers use the streaming service – which is provided as a free value-add for its customers – compared with 20% in mid-2008.
Separately, Netflix has announced the number of Warner titles available for streaming and DVD rental is to increase under a new deal with the studio.
Our take...
The deal with Nintendo means Netflix now has more than 10 hardware partners for its streaming service. Adding the Wii to the list of connectable devices through which Watch Instantly can be accessed significantly extends the reach of the service. Screen Digest data indicates there were almost 10m active connected Wii households in the US at end 2009.
This is not first time Nintendo will be making online video content available via the Wii. In Japan the company launched its own paid video download service for the Wii in November 2009 and also offers online video content from third party service operators Fujisoft and CinemaNow, while in the UK, Wii owners have been able to access BBC iPlayer via their console since April 2008. That Nintendo will soon be offering online video services in two Western markets is interesting given the company has historically focused platform expansion efforts on the domestic market. A version of its previous console – the GameCube – that included DVD playback was only available in Japan.
Offering online video services in the US and the UK enables Nintendo to position its hardware as a broader entertainment platform in these markets. However, the Wii is some way behind its games console rivals in this regard. In addition to offering Watch Instantly on their consoles, both Sony and Microsoft operate their own online video services – the PlayStation Network video store and Zune, respectively – in the US and have rolled these out to several international markets already. It is also worth noting that unlike the PS3 and the Xbox, the Wii is not capable of playing video in high definition.
USA,
Netflix brings streaming to the PS3, plans to roll out streaming service internationally
