A million Xbox 360 users now streaming Netflix content

by Stevie Smith - Feb 6 2009, 12:37

Having already bucked current recessional trends by increasing its customer base from 8.7 million to 9.4 million between quarters three and four of 2008, online movie provider Netflix has revealed its partnership with Microsoft’s videogame console is playing a significant role in the service’s ongoing success.

Specifically, in the three months since the two companies began offering Xbox Live Marketplace access to Netflix content, more than one million Xbox 360 users have activated the Watch Instantly streaming service to consume movies and television shows.    
 
While Netflix has not released official numbers with regard to how many new subscribers it has secured through the burgeoning association with Xbox Live, the online provider reports around 1.5 billion minutes of content have thus-far been viewed by Xbox 360 owners.

In order gain Watch Instantly access to the 12,000 (largely older) titles presently available for streaming through Netflix, Xbox Live members must hold an annual $50 USD Gold account and also be members of the Netflix service, which costs approximately $9 USD per month.

By way of reaction to the boastful posturing put forth by Netflix and Microsoft, videogame market rival Sony Corp. has said its own PlayStation Video Store (which does not have connections to Netflix) provides access to a wide selection of new and older movies in Blu-ray clarity without charging users a yearly online service fee or additional monthly fee.

The Tech Herald: Netflix rides the recession alongside the Xbox 360

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