February 6, 2009
The recession doesn't seem to have made a dent in Netflix's business. The mail and online video rental firm has teamed with Microsoft to deliver movies through the Xbox LIVE video game system.
In the first three months, Netflix says one million Xbox LIVE members have watched 1.5 billion minutes of Netflix video.
The Netflix application offers Xbox LIVE Gold members the ability to instantly watch movies and TV episodes from Netflix on a television via the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system. Xbox 360 is the only gaming and entertainment console that lets viewers instantly watch movies and TV episodes streamed from Netflix.
Xbox LIVE Gold members who are also Netflix unlimited members can watch movies and TV episodes streamed instantly from Netflix on Xbox LIVE for no additional fee, the company said.
"Adding Netflix to our ever-growing library of 30,000 movies and TV shows makes Xbox 360 the best value in home entertainment," said John Schappert, corporate vice president of Interactive Entertainment, LIVE, Software and Services Business at Microsoft. "With over 1 million activations and 1.5 billion minutes watched to date, Netflix is a great win for Xbox living rooms nationwide. These families are getting more entertainment from Xbox 360 than from any other device connected to their TVs."
In addition to Netflix in the United States, Xbox LIVE Video Marketplace offers over 17,000 pieces of standard and high-definition (HD) content to the Xbox LIVE community. From December 2008 to January 2009, Xbox LIVE Video Marketplace downloads have grown 174 percent year over year.
More than 12,000 movies and TV episodes are currently available to watch online from Netflix, and the company said it is adding to its library. A growing percentage of choices that are available to watch instantly are also available in HD.
The library of movies and TV episodes available to watch instantly from Netflix via Xbox 360 includes scores of Academy Award winners and nominees; a number of popular, currently running and classic TV episodes; more than 20 of the movies rated by the American Film Institute among the greatest ever; and access to the Starz Play service.
