Netflix arrives in UK and Ireland
Netflix has launched in the UK and Ireland, according to reports.
The successful US video-streaming service said in October last year that it was preparing to enter the UK market. Reports on Monday suggested the time had come, with the firm's PlayStation 3 app arriving over the weekend and the full online service launching this week.
Netflix will find its prime competitor in the UK to be Amazon's Lovefilm, which has been around for almost a decade. Lovefilm boosted its own viability in the market by saying last week that it had struck deals with the BBC and ITV to stream those broadcasters' shows.
According to The Guardian, Netflix — which already has a BBC deal — also has arrangements lined up with ITV and Channel 4. However, Bloomberg reported late last year that the ITV deal excludes popular shows such as Downton Abbey.
Netflix will charge £5.99 a month for unlimited online movie and TV show streaming, PaidContent has reported. Lovefilm charges £4.99 a month for a similar deal, although this is a launch price for a new unbundled service — Lovefilm customers previously had to pay for DVD rental as well as streaming services — that may rise.