Netflix Streaming Coming to Sony PlayStation 3

First shared by: Esteban Trigos

Netflix_PS3_1If I was Nikki Finke, I would have proclaimed “TOLDJA!” in that headline. Because I did read Netflix’s earnings call tea leaves correctly and guessed that the movie rental’s streaming service would come to another game console. Netflix and Sony just announced that Netflix’s TV and movie streaming service will be available on the PlayStation 3 starting next month, ending the exclusive relationship Netflix had with Microsoft’s Xbox.

The PS3 has an installed base of nearly 9 million, and Netflix closed the third quarter of 2009 with 11.1 million subscribers. During its earnings call last week, the company said it had adjusted guidance up because of an upcoming relationship with a new CE partner that had a “material installed base.” The PS3 would certainly qualify. Interestingly, the Netflix solution on the PS3 seems a little kludgy at first. From the press release:

Initially, watching movies instantly streamed from Netflix via the PS3 system will be enabled by a free, instant streaming Blu-ray disc that is being made available to all Netflix members. The free instant streaming disc leverages Blu-ray’s BD-Live™ technology to access the Internet and activate the Netflix user interface on the PS3 system, ...

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