World’s biggest movie and TV website to hit Ireland

THE world’s biggest movie and TV-streaming website is to launch in Ireland early next year.

US-based, Netflix offers its customers the chance to watch movies and TV shows online for a monthly subscription of $8. An Irish price will be announced closer to launch.

Netflix has been streaming to US members since 2007 and Canada since 2010. It is the most popular website of its kind in America with 25 million users. The company said it has “revolutionised” entertainment in America.

Netflix will also launch in Britain next year, in an increasingly packed market. Online movie rental firm, Lovefilm, was recently acquired by Amazon and has 1.5 million members since launching in 2002. Google is also pushing to bring movies to its YouTube site on a pay-per-view basis.

Netflix has not announced its pricing system for Ireland but interested customers can sign up now online for more information in due course.

In the US, Netflix has started to compete with major TV networks by acquiring the rights to popular TV dramas.

In the US, it is estimated that movie watching on Netflix accounts for almost 30% of the country’s entire internet traffic.

“Upon launch, Netflix members from the UK and Ireland will be able to instantly watch a wide array of TV shows and films right on their TVs via a range of consumer electronics devices capable of streaming from Netflix, as well as on PCs, Macs and mobile tablets and phones,” a company statement said.