Netflix for Wii coming this spring

Popular movie and TV streaming service Netflix is making its way to Wii in the US this spring.

Already available on Xbox 360 and PS3, the service offers subscribers - packages begin at $8.99 a month - access to around 17,000 movies and TV shows.

Wii owners will need a broadband connection and a free "instant-streaming" disc to access the service when it launches in the coming months.

"Our research shows that 86 per cent of all US Wii consoles are located in the living room. The Wii console is the social hub around which friends and family members gather to play games and have fun," said Nintendo US president Reggie Fils-Aime.

"Soon both new and long-time Wii owners will enjoy the benefits of Netflix - and a variety of informational and entertainment options - by being Netflix members and connecting their consoles to the internet."

US Wii sales stood at 26 million at the end of last year, while Netflix had 11.1 million subscribers at the end of September 2009.

With Netflix on the way for US Wii owners, and the Wii no Ma Channel offering paid video content in Japan, we're starting to feel a bit left behind with just the Wii BBC iPlayer, which hasn't even seen much use in our homes since the catch-up TV service launched on PS3.

Tom Ivan