Netflix pulls in 1 million Live users

By Ellie Gibson Published 5 February, 2009

Racks up 1.5 billion mins of viewing time.

Microsoft has announced that more than 1 million Xbox 360 owners have watched movies via the Netflix download service.

They've racked up 1.5 billion minutes of viewing time in total. Pretty impressive considering the service only launched in November, and is still only available in the US.

"Netflix is a great win for Xbox living rooms nationwide," said Microsoft exec John Schappert. "These families are getting more entertainment from Xbox 360 than from any other device connected to their TVs."

Meanwhile, those of us in the rest of the world have had to make do with the Video Marketplace and a selection of films which is less than stellar (good to know Another Cinderella Story and Space Jam are there if we need them, though).

That hasn't stopped people taking advantage - globally, content downloads rose by 174 per cent between December and January.

So will us Europeans ever get a movie download service as good as the one enjoyed by our American friends? Come on Microsoft, YES WE CAN.

Picture of Ellie.

About Ellie Gibson

Since joining Eurogamer in the mid 2000s, Ellie has written about subjects as diverse as the fall of Gizmondo, the rise of Hollyoaks actresses in Red Alert games and the noise a bear makes under NSFW circumstances.

Read more articles from Ellie by visiting the Ellie Gibson archive page.

You may also like...

Comments (14) Latest comment 3 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Dizzy #1 3 years ago

    Now bring it to Europe!

    Yea I know.. wishful thinking.

  • Ryze #2 3 years ago

    Come on! Partner with Lovefilm or Amazon!
    Edited by 1 at 05/02/09 @ 09:34

  • FHUTA #3 3 years ago

    "Partner with Lovefilm or Amazon!"

    I agree it'd be good, but I don't think these - or anyone else currently has a streaming video subscription service in Europe, or at least the UK.

    As soon as there's a local NetFlix equivalant though I want it supported pronto!!

  • LeD #4 3 years ago

    The only reason I'm not using the Video MP is that all the fucking films are overdubbed. For the same price, I'd rather rent a DVD and enjoy the film in its original language, with subtitles if need be.
    Until that changes, they will not have my business. I'm waiting for the PSN equivalent to launch in Europe with great interest.

  • themorganator #5 3 years ago

    chop chop MS!

  • Rash' #6 3 years ago

    LOL! I thought 360 was only about games? 360 gamers sure are full of it...

    :p

    +1 to looking forward to Sony's alternative.

    Edit: for king's (ahem) benefit, edit was for inclusion of +1.

    :p
    Edited by 2 at 05/02/09 @ 10:42

  • Britesparc Verified Creative, ITV #7 3 years ago

    You better not be dissing Space Jam.

  • davisorle #8 3 years ago

    I remember a few years ago when i was in the US... The easiest way THEN was to order movies online.Ud get them like the day after ithrough mail and mail them back whenever.You ad a limit of like 3 movies at the time that you could have rented but unlimited rentals total as long as you kept sending them back. Was like an envelope that you'd rip from one side, you watch the dvd then glue the prepaired thingy for it and send it right back.

    So... I thoguth that THAT shit was easy through netflix and now I could be watching my damn movies online instead of using private torrents for it wasting my bandwidth :p I have about 800GB+ uploaded within a few months.I NEVER shut this shit down anymore cause i keep the High definition movies downloading. COME ON MS BRING THAT SHIT HERE. I'd like to not be watching anything at all elegal. Just that here in Greece we barely even get any HD shit or good services :S Sucks ass

  • Sunyavadin #9 3 years ago

    That's what advertising standards are for. If you find empirical evidence against a claim made by anyone's marketing, they force them to change it.

  • Xerx3s #10 3 years ago

    Tvversity + 3 euro dvd classics + 360 suit me perfectly fine. No need for all this. I'd rather have it that they brought the community games to europe.

    Rash': Please read your own post out loud. Thx.

  • SliderNL #11 3 years ago

    So will us Europeans ever get a movie download service as good as the one enjoyed by our American friends?

    Never, it will not be Microsoft's fault; the way movie rights are sold in EU is the primary cause for the delay of the movie service in Europe.

    In the VS MS or partner just have to buy a single license from big movie studio
    In EU they have to buy a license for every country, have to deal with smaller party's to make it more difficult, it's almost impossible to just buy or license the On the Demand-rights.

  • dr_lha #12 3 years ago

    As a Netflix customer and user of their online service (not through an Xbox360, but a HD TiVo, Netflix online streaming supports many devices, including some Blu-Ray players), let me tell you that it is excellent, but their selection is very limited. Don't expect stuff like The Dark Knight to be on there. Its mostly old movies, indie movies and movies that are on Starz, which is us pay channel like Sky Movies. Its a great service, and even the HD works pretty well with very little buffer time, but its not replacing Netflix DVD/Blu-ray mail shipping yet for new movie releases.

  • CARL05 #13 3 years ago

    Come on! Partner with Lovefilm or Amazon!

    Amazon's rental services IS lovefilm ;)

    But I think it would be good if MS did give us some more films on the rental service and/or a lovefilm streaming service.

    America don't deserve all the goodies!

  • cyber_nicco #14 3 years ago

    You guys haven't ignored Rash yet?