Netflix coming to Canada this fall

Netflix has just announced it'll be taking its first tentative step abroad with a rollout of its video streaming service in Canada. Specifics are predictably light at the present moment, but interested Canucks can sign up now to be informed as soon as those details drop. So Canada in the fall... and the UK in winter, perhaps? We can only hope.

[Thanks, Chris D.]

Show full PR text

Netflix To Launch Canadian Service for Streaming Movies and TV Episodes Later This Year
Expansion Beyond U.S. Marks First International Venture for Internet's Leading Movie Subscription Service

LOS GATOS, Calif., July 19 /PRNewswire/ -- Netflix, Inc. (Nasdaq: NFLX), the leading Internet movie subscription service, today announced it will expand into Canada this fall offering unlimited movies and TV episodes streamed instantly to TVs and computers for one low monthly fee. The Canadian launch will mark the first availability of Netflix outside the United States.

Canadian Netflix members will be able to instantly watch a broad array of movies and TV episodes right on their TVs via a range of consumer electronics devices capable of streaming from Netflix, as well as watching on PCs and Macs.

In addition to representing its inaugural international market, Canada will also mark the first streaming-only service promoted by Netflix.

At the time of launch, the Netflix Canadian service will be available in English only, but the company said it expects to add French language capability over time.

Canadians interested in Netflix can go to www.netflix.ca and sign up to receive an email from the company when the service launches in Canada this fall.

About Netflix

With more than 13 million members, Netflix, Inc. (Nasdaq: NFLX) is the world's largest subscription service streaming movies and TV episodes over the Internet and sending DVDs by mail. For $8.99 a month, Netflix members can instantly watch unlimited TV episodes and movies streamed to their TVs and computers and can receive unlimited DVDs delivered quickly to their homes. With Netflix, there are never any due dates or late fees. Members can select from a growing library of titles that can be watched instantly and a vast array of titles on DVD. Among the large and expanding base of U.S. devices that can stream movies and TV episodes from Netflix right to members' TVs are Microsoft's Xbox 360, Sony's PS3 and Nintendo's Wii consoles; Blu-ray disc players from Samsung, LG and Insignia; Internet TVs from LG, Sony and VIZIO; the Roku digital video player and TiVo digital video recorders, and Apple's iPad tablet. For more information, visit http://www.netflix.com.

SOURCE Netflix, Inc.

[hero785 Posted Jul 19th 2010 9:37AM]

@tomas
True. I just don't understand as to what's taking the government way too damn long to intervene here. I mean these overuse charge are way too much now! And talk about low monthly allowance caps for top dollars. Thieves!

[uzerzero Posted Jul 19th 2010 9:43AM]

That picture must not have been taken in Canada... there's no Molson beer or Horton's doughnuts on table.

[Donelop Posted Jul 19th 2010 2:57PM]

@uzerzero LMAO!!!

[moldymac Posted Jul 19th 2010 9:52AM]

Canada eh?

[cliffy Posted Jul 19th 2010 10:05AM]

Now I hope that Netflix gets re-enabled on all those web enabled TV's they sell up here!

[PhantomPower Posted Jul 19th 2010 10:17AM]

Oh thank God.

[SurgeArrest Posted Jul 19th 2010 10:33AM]

I wonder if they will be regulated in some way by CRTC. Say imposing CANCON (Canadian Content) rules on Netflix so that they will have to offer 60% of canadian content. This will burry the deal very fast.

I just wish all the "Canadian" crap that is produced on our tax dollars in Canada will stop being sponsored by the government, artificial low grade culture.

[kr1shna Posted Jul 19th 2010 11:02AM]

This needs to come to the UK ASAP. Altho given the British Postal Service's history, I'm not very sure how will the DVD-by-mail will do. Streaming may take time to catch on too. UK is far behind in broadband adoption.

[GeorgeRobo Posted Jul 19th 2010 12:21PM]

@kr1shna Actually the UK and Canada have a higher Broadband adoption rate than the US at the moment.
UK- 58%
Canada- 65%
US-54%

[kr1shna Posted Jul 19th 2010 12:52PM]

@GeorgeRobo Thanks for correcting me there. Where are those #s from? What I meant to say was that even though broadband is available, from my experience in the UK, speeds are far slower than what they are in the US.

[blckman Posted Jul 19th 2010 11:04AM]

This is so great for Canada. You all deserve to share in the Netflix streaming joy. Have fun, kick off your shoes, grab a drink, and stream some of your favorite content galore.

[erh Posted Jul 19th 2010 11:11AM]

Will it be crippled like iTunes and PSN's Canadian offerings? Those services offer a fraction of the content that is available to Americans.

[iName Posted Jul 19th 2010 11:21AM]

YOU GUYS DIDN'T HAVE NETFLIX?!

Wow Canada is like the pit of despair when it comes to tech stuff, I'm sorry guys I didn't know it was that bad :(

[ChrisMav Posted Jul 19th 2010 11:26AM]

I would bloody love this to come out in the UK, first I hear about maybe the UK getting Zune pass and now this, I could easily see myself paying £25 for unlimited music and movies!

[Zeroexe43 Posted Jul 19th 2010 12:20PM]

I LITERATELY JUMPED UP SCREAMING!!! YESSS YESSS FINALLY FINALLY!!!!

[RobertaZ Posted Jul 19th 2010 12:46PM]

What's the quality like? If it isn't comparable to DVD/Blu-Ray, then they'll have to pay me $8.95/month to watch.

[broccoli Posted Jul 19th 2010 1:02PM]

One Big question.

1. Any idea if Netflix will offer the ability to rent DVDs by mail? I ask this because I will soon have a 20GB bandwidth cap.

I don't care about streaming at all. I will be playing online games, using skype, downloading music occasionally. I cant afford to stream a movie (20 GB of free data transfer per month (additional usage $10/GB, charged in 1 cent increments)

[eDan Posted Jul 19th 2010 1:37PM]

@broccoli

Streaming only.

[reidjr Posted Jul 19th 2010 1:27PM]

Itunes canada offerings are not all that bad at all.

[ChocNut Posted Jul 19th 2010 2:26PM]

Screaming out for this shit in Europe!!!

Bring it!

[broccoli Posted Jul 19th 2010 2:43PM]

What are some alternatives to Netflix in Canada (with dvd rental option)

[gprime Posted Jul 19th 2010 3:31PM]

@broccoli zip.ca

[kspraydad Posted Jul 19th 2010 8:29PM]

@gprime zip.ca doesn't do streaming though...rogers uses zip.ca now as their back end so expect to see a rogers version of full netflix be packaged by this fall.

[thetickler Posted Jul 19th 2010 3:49PM]

Does this mean we will get NetFlix on the PS3 in Canada as well??

[rebelscum Posted Jul 19th 2010 4:55PM]

@tomas Yup. As soon as this comes to town it's bye-bye forever to cable and Rogers, and hellooooo TekSavvy with its 500gb data cap.

[ultraseven Posted Jul 20th 2010 4:00AM]

The CRTC doesn't really have much weight over STRICTLY net-based services. Film/TV aside; Netflix isn't so much a broadcaster and I doubt that they'll have any power to enlist can-con constrictions on the service at the moment. Of course, they are defiantly looking into what they can control on the net, but no talks have really come from it so I'd give it a couple years.



http://www.thestar.com/Business/article/425759

[Bash23 Posted Jul 22nd 2010 3:32AM]

@tomas Rogers is the one with the huge fees, Bell has a max overcharge of $30 so essentially if you pay $30 more then you get unlimited or you can get a $5 40GB "insurance" (you can guy is 3 times I believe).

I'm using Acanac and it's working great for me, unlimited 4.3mb (out of 5mb) and .67mb up. for $33.95 (first year is $24.95) (residential plan). They also give you 100GB online storage online, VPN, SSH tunnel and 1 free static IP and email for free with Residential plan.

I never really got why people complain about disconnects or speed issues with Acanac, I've been with them for about 1 year and 2 or 3 months no issues so far.

http://www.speedtest.net/result/886887650.png

Sorry if I sound like I'm advertising them, I just think its the best deal if you want cheap internet.

[Bash23 Posted Jul 22nd 2010 3:35AM]

@rebelscum Why don't you just get Acanac/Teksavvy DSL until Teksavvy cables comes to your town?

[Bash23 Posted Jul 22nd 2010 3:37AM]

@Bash23 I know some people will be wonder this, I don't get any throttling.