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Netflix goes social, integrates with Facebook Connect


Clearly, having access to your Netflix queue on your iPhone just isn't intimate enough, and now the company is expanding its reach once more by announcing Facebook Connect integration. Officially, the integration "seamlessly links a Netflix member's account with his or her Facebook account," though with Facebook changing its layout every three month, you probably won't be able to find the Netflix bit by the time summer draws to a close. At any rate, Facebook Connect will extend members' movie ratings from the Netflix community to Facebook, and of course, Netflix subscribers can decide whether or not they want to take advantage. The idea here is for Facebook friends to yap online over ratings and such, and generally keep Netflix on the tip of their tongue at all times. Hit up the full release past the break for all the appropriate setup information.



MOVING TO BROADEN ITS ACCESSIBILITY, NETFLIX INTREGRATES WITH FACEBOOK CONNECT,
ENABLING MEMBERS TO SHARE MORE WITH FRIENDS

LOS GATOS, Calif., March 24, 2009 – As part of its plan to make Netflix features more broadly accessible to members and their friends, Netflix, Inc. (Nasdaq: NFLX), the world's largest online movie rental service, today announced its integration with Facebook Connect, which seamlessly links a Netflix member's account with his or her Facebook account. Facebook Connect will extend members' movie ratings from the Netflix community to Facebook. Netflix members decide if they want to use Facebook Connect and can turn it on or off at any time.

Each time a Netflix member rates a movie, that one- to five-star rating will be posted on his or her Facebook profile and shared with the member's friends if the Netflix member has enabled Facebook Connect. Because friends can make comments in response to ratings posts, this new feature encourages an enriched movie-watching experience, enhanced by interaction and conversation among friends. Movie rating posts on Facebook will also link back to the correlating movie page at Netflix, enabling Facebook users to learn more about a specific movie and allowing Netflix members to easily add the movie to their own Queues.

"Movies make for great conversations," said Gibson Biddle, vice president of product management for Netflix. "By integrating with Facebook Connect, Netflix members can now share their movie-watching experiences even more easily than before, allowing for greater exchange of movie recommendations with their friends."

"Netflix is a clear leader in bringing innovation to renting, viewing and engaging around movies," said Ethan Beard, director of platform marketing, Facebook. "We think the social features in Facebook Connect provide a tremendous opportunity for Netflix subscribers to share their thoughts and feelings on movies with their friends in the Netflix community and with Facebook's more than 175 million active users."

To link their Netflix and Facebook accounts, Netflix members will use the "Connect" button on the Netflix member site at http://www.netflix.com/facebookconnect. Upon first connecting, each member will have the option of pushing all future movie ratings to his or her Facebook profile or to be presented with the option of publishing ratings to Facebook on a case-by-case basis.

Netflix anticipates the integration of additional features through Facebook Connect and encourages user feedback through the Netflix Facebook page www.facebook.com/netflix or on Twitter www.twitter.com/netflix