LAS VEGAS — Netflix on Thursday announced a series of distribution deals with five major electronics manufacturers ensure the next generation of Blu-ray disc players and HDTVs will be embedded with its streaming service for movies and TV episodes.
Netflix made the pacts official here during the 2010 Consumer Electronics Show. Now Netflix’s streaming service can be found on more than 100 different consumer electronics devices including Microsoft’s Xbox and TVs and gaming consules made by the likes of LG, Samsung, Sony and TiVo.
The quintet of new partners includes Funai, which distributes the Philips, Magnavox, Sylvania and Emerson brands in the United States; Panasonic; Sanyo; Sharp and Toshiba.
“Ever since Netflix began instantly streaming movies and TV episodes to personal computers in January 2007 we’ve said we want to be ubiquitous on whatever device gets the Internet to the TV,” said Netflix CEO Reed Hastings. “The important companies and brands we’ve announced today join a roster of world-class CE companies that have partnered with Netflix.”
Netflix claims to have more than 11 million subscribers, most of whom are paying $8.99 a month for an unlimited supply of movies and TV shows delivered either through the mail or via an electronic devices embedded with its streaming service.