Netflix Launches in Canada; PS3 and Nintendo Wii Online, Xbox 360 Service Coming 'Soon'

At a press event in Toronto early this morning, co-founder and CEO of Netflix Inc. Reed Hastings announced the popular, previously U.S.-only, rental and streaming service is now available in Canada, CBC reports.

First announced for Canadian markets in July, the streaming-only option for Canadian users is priced at $7.99 per month and includes access to the service via computers and laptops, Apple iOS devices, and video game consoles.

PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Wii users will have the ability to use the service immediately; however, Wii users will require a separate disc to execute the feature. The disc is available to order after users sign up for a one-month free trial to the service at Netflix.ca. PlayStation 3 users in Canada can download an application via the "What's New" section of the XMB to access the service. (A native Netflix application is set to launch in the U.S. sometime in October.)

According to Netflix, Xbox 360 consoles in Canada will have the streaming capability "soon." Presumably the service will only be available when Microsoft adds the Netflix executable application to Canadian Xbox 360 dashboards.

Although the service is only available in English, Netflix says it will add French capabilities soon. Studios featured in the Canadian launch include 20th Century Fox, Lionsgate, MGM Studios, Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures Entertainment, and Universal Pictures alongside Canadian distributors Alliance Films, Maple Pictures, eOne, and Mongrel.

Building queues of titles to watch is currently not available to Canadian users. Shacknews has contacted Netflix to find out whether this feature will be added at a later date.