Netflix nabs 1m UK and Ireland members in seven months
Streaming service Netflix has acquired its first 1 million members, a serious milestone in its fight against LoveFilm Instant.
Movie and TV-streaming service Netflix has swept up its first 1 million customers in the UK and Ireland, boasting that its service is growing faster than Facebook or Twitter.
Netflix nabbed the impressive number of customers in seven months, having arrived in the UK at the start of this year. I suspect the offer of a month's free use will have tempted more than a few people to sign up to test the service, which subsequently costs £6 per month.
The streaming service revealed that the most popular time for streaming is Sunday night, with comedy and drama being the most in-demand categories.
The service has been criticised (by us) for not having a particularly strong range of movies and TV shows to choose from. As someone familiar with the service, I know the frustration of scrolling through dozens of rubbish, old movies before finding a rubbish old movie I actually want to watch.
Netflix promises that Iron Man 2 and more seasons of Breaking Bad are incoming, and it does feature every episode of Twin Peaks. It also streams higher quality video than its fierce Amazon-owned rival, Lovefilm Instant.
Virgin Media proudly reported that its TiVo service had hit the 1 million mark last month. Lovefilm says it has 2m customers in the UK, Germany, Sweden, Denmark and Norway. That number includes its DVD-delivery service. To draw a more direct comparison, I've asked how many Instant customers it has in the UK and I'll let you know a soon as I hear back.
How do you watch telly? Have you tried Netflix, and what do you think of the movies and shows on offer? Let me know in the comments or on our Facebook wall.
