Netflix to launch in the UK & Ireland

Netflix is set to launch in the UK and Ireland early next year. The online film subscription service offers unlimited TV shows and films streamed to PCs, games consoles, TVs and a range of mobile devices for a monthly fee.

The company plans to announce details about the UK service, including content and pricing, closer to launch.

Netflix currently has a customer base of 25 million users. It launched in the US in 2007 and is now available in Canada and 43 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Google has also moved in to this market, launching a film rental service for its Android mobile operating system. UK users can now rent films via their smartphones and tablets. The service features 1,000 titles, with prices starting at £2.49.

The search giant is planning a music-download service as well, which will link to Google+. The music store is expected to launch within the next two weeks.