Netflix arrives on YouView today, will hit TalkTalk boxes next year

YouView TV boxes are getting Netflix
The YouView box has learned a new skill

Updated: Last week BT announced that Netflix would be coming to its YouView set-top boxes, and starting today customers with BT and Humax-made boxes should be able to start using the big red streaming service.

You will, of course, need a Netflix subscription in order to use it, with prices starting at £5.99 a month for standard definition, single-screen streaming.

For non-BT YouView'ers

Will YouView users who don't have a BT box or don't subscribe to BT services be able to use Netflix through YouView? At present we just don't know, but we've asked.

Non-BT-branded YouView boxes are available for under £200, making them fairly attractive for those looking to try the free-to-use YouView service without a contract.

BT's announcement does not shed any light on the matter.

"We continue to focus on strengthening our TV proposition and are excited to announce we have entered into a partnership with Netflix that will allow our customers to sign up for Netflix alongside our other products and services, with the added convenience of paying on one bill directly through BT," read the statement.

We asked for clarification, we were told the rather cryptic, "We will be revealing more about our plans for Netflix in the comings weeks so will be able to tell you more then," by a BT spokesperson. But it shows more is brewing.

Rumours that Netflix will come to YouView have circulated for months – and it has been anticipated for years. YouView originally launched in 2012, and a lack of Netflix cited as one of its key issues.

In early October, it was rumoured that Netflix was in talks with multiple YouView backers, not just BT. TalkTalk and Arquiva sit alongside BT as major telecoms YouView backers. It seems likely this will be the first of multiple Netflix deals announced, and hopefully a precursor to a system-wide Netflix roll-out.

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Andrew Williams

Andrew is a freelance journalist and has been writing and editing for some of the UK's top tech and lifestyle publications including TrustedReviews, Stuff, T3, TechRadar, Lifehacker and others.