Bell strikes deal to bring Netflix to Fibe TV boxes

Bell's Fibe TV subscribers will now be able to access Netflix through their set-top box.

Bell has been aggressively marketing its internet-protocol TV service in Ontario and Quebec as an alternative to a cable subscription since its launch in 2010.

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Users will still need to buy a separate Netflix subscription, but they won't have to buy new equipment or switch TV inputs to access Netflix.

The Netflix app joins Bell's own video-on-demand streaming service, CraveTV, which launched in December 2014.

• Bell opens CraveTV to everyone starting next year

Netflix has disrupted the traditional TV subscription business model by offering thousands of hours of existing movies and TV shows as well as original content for as low as $7.99 a month for its basic plans.

Netflix has also begun to pursue partnerships with TV providers directly, striking deals over the past 18 months with Cogeco Cable and Telus to add its app to their set-top boxes.

In February, the Media Technology Monitor research group said its surveys showed 38 per cent of English-speaking Canadians had a Netflix subscription.