Dish becomes first US operator to carry Netflix

Satellite pay TV operator Dish has become the first US service provider to make Netflix available via its set-top boxes.

The subscription video-on-demand service is now available via Dish’s second-generation Hopper set-tops, giving Dish customers the ability to subscribe to Netflix and view shows including House of Cards and Orange is the New Black from the same platform they use to view their linear payTV channels.

Netflix is currently available via an app on Dish’s broadband-connected Hopper boxes, but the service will be rolled out to the operator’s Joey, Super Joey and Wireless Joey boxes in the coming months.

Dish said that Netflix titles could also be integrated into its unified search functionality across live, recorded and on-demand programming on the its Hopper boxes and its planned forthcoming OTT service.

“Pairing Netflix with Hopper represents the consolidation of two incredible video experiences,” said Vivek Khemka, DISH senior vice president of product management. “This app integration eliminates the need to switch television inputs to access content on varying devices. It gives our customers easy access to their favorite shows and movies, on both DISH and Netflix, without ever having to leave their Hopper.”

“As the first major pay-TV provider in the U.S. to add the Netflix app to its set-top box, Dish strengthens an already robust video entertainment experience for its customers,” said Bill Holmes, global head of business development at Netflix. “Many households subscribe to both Netflix and a traditional pay-TV service. Our vast library of TV shows and movies, combined with Dish’s lineup of live television content, gives customers easy access to a wide variety of complementary programming.”