Netflix CEO Reed Hastings doesn’t see enough demand to unbundle Internet streaming from DVDs

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On the Call: Netflix CEO Reed Hastings

SAN FRANCISCO — Netflix Inc.’s success streaming video over the Internet has led some people to wonder when the subscription service might develop an application that would allow its subscribers to watch on Apple Inc.’s iPhone and iTouch. The application could also work on Apple’s new tablet computer, the iPad, due out in March.

But Netflix CEO Reed Hastings said in a Wednesday conference call that he isn’t in any hurry to expand the streaming service to those mobile devices.

QUESTION: Are there any reasons — legal, technological etcetera — that you couldn’t develop a streaming application for the iPod? Would your current streaming service work on the device?

ANSWER: We haven’t yet done or submitted an iPhone application. We’re optimistic that … it could be approved but there’s no way of really knowing in advance what Apple’s stance would be on that. Of course, that application, if it works on the iPhone would work on the iPad.

It’s not a huge priority for us because we’re so focused on the larger screens. Until we get our TV ubiquity and our Blu-ray ubiquity and we’re getting close on video game ubiquity, then we would next turn to the small screen. It’s just not a primary movie-watching (option). So it’s something we will get around to but it’s not in the near term.