TV and Movie Streaming On the Wii in 2009?

Curt Marvis, President of Digital Media at Lionsgate seems to think so. In an interview with The Cut Scene, Marvis said he believes that the Wii could see TV and movie streaming as early as this year. “I think when we see the Wii come into the market with the ability to stream movies, which I think is maybe going to happen as soon as this year, I think that’s going to be a big marketplace for digital distribution,” Marvis told The Cut Scene. Whether there has been talk of TV and movie streaming for the Wii or Marvis is just speculating is unclear, but he has made it clear that Lionsgate would be involved if this technology did materialize. Nintendo has already announced plans for a Japanese Wii Channel that would provide video content. Nintendo has not said whether this service will be offered outside of Japan.

Nintendo has sold nearly 50 million Wiis worldwide, compared to a nearly 21 million PS3s and 30 million XBox 360s, both of which already offer video distribution. If Nintendo enters the market, they have the potential to expand the growing demand for online video and corner the market. Nintendo also has a large hold on non-traditional gamers who are less likely to stream video via the internet. If the Wii offers video streaming that is easy, it could open up a whole new market.

The Cut Scene via Joystiq