Netflix is one of the most popular TV and movie streaming sites in the world – so much so that the site has 20,000 Australian customers, despite the fact is hasn't launched here yet.

20,000 reasons

Netflix first launched in 1997 and has been available in regions outside the US, including Canada and the UK, since 2010. Netflix and YouTube streams now account for 50 per cent of US internet traffic.

Australia has been lagging behind the global streaming trend, yet that hasn't stopped a lot of enterprising Aussies from signing up.

Swimming upstream

According to The Australian, over 20,000 Aussies have so far signed up to Netflix, masking their IP addresses to make it look like they're US subscribers. Others put the figure closer to 50,000.

While technically illegal, the trend doesn't appear to be slowing anytime soon, especially when considering the high price Australian consumers pay for digital content (52 per cent more on iTunes than US users, for instance). 

Shifting sands

While there is no official word if and when Netflix will launch Down Under, these figures suggest the local appetite for streaming video is growing, whether the traditional networks like it or not. 

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