Netflix announces Australian launch date - 3rd March 2015

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TV and movie fans, get the popcorn ready - Netflix is arriving in Australia in less than three weeks.

The world's largest streaming film and television service will be available in Australia and New Zealand for the first time on March 24.

'Many Aussies and Kiwis have heard a lot about Netflix over the years,' said Netflix co-founder and chief executive Reed Hastings.

'We're excited they'll get to experience our unique blend of Netflix original content, local series and films, and popular movies and TV shows from around the world.'

Netflix's flagship show House of Cards Season Three will be available in full upon the launch, but it's a month too late for TV-hungry Australians.

The new season of the political drama, starring Kevin Spacey, was released in full on February 27 in the US.

Netflix recently renegotiated from Foxtel the rights for the show's return.

But the delayed release means fans will have to wait almost a month to legally watch the hit show.

And of course, many won't wait that long.

Australia was the fourth biggest illegal downloader of House of Cards Season Three, with more than 40,000 homes pirating the show in the 48 hours since its US release.

Netflex has also announced it will team up with internet provider iiNet and Microsoft's gaming console X-Box for the launch.

iiNet customers who sign up with Netflix will be able to stream film and television without adding to home data caps, while gamers who buy a new Xbox One will get three months of prepaid Netflix access.

Curated content from Netflix will be available on smart televisions, gaming consoles, tablets and smartphones.