Nintendo will become the last of the Big Three console makers to offer Netflix instant streaming, announcing plans this morning to add the feature to the Wii this spring. The move will give Netflix a substantially bigger market for its on-demand service. Netflix CEO Reed Hastings cites the Wii's installed base of more than 26 million consoles in the United States, more than any other Netflix streaming device.

Microsoft, which was first among the major console makers to offer Netflix streaming, has credited the feature with broadening the appeal of the Xbox 360 to more people in the home. Nintendo is already well ahead on that front, thanks in large part to its motion-sensitive Wii controller, but the company has lagged behind the Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3 in offering broader video and entertainment options on its console.

Hastings tells the New York Times that the Wii's unusual interface and hardware specs have made it more of a challenge to get Netflix working on the console. It will require Wii users to order a free disc via mail that they'll need to insert into the console when they want to use the service.

As on other devices, the Netflix streaming service will be available free on the Wii to people who subscribe to Netflix's mail-order movie rental package at a rate of at least $8.99/month.