UK PS3s getting ITV and C4 streaming this week

British PlayStation 3 users are to be granted on-demand viewing of both ITV and Channel 4 this week, The Guardian reports.

The new services will arrive in the form of the The ITV Player and Channel 4's 4oD system.

The moves follows the inclusion of the BBC iPlayer on PS3 earlier this year.

Sony estimates that there are about 4 million PS3s in the UK, and that about 80% of owners are connected to PSN.

Alan Duncan, the marketing director for PlayStation in Britain, said ITV and Channel 4 could expect an incremental increase in traffic of about 10 percent from users watching shows via PlayStation hardware.

Sarah Rose, director of commercial business development at Channel 4, said the time was right to partner with a console-maker.

"They are much bigger now and moving into the entertainment space, plus it sits well with our 16 to 34-year-old audience strengths," Rose said.

She played down concerns that the PS3 deal might cannibalise traffic from 4oD, which is already available on Channel4.com.

"Are we taking youth away from our own platform? I don't think we are. The audience are moving around and so are we."