Netflix running on the new Apple TV.

The Apple TV has eclipsed the iPad in overall viewership of Netflix content, the movie-rental company said yesterday.

"Apple TV has done very well for us, and in just four months has passed the also-growing iPad in Netflix viewing hours," the company wrote in its letter to shareholders.

Netflix stopped short of providing exact viewer figures for the two Apple devices, but the very fact that the Apple TV is now leading the iPad is impressive. Apple has sold millions of iPads since the device launched last year, and it sold 7.33 million units in its last-reported quarter alone. In December, Apple announced that it was nearing 1 million units sold of its set-top box since that device's launch at the end of September.

Apple's iPhone is also "very popular" among Netflix streaming customers, but the company reported that "Windows and Mac laptops, Sony PS3, Microsoft Xbox, and Nintendo Wii" are the most popular Netflix-streaming options.

Netflix enjoyed a strong 2010. The company reported that it added 7.7 million customers on the year, easily besting its estimated 3.6 million additions. It now has over 20 million customers. Netflix generated a $47 million profit during the fourth quarter on $596 million of revenue.

(Via TUAW)