Update: Microsoft has confirmed that the Xbox Live Gold gating of Apps has been removed. As part of a press release, the company confirmed:
"Coming in June, anyone with an Xbox will be able to access popular entertainment experiences - whether or not you have an Xbox Live Gold membership. This includes great gaming apps like Machinima, Twitch and Upload, popular video services like Netflix, Univision Deportes, GoPro, Redbull and HBO Go, sports experiences like the NFL app for Xbox One, MLB.tv, NBA Game Time, NHL Game Center and more. Microsoft experiences including Internet Explorer, Skype, OneDrive and OneGuide will also be available to all Xbox customers."
Original story: According to a report his morning by Arstechnica, Microsoft are due to remove the requirement of a Xbox Live Gold subscription to access streaming Apps such as Netflix on its Xbox consoles.
The site points to multiple sources within Microsoft that have confirmed the shift, as a potential announcement for the company's E3 Media Briefing in a few weeks. However, it also notes that Microsoft may also pull some other services behind the Gold paywall at the same time.
Currently neither Sony or Nintendo charge a separate subscription in order to access their available streaming Apps.