Reuters is reporting today, with confirmation from the Netflix Twitter account, that Netflix will expand its international availability to six European countries later this year. Whilst Netflix is already available in a number of European countries including the United Kingdom, Norway and Finland, this latest international push is significant as it includes the major markets of France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium and Luxembourg.
Netflix previously said it planned a substantial expansion in Europe this year but had not said specifically where. The costs of launching in the new markets will keep the company’s international unit at a loss, Netflix said in an April 21 letter to shareholders.
The pricing and programming that will be offered in these new regions will be announced by Netflix at a later date. But it is reasonable to expect that the new regions will launch with all of Netflix’s original content such as ‘House of Cards’ and ‘Orange is the New Black’ as well as a limited mix of licensed movies and television shows, including those from the respective local markets.
It’s official! We’ll launch in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, Belgium and Luxembourg later this year. #Netflix
— Netflix US (@netflix) May 21, 2014
In our recent feature on Mapping The International Availability of Entertainment Services we compared the availability of Netflix to other digital movie and TV stores and streaming services such as iTunes, Hulu and Xbox Video. Included below is an updated version of our map and graph which demonstrates how this expansion will impact on Netflix’s global availability. (Please note these interactive elements are only viewable in a browser and will not render in RSS or read it later services).
Movies
Percentage of World Population with Access
Apple (56%), Microsoft (14%), Google (44%), Amazon (8%), Hulu (6%), Netflix (14%), Netflix +6 EU (17%)
TV
Percentage of World Population with Access
Apple (8%), Microsoft (14%), Google (7%), Amazon (8%), Hulu (6%), Netflix (14%), Netflix +6 EU (17%)
