Netflix launches streaming service in Latin America
Streaming service goes live in Brazil, with expansion into 43 countries expected during the next week.
Netflix announced today that it had launched its movie-streaming service outside of North America.
The service launched in Brazil today and is expected to be made available in 43 countries in Latin America, Mexico, and the Caribbean over the next week, Netflix said in a blog posting. The company said it has spent the past couple of months studying how Latin Americans think about movies and TV shows, as well as testing its delivery method.
"We've been testing and figuring out the right Internet architecture to make sure the quality and speed of the Netflix streaming experience is the best it can be," Rochelle King, Netflix VP of user experience and design, wrote in a company blog.
Subscribers will be able to access Netflix in Spanish, Portuguese, or English. Netflix said the streaming offering in Latin America and the Caribbean will work the same way it does in the United States. Customers will pay a monthly fee for unlimited access to the company's streaming-video library.
Netflix subscribers will be able to access content on computers, Wii and PS3 game consoles, and smart TVs. However, it doesn't appear the program will include access to physical media.
The move, which was announced in July, is Netflix's largest expansion to date, with an apparent goal of creating a worldwide streaming service. Netflix expanded outside the United States last September with the launch of a streaming service in Canada.
It's unknown how much demand there is for streaming content in Latin America or how much revenue Netflix could generate from the market.