Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX) perhaps the industry standard in the US for quality subscription-based online content, has announced that it will test new waters, in culturally distinct Far East Japan, by this fall.
An official Tweet by Netflix, on Wednesday, announcing its new foray, was received by a storm of ‘favorites’ indicating viewers in Japan are willing consumers for the US’s most famous on-demand Television player.
Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX) as of 2014, operates in nearly 50 countries and hopes to have a footprint of over 200 countries in the following two years. Netflix in Japan will debut with films and TV series in Japanese as well as US-runs of original content such as ‘MarcoPolo’ besides the next ‘DareDevil.’
Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX) Chief Executive Officer Reed Hastings, stated that ‘the rich culture tradition of Japanese creativity’ will be complemented by the content producer. He hopes to support the Japan’s creative traditions, with what the company does best, ‘world of stories.‘
As the company moves into newer cultural hotspots in Asia, consumers in the region and neighborhood appear to welcome the move by the content producer. The favorite movies and TV shows of the company will now be available in the region.
Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX) hopes to see the end of 2015 in Japan, and in Australia as well as New Zealand. For Netflix, the Japanese attraction is that nearly 36.7million broadband users as of 2013. This is the second largest market space after China with 188.9 million. This is far greater than US with 91.3 million.
Netflix Inc, in China is yet in exploration, according to Hastings. The company hopes to see the Chinese foray as a learning curve for US-based content producers in the East Asian region. The option is to begin with a small service in China for the licensed content. Netflix is yet to get a license in China, to offer its entertainment services.
