Netflix Denies Australian Market Launch
Netflix is not launching in Australia yet. The U.S. streaming service denied reports that it would expand Down Under any time soon.
The Australian has claimed that Netflix was planning to occupy the Aussie market within the next 12 months, prompting local networks to scramble launching their own streaming service just in case.
The report added that Seven Network has considered making deals with other telco and digital television companies, including Optus, Freeview and subscription service provider Quickfix, to launch a streaming service.
Nine Network is also allegedly launching Stream Co, its own streaming service, by the end of the year.
As it turned out Netflix’s arrival in the country will be delayed, if it will indeed arrive.
“No current plans to launch in Australia. We do want to be global, so one day we should be there, but we have no current Australia launch scheduled,” a spokesperson told Gizmodo.
So while Netflix has plans to conquer the world, it doesn’t include Australia in the meantime.
This isn’t the first time Netflix has been reported to come to Australia. In late 2013, The Australian suggested that it would launch in the country in 2014.
Although there were no previous plans to launch the service here, the U.S. paid TV and movie streaming service apparently changed its mind after learning that there have been an increasing number of people bypassing geoblocks to subscribe to the service.
Netflix is available to subscribers for U$7.99 per month. It is currently available in the U.S. and some parts of Europe only, excluding Australians to watch its programs.
Some nifty viewers are able to access Netflix, though, using VPN (virtual private network).
Netflix currently streams some of the most popular programs in the U.S., including the fourth season of “Arrested Development,” “House of Cards” and “Orange is the New Black.”