Netflix, a US provider of on-demand Internet streaming, this week launched a second wave of European expansion. The film and TV series streaming service is now available in France, Germany, Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg and Switzerland. Netflix promised its shareholders growth and this latest development is central to its plans. Competition in some of these markets, however, is stiff. Germany has Prime Instant Video from Amazon and France has well-established home-grown competitors such as Vivendi’s Watchever.
In the US, the streaming service costs from US$ 8.99 a month, in Eurozone countries prices start at EUR 7.99, and in Switzerland Netflix charges somewhat more – CHF 11.90, a premium of about 23%.
Founded in 1997, Netflix started selling subscriptions for DVDs by post, launching its streaming service in 2007. The streaming service is available in all regions, but DVD subscriptions are offered only in the US. Netflix now has over 50 million subscribers worldwide.