Netflix is testing a new level of low-cost prices in India as the on-demand video streaming service tries to woo more subscribers in Asia's third largest economy.
The American giant has unveiled a "Mobile +" plan for some new and existing subscribers in India that offers streaming in high definition (HD) and supports viewing on mobile screens, tablets and computers (but not TV). The monthly level is priced at 349 Indian rupees ($ 4.7).
The new level test, first spotted by AndroidPure, comes months after Netflix introduced a mobile-only plan in India priced at 199 Indian rupees ($ 2.7). The mobile-only plan, as its name suggests, prevents users from accessing the service from their computer screen or TV and reduces the quality of streaming to standard definition (480 p.)
Netflix by traditional monthly subscription offer starts at 499 Indian rupees ($ 6.69), which limits streaming quality to standard definition and goes up to 799 Indian rupees ($ 10.7) which supports four simultaneous views and streams in ultra high definition (4K).
A Netflix spokesman confirmed the new test at ProWellTech.
"We launched the mobile plan in India to make anyone with a smartphone easier for Netflix. We want to see if members like the added choice offered by this offer. We will only do this in the long run if they do," said the spokesman.
The timing of the new test is not a coincidence. Earlier this month, Netflix made its debut in "Indian Matchmaking," an eight-episode show that follows matchmaker Sima Taparia as she works with singles and their families in India and the United States to find desirable companions for the wedding.
"Indian Matchmaking", which has received mixed reviews, has still managed to generate more buzz than any other India-focused show or film that Netflix has produced to date. Arif Janmohamed, a Lightspeed partner, said he believed the show had finally allowed Netflix to "break the next billion".
The streaming giant, which has amassed nearly 193 million subscribers, has explored several strategies to make its way into developing markets as it tries to maintain its growing momentum.
Netflix, which has increased its monthly rate in the United States in recent years, competes with over three dozen streaming services on demand in India, including its global rivals Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV +, Hotstar + Disney, which all have an aggressive price.
In a phone call to profits earlier this year, a company executive said that Netflix was "working very hard to try to make our offering in India more competitive, more attractive to members and prospects, and there are a lot of different product features we've made. "
Last year, Netflix said it had earmarked $ 420 million for the production and licensing of content in India by the end of 2020. Last week, the streaming service announced 17 original shows and films which it expects to release in the coming months.
The mobile-only plan that Netflix first launched in India last year - after testing it for months - has since been extended to nearly a dozen markets including Malaysia.
