It seems plans by Netflix to introduce the ability to download content to personal devices don’t include the United States – and by extension Europe.
In an interview with CNBC ahead of the premiere of lavish UK drama The Crown, Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos said the proposed offline mode could appeal to territories lacking in high-speed internet.
This runs counter to the thinking of the pay-TV platforms who say consumers should be able to take content with them on the go – and attach a premium for adding in multiple devices.
“Now as we’ve launched in 190 territories … They all have different levels of broadband speeds and Wi-Fi access. So in those countries they have adapted their behaviors to be much more of a downloading culture,” said Sarandos. “So in those emerging territories it starts to become a little more interesting. We still think for the developed world our thesis has been true but I think as we get into more and more (of the) undeveloped world and developing countries that we want to find alternatives for people to use Netflix easily.”
Sarandos declined to give any further details of the project, first mooted by Reed Hastings in April.
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