Netflix to Launch Service in Japan, First Expansion to Asia
Leading subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) company Netflix is continuing its global expansion with the announcement that it will debut in Japan this fall.
The launch will include some 4K content, although Netflix didn't say how much. The available library will include "a strong selection of Japanese TV series and films," the company says, as well as Netflix originals including Marco Polo, the upcoming Marvels Daredevil and Sense8, and the documentary Virunga. Netflix didn't disclose the number of titles that will be available when the Japanese service launches.
Japan has around 36 million households with broadband connectivity, Netflix notes.
Netflix will open a regional office in Tokyo as part of the expansion. That office will help build close partnerships with consumer electronics companies, and will work with Japanese TV and film creators.
“People in Japan soon will have access to great entertainment from all over the world for a low monthly price, while our more than 57 million members will benefit from increased access to great Japanese films and TV shows,” says Gregory K. Peters, a Netflix exec who has been promoted to general manager of Netflix Japan.
Netflix will debut in Australia and New Zealand next month, and now counts over 57 million global subscribers. The company plans to conclude its global expansion by the end of 2016.
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