Netflix continues its international expansion, bringing its streaming service to 43 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. The rolling launch campaign began in Brazil on Sept. 5 and will continue for a week.
Customers in Brazil can subscribe to the Portuguese-language version of Netflix for BRL 15 (about $9), enabling them to receive unlimited streaming of via PC, Mac, PS2, PS3 and Wii. Netflix will add Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay on Wednesday, with the other countries scheduled to go live before Sept. 12.
Piracy is a huge problem in Brazil, as reported in the U.S. Trade Representative’s 2011 Special 301 Report. Additionally, the average Brazilian download speed is 5.54 Mbps, according to Ookla’s Net Index, and other South American countries are even slower. For comparison, the average U.S. speed is 11.48 Mbps.
“We are excited to be bringing Netflix to Latin America and the Caribbean,” said Reed Hastings, co-founder and CEO of Netflix. “People throughout the region are online in ever-greater numbers and they love movies and TV shows.”
Related Links:
Financial Times – http://tinyurl.com/3err642
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