Netflix has officially announced a mobile-only plan at Rs 199 per month, after piloting it for several months in the country
ET was the first to report on March 21 about the streaming major testing mobile-only subscription plans in the country. This plan enables subscribers to watch standard definition (SD) content on a single mobile or tablet screen at a time.
The plan will also enable users to download shows but will not offer the cast functionality.
This will be the streaming major’s fourth subscription plan in the country. Previously the company offered plans ranging from Rs 499-799 per month. During the test, Netflix was charging users Rs 250 per month.
To put things in context, rival Hotstar’s subscription plans start at Rs 199 per month while Amazon Prime Video, which is part of Amazon’s Prime subscription, is priced at Rs 129 per month.
Others like Zee Entertainment’s ZEE5 is available at Rs 99 per month while ALTBalaji, the video streaming service of Reliance-backed Balaji Telefilms is priced at Rs 100 for three months. Times Internet-owned MX Player is currently available on a free ad-supported model.
“Our members in India watch more on their mobiles than members anywhere else in the world- and they love to download our shows and films. We believe this new plan will make Netflix even more accessible and better suit people who like to watch on their smartphones and tablets—both on the go and at home,” said Ajay Arora, Director, Product Innovation, Netflix.
This move is expected to help Netflix expand its user base in the country, which has been one of the biggest mobile phone markets for the streaming service.
“We believe this plan will be an effective way to introduce a larger number of people in India to Netflix and to further expand our business in a market where Pay TV ARPU is low (below $5). We will continue to learn more after the launch of this plan” Netflix said in the shareholder letter last week.
It also comes at a time when when the Los Gatos, California-based company is increasingly relying on international markets for its future growth. It added significantly fewer-than-expected paid subscribers in the second quarter and even lost subscribers in a quarter in the United States for the first time since 2011.
