Netflix without a doubt, is the most popular content-streaming service in the world. Although the company has gained an enormous user-base in countries like the United States, Canada, and the UK, it’s still struggling to get a large user base in countries like India. For example, in India, the company is still facing tough competition from the homegrown streaming service Hotstar and Amazon Prime Video.
One of the major reasons behind the low penetration of Netflix in India is the struggling internet speeds in tier two cities in the country. This problem has made Netflix adapt to the Indian market and now the company is trying to tie up with cable operators to increase its reach in the country. Yes, the company which spawned a new sect of people dubbed the “cord cutters” (because they ditched the traditional cable tv in favor of Netflix), is itself partnering with cable companies to advance its interests in India.
In fact, the company has already tied-up with Airtel and Videocon and is now trying to form a relationship with other DTH providers too. Netflix’s plan to relay its content using the DTH service providers is not limited to India only as the company is also exploring the same avenues in countries like Malaysia and Singapore. Apart from the cable companies, Netflix has also tied up with many ISPs (internet service providers) across the country which are now offering unlimited streaming data for Netflix. This is an attempt to lure the data-conscious Indian customers.
Seeing how 34% of Netflix viewers in India consume its content on a connected TV, it’s no secret as to why the company is interested in partnering with cable companies in India. On the other hand, the move is also very beneficial for Indian customers as they will be able to enjoy Netflix without having to own a smart TV as the service will work with their existing d2h and TV setups. How this will pan out is still in the future, but seeing how Netflix is thinking of innovative ways to increase its user base in India, its future certainly seems to be bright.
