Netflix is looking to make more inroads into India by providing long term plans, which would seemingly offer better value for money for long term or high consumption users. The new plans, which are being reportedly tested now in India, are designed for long term subscribers, and will come in bulk periods of three months, six months and one year subscription terms.
A Reuters report on the matter states that the long term plans will only be available in the top tier service, which offers up to 4K streaming plans and simultaneous viewing in up to four devices. While this plan presently costs Rs 799 per month, the report states that the long term plan will offer the same in Rs 1,919, at a discount of about 25 percent. For six months, subscribers will need to pay Rs 3,359 instead of Rs 4,794, amounting to a discount of nearly 30 percent. Lastly, the one year plan for the same, which presently costs Rs 9,588 per year, will be made available at Rs 4,799 — a sizeable discount of nearly 50 percent over the present pricing.
If such pricing is rolled out, then Netflix may see more users upgrade their service to the long term plans since it makes subscribing to the service significantly cheaper in the long run. For reference, Netflix's mid-tier plan, which costs Rs 649 per month and offers HD streaming for two simultaneous devices, will prove to be more expensive than the top-tier long term plan. This will be a significant move by Netflix, and while there are no official confirmations so far, Netflix might even look at offering long term subscription plans for other subscription tiers as well in order to rope in more viewers in India.
This, however, still keeps Netflix as the most expensive among the streaming services in India. Amazon offers a bundled Prime subscription package that offers shopping perks, music, books and an expansive streaming platform with Prime Video, all for Rs 999 for the full year. Hotstar similarly offers an all-inclusive video streaming package for Rs 299 per month or Rs 999 per year, or a selective 'VIP' package for Rs 365 per year. However, Netflix presently boasts of a strong originals section, and has successfully localised many of its originals to suit its Indian viewers.
While a Netflix spokeswoman has reportedly confirmed the matter to Reuters, News18 has also independently reached out to Netflix India for a statement. The story will be updated in accordance, once Netflix India shares its responses regarding the same.
Comments
0 comment