Posted in: Movies, Recent Updates | Tagged: netflix

Netflix Launches In The UK And Ireland Following Plummeting Stock Value And Loss Of 800,000 Subscribers

Published Tue, 25 Oct 2011 07:56:52 -0500

Last updated Tue, 25 Oct 2011 12:48:06 -0500

Netflix Launches In The UK And Ireland Following Plummeting Stock Value And Loss Of 800,000 Subscribers — Everyone knows you drink white wine with popcorn, what a dreadful faux-pas!

Netflix have just sent out a press release announcing that the service is readying itself for a UK and Ireland launch in early 2012, so that movie lovers on this humble isle will finally have access to the streaming subscription service that our North American brethren have been enjoying for years.

Of course, this news was reported here on Bleeding Cool a while ago, thanks to Brendon's secret underground network of industry insiders, but the press release contains a bit more information. As does this article from The Hollywood Reporter.

Netflix have recently found themselves in a bit of a pickle, having lost 800,000 subscribers in the third quarter and having the value of their stock sink worryingly in after hours trading. Netflix's value has already taken some heavy hits recently, first losing 60% after the company upped the price of their streaming-and-DVD package dramatically, and then taking another hit after CEO Reed Hastings announced he was going to split the company down the middle and call the streaming half Qwikster, then changed his mind a few days later.

Perhaps the UK launch is an attempt to claw back some stock value and obtain some new subscribers from a fresh pool. We won't be getting the DVD service, just the streaming service, but it will still mean some stiff competition for current UK online rental company LoveFilm.

Subscription to streaming movies on Netflix costs $7.99 USD per month (the UK price has yet to be announced, but if the US price is anything to go by then it'll be less than the cost of a single DVD), and allows unlimited access to a huge range of movies and TV shows online. It sounds like a good deal, especially if you're like me and would take streaming movies over DVD any day.

I've just realised that last paragraph read like an advert for Netflix. Excuse me, I'm just going to run over to their marketing people and demand some money.

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