In a move to expand its user base in India, Netflix, the America-based streaming giant, is set to introduce a lower subscription base price for mobile users in India on a test basis. This plan, however, will only target the cell-phone subscriber community, as opposed to its current plans, wherein a singular subscription can be accessed on TVs, mobile phones and computers.
As per report, the new and reduced prices are set at Rs 250, which will allow watchers to stream all of Netflix's content on their mobile phones in Standard Definition (SD) format. The move, if realised, will halve the current Rs 500 monthly pricing Netflix launched as its entry-level plan in India. At present, Netflix's plans fall in the price range of INR 500-800, depending on the quality of video format (High Definition to 4K) and viewing screens.
The move may have come in order to boost the current number of subscribers Netflix has in India. Netflix is currently facing stiff competition from Amazon Prime Video and Hotstar, who offer subscriptions to their Video-on-Demand (VOD) services at a much lesser price. Hotstar's subscription plans start at Rs 199 per month and Rs 1200 for a whole year, while Amazon Prime Video, is priced at Rs 129 per month. Amazon's services can also be availed at a discounted price, if the subscription is for a full year, like Hotstar.
A Netflix spokesperson confirmed the development in the report, "We will be testing different options in select countries where members can watch Netflix on their mobile device for a lower price and subscribe in shorter increments of time. Not everyone will see these options and we may never roll out these specific plans beyond the tests."
At present, Netflix's prices are higher than any other VOD service in India. To put things in perspective, ZEE5 offers streaming subscriptions at Rs 50 per month, while some like MX Player's is even free of cost. Although Netflix offers a wide range of international and original domestic content, pricing is a primary concern for the potential subscribers. Considering the ever expanding market and user-base, Netflix's mobile-only plan is a welcome move.
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