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Tag: Stranger Things

  • Netflix plans to become leading producer & distributor of high-quality Indian content

    Netflix plans to become leading producer & distributor of high-quality Indian content

    MUMBAI: Online properties are gradually overtaking television in the race to become video content leaders. From mass programming, entertainment now is moving towards personalised experience curated for each individual. Netflix plans  to become a leading producer and distributor of high-quality Indian content. In 2017, it has been doubling down on Indian investment and looking to put together a good content library.

    This year, it announced partnerships with Videocon, Airtel and Vodafone — which would help Netflix go deep into the diverse Indian market, taking in up millions of users to watch Netflix on a mobile phone, TV or through a set-top box.

    Netflix, although, very expensive as compared to the monthly subscription of other OTT / VoD players in India came to the rescue of content lovers, Netflix Asia vice president of communications Jessica Lee tells Verve.

    Be it TV shows or movies, Netflix, which closed Q2 2017 with 104 million members globally, has revolutionised video watching. It offers movies such as Okja and War Machine (both 2017) to a battery of shows such as House of Cards, Narcos and The Crown. Even though Netflix India charges the steepest subscription, it remains popular owing to its content.

    A viewer earlier spent months following a TV series to conclusion, but now, Indians are finishing a series in three days (although, the global average is four days) such as Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Narcos, Bloodline Jessica Jones. The most-loved genre in India is sci-fi, Netflix believes.

    Netflix believes it is touching a pool of consumers in India with a great passion for diverse entertainment.  The VoD service offers global original shows from The Crown and Stranger Things to mainstream, star-driven Indian films such as Shah Rukh Khan movies, Baahubali and Dangal.

    It is also working on independent films with film-makers in India. Comedy is another popular genre in India which Netflix is thriving on with original specials from Aziz Ansari, Russell Peters, Ali Wong, Chris Tucker, Hasan Minhaj and Dave Chappelle.

    Some of the popular Netflix originals in India, one of its heaviest users of the ‘download’ feature, are Daredevil, Luke Cage, Narcos, House of Cards, The Crown, Stranger Things and Master of None. As a global platform, Netflix sees great stories travelling across regions which is a huge opportunity for Indian content creators.

    Indian content is a part of Netflix’s global plan. For 2017, its content budget is USD 6 billion for both, licensed and original content. It plans to reach over 1,000 hours of original content this year — about 400 original TV series and films including ones from India.

    On the originals front, Netflix is focused on finding great Indian stories – for the world to see, ‘Sacred Games’ being the first. It recently announced two other originals, Selection Day and Again. Another area for Netflix is top-quality local stand-up originals with, for example — Aditi Mittal and Vir Das.

    Netflix believes watching together is becoming a trend in India, with 79 per cent of couples surveyed saying that streaming is a way to spend time together. It has gathered that India is a nation of commute streamers. Indians, it says, are 82 per cent more likely to stream at 9 am, and the peak streaming time in India is 5 pm.

    An interesting habit Netflix has observed in India is that while 31 per cent of its subscribers sign up on mobiles, they move to TV around six months later. While sign-ups on television are lower (at 12 per cent), within six months that behaviour grows to about 32 per cent. Netflix concludes that consumers are taking advantage of the flexibility it allows — to watch on multiple devices.

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  • View Netflix offline now, or YouTube & Amazon

    View Netflix offline now, or YouTube & Amazon

    MUMBAI: Netflix fans in India are in a state of euphoria. The subscription-based VOD service will now allow its users to download some of its shows and films, and watch them offline.

    Users can download and keep select television shows and movie for offline viewing. Not every show and movie in its catalogue is included, however. Considering the poor internet connectivity issues in India, this addition by Netflix comes as a boon for its subscribers. According to an official announcement, the feature is rolling out worldwide, and Netflix won’t be charging anything extra for the download.

    Many of its series and films are available for download, including originals like Stranger Things, Orange Is the New Black, The Crown and House of Cards.

    Though, shows like BBC’s Sherlock series or the Disney’s animated hit Zootopia or Netflix originals like The Little Prince film, etc. aren’t available to watch offline. Netflix said more downloadable titles are on the way.

    Rivals with offline viewing such as YouTube, Amazon Prime and Hungama Play have become more competitive. Hungama Play offers the same feature where viewers can enjoy content on the go and offline which was introduced in August 2016. Apart from its diverse content library, the video-on-demand platform aims to add five original series by March 2017.

    As for Netflix, members need to update their app and look for an arrow symbol next to a title to indicate downloading. Subscribers can also look to a new category on the Netflix app’s side menu called “Available for Download,” which collects all the programs you can watch offline.

    The app update is available for both Apple iOS and Google Android devices.

  • View Netflix offline now, or YouTube & Amazon

    View Netflix offline now, or YouTube & Amazon

    MUMBAI: Netflix fans in India are in a state of euphoria. The subscription-based VOD service will now allow its users to download some of its shows and films, and watch them offline.

    Users can download and keep select television shows and movie for offline viewing. Not every show and movie in its catalogue is included, however. Considering the poor internet connectivity issues in India, this addition by Netflix comes as a boon for its subscribers. According to an official announcement, the feature is rolling out worldwide, and Netflix won’t be charging anything extra for the download.

    Many of its series and films are available for download, including originals like Stranger Things, Orange Is the New Black, The Crown and House of Cards.

    Though, shows like BBC’s Sherlock series or the Disney’s animated hit Zootopia or Netflix originals like The Little Prince film, etc. aren’t available to watch offline. Netflix said more downloadable titles are on the way.

    Rivals with offline viewing such as YouTube, Amazon Prime and Hungama Play have become more competitive. Hungama Play offers the same feature where viewers can enjoy content on the go and offline which was introduced in August 2016. Apart from its diverse content library, the video-on-demand platform aims to add five original series by March 2017.

    As for Netflix, members need to update their app and look for an arrow symbol next to a title to indicate downloading. Subscribers can also look to a new category on the Netflix app’s side menu called “Available for Download,” which collects all the programs you can watch offline.

    The app update is available for both Apple iOS and Google Android devices.

  • Netflix aims at 50% original programming

    Netflix aims at 50% original programming

    MUMBAI: Challenge for few, exhilaration for many. Netflix CFO David Wells has shown a keen interest in expanding its library of original content. The streaming service is driving towards having half the content to be original production over the next five years. The rest will represent licensed TV shows and movies.

    Wells said that they had been on a multiyear transition and evolution toward more of their owned content. Marking a shift in the balance between licensed and commissioned content, the service is already one-third to halfway towards reaching this target.

    According to Wells, the goal for Netflix was to release something that appeals to each individual subscriber. On that front, they had got ways to go across different genres and formats. The nice thing about the platform was that it allows a lot of creative freedom, allowing for episodes of varying lengths.

    It’s been three years since Netflix started making original programming with House of Cards, Daredevil and more recently Stranger Things. In the movie space, the service has Adam Sandler’s The Ridiculous 6.

    Internationally, Netflix aims for about 80 per cent Hollywood content and 20 per cent local programming. Wells said that the exception was Japan, where Netflix bent more toward 50 per cent local content. About having an ad-supported model, Wells said that there was no such immediate plan.

  • Netflix aims at 50% original programming

    Netflix aims at 50% original programming

    MUMBAI: Challenge for few, exhilaration for many. Netflix CFO David Wells has shown a keen interest in expanding its library of original content. The streaming service is driving towards having half the content to be original production over the next five years. The rest will represent licensed TV shows and movies.

    Wells said that they had been on a multiyear transition and evolution toward more of their owned content. Marking a shift in the balance between licensed and commissioned content, the service is already one-third to halfway towards reaching this target.

    According to Wells, the goal for Netflix was to release something that appeals to each individual subscriber. On that front, they had got ways to go across different genres and formats. The nice thing about the platform was that it allows a lot of creative freedom, allowing for episodes of varying lengths.

    It’s been three years since Netflix started making original programming with House of Cards, Daredevil and more recently Stranger Things. In the movie space, the service has Adam Sandler’s The Ridiculous 6.

    Internationally, Netflix aims for about 80 per cent Hollywood content and 20 per cent local programming. Wells said that the exception was Japan, where Netflix bent more toward 50 per cent local content. About having an ad-supported model, Wells said that there was no such immediate plan.