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Netflix Aussie launch unlikely before late 2015

While focussing on non-English speaking countries, Netflix is unlikely to arrive here before the second half of 2015.

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2014-02-08_2218 aWhen will Netflix launch in Australia?

Last week Graham Burke, the co-CEO of Village Roadshow, told ZDNet Netflix was on its way.

“[On] Netflix, they’re talking to our people about supply of products, so they are opening and coming to Australia,” he said.

In a wider discussion on the impact of piracy, Burke did not put a specific timeline on any launch.

But today the Australian Financial Review suggests any launch appears to have been delayed as the company moves its primary focus to Europe.

It suggests it is unlikely to arrive before the second half of 2015.

Netflix chief financial officer David Wells told analysts in a recent earnings call that the company wanted to demonstrate that “before we launch another substantial expansion, that we’re pretty confident in our existing performance in the markets we have today”.

Informa analyst Tony Brown said Netflix appeared to focus on moving into non-English speaking markets because in countries such as Australia people know they can people can get the content from anywhere at any time. Sources estimate that up to 200,000 Australians are already using Netflix legally by working around geo-blocking.

Netflix titles such as House of Cards and Orange is the New Black have aired in Australia on Foxtel.

12 Responses

  1. I suspect that even if/when Netflix provides a service here in Australia, most people who have a decent internet connection will continue to access the US site. This occurs in the UK even though they have a local service. Currently I have to use a HTPC and VPN to access Netflix. It will certainly stir up the local players if Australians could easily access these big streaming services via their smart tv’s.

  2. Don’t get your hopes up. Foxtel has already shown its hand by starting to negotiate agreements with rights holders for the exclusive distribution of content in this country. It is premature to expect that current series of shows such as Game of Thrones or True Detective will be available via Aus Netflix.

    You can also be sure that the commercial FTA networks will be fighting tooth and nail to hold on to their market share. Expect to see them try to negotiate more exclusive distribution deals as well as lobby the federal govt for legislative changes in their favour.

    Aus Netflix is at least 12 months away and will almost certainly be a shadow of the US version with a fraction of its content.

  5. Hello people, Don’t mention ADSL2 or ‘cable’. Some places in southern Wollongong have actually managed to get ADSL1. Lucky them. Many of us are still on Dodo Wireless. Believe it. I waited 7 years (in Shellharbour) to get a phone line, and still no ‘ports’ at the Telstra exchange. Welcome to Wollongong, as Aunty Jack used to say. Quickflix DVDs by mail is our option.

  6. ryaneco I’ve looked into getting netflix for myself here in Australia but don’t want to be scammed by a random website. How do you get netflix?

  7. Netflix seem quite happy to just let Australians get around geo-blocking and pay them for shows without Netflix having to buy the Australian rights for shows. Other companies try to weed out VPN connections and overseas credit cards.

    Foxtel has already staked out its claim and Netflix would do better to wait until more homes are hooked up to the NBN and used to paying a lot for large GB of downloads.

  8. Jason, you don’t need cable, you just need a stable connection of about 3 Mbps for SD/DVD quality and around 5 Mbps for HD. You can get by with as little as 2 Mbps if nothing else is using your internet connection and you don’t mind occasional buffering.

  9. Jason, that’s a problem for the government and telco vendors to resolve not content providers.
    I used to live in Wollongong and had a very solid ADSL2+ connection….
    I’m in Melbourne now and have happily used Netflix for the past 6 months, so far so good – the content is not always the best but its by far the best option available right now – I would like to see them offer instant streaming of rental movies in the future for a fee (similar to their DVD rental arm).

  10. huh?

    you can stream with DSL2 (and maybe even DSL1), given it will most likely not be HD.

    bring it on

    only thing holding me to foxtel is cricket, league, and union….

    $100 a month for that?

  11. “in…Australia people know they can people can get the content from anywhere at any time”.
    Well, first one has to have a cable Internet connection, which is something that thousands in suburban Wollongong NSW thousands still do not have!

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