Good News: Netflix is Coming to the U.K. and Ireland; Bad News: U.S. Netflix Subscribers Fleeing
by Richard Sharp
After recent announcements regarding new content additions from AMC and the CW helped take the sting out of backlash to proposed changes to their business structure and billing, Netflix has once again released an announcement that could help turn the tides for the company.
The streaming video provider announced it will expand service to the UK and Ireland in early 2012. As in the U.S., Netflix will offer access to unlimited streaming of its movies and TV shows for a single monthly subscription price.
According to a release announcing the new regional service offering, "upon launch, Netflix members from the UK and Ireland will be able to instantly watch a wide array of TV shows and movies right on their TVs via a range of consumer electronics devices capable of streaming from Netflix, as well as on PCs, Macs and mobile tablets and phones."
While the service isn't likely to start in the UK until January at the earliest, streaming video fans in the UK and Ireland who are interested in using the service can sign up now to receive an email alert from Netflix when the service is available on the company's website.
Netflix had recently taken a lot of heat (not to mention derisive laughter) for the decision to change first its billing and pricing policies, then its entire business structure. After public outcry, the company opted not to move forward with plans to split its streaming and DVD services into two different companies - Netflix and Qwikster.
Despite the change of plans and resulting mea culpa, the company also announced today that it had lost a whopping 810,000 subscribers in its 3rd quarter, even more than analysts had expected.
In a recent interview with the New York Times, Netflix CEO said of the company's recent snafus that they "needed to take a few deep breaths" and that they had simply "moved too quickly" in making their decisions.
Of course, between recent content announcements regarding the addition of highly-rated shows from AMC ("The Walking Dead," "Mad Men," "Breaking Bad") and The CW (including "The Vampire Diaries" and "Gossip Girl"), and now this announcement of a significant regional service expansion, it hardly sounds like Netflix is slowing down long enough to do much deep breathing.