With Netflix continuing its global expansion on Thursday, it was always going to be the case that the Southeast Asian nation be among more than 130 countries where the world’s leading Internet television network is now available.
The California-based company on Thursday began “simultaneously bringing its Internet TV network to more than 130 new countries around the world,” co-founder and chief executive Reed Hastings announced in a keynote speech at the CES 2016 in Las Vegas.
“Today you are witnessing the birth of a new global Internet TV network,” Hastings said.
The executive said consumers around the world will be able to enjoy TV shows and movies simultaneously “whenever, wherever and on whatever device.”
For one monthly price, members around the globe will be able to enjoy Netflix original series including House of Cards, Marvel’s Daredevil and Marvel’s Jessica Jones, Narcos, Sense8, Grace and Frankie, and Marco Polo, as well as a catalogue of licensed TV shows and movies, the company said in a statement.
In Vietnam, the Basic plan costs VND180,000 (US$8) a month, whereas the Standard and Premium packages fetch VND220,000 ($10) and VND260,000 ($12), respectively, according to Netflix.
Vietnamese subscribers can try Netflix for free for one month by signing up on the company’s website.
Netflix currently supports 20 languages, with the newly added Arabic, Korean, simplified and traditional Chinese.
There are however no Vietnamese subtitled movies in its database, which is seen as a challenge for the company to win subscribers in a country where English is neither the first nor second language.
Another possible challenge Netflix faces in Vietnam is that most local Internet users prefer watching movies on pirated websites, which is totally cost-free.
Some Vietnamese movie platforms also sell premium accounts, with monthly fees ranging from VND50,000 ($2.2) to VND100,000 ($4.4), far cheaper than Netflix plans.
Founded in 2007 in the U.S., Netflix now boasts more than 70 million members in over 190 countries enjoying more than 125 million hours of TV shows and movies per day, including original series, documentaries and feature films.
Its Internet TV service is available on virtually any device that has an Internet connection, including personal computers, tablets, smartphones, smart TVs and game consoles.
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