Netflix heading for Australia and New Zealand

[SAN FRANCISCO] Netflix on Tuesday announced that it will debut its film and television show streaming service in Australia and New Zealand early next year as it continues expanding internationally.

A Netflix library of television shows, films, documentaries and original content will be available when the service launches in March.

Netflix did not disclose what it plans to charge for subscriptions in the countries but promised a "low monthly price." Subscribers will be able to watch Netflix shows using tablets, smartphones smart televisions, gaming consoles, or other devices.

The expansion announcement came just weeks after California-based Netflix released a quarterly financial report showing disappointing subscriber growth for the streaming video group.

Netflix said it gained just three million members in the past quarter, to boost its subscribers to 53.1 million worldwide.

The disappointing growth news came the same day Netflix learned of a powerful new rival, with Time Warner's HBO announcing plans to launch as a standalone streaming service that won't require cable or satellite subscriptions.

Netflix recently began operating in the French market in the beginning of its second wave of expansion across Europe, followed by launches in Austria, Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg and Switzerland.

The service has been available in Britain, Denmark, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden since 2012.

Netflix gained just over two million subscribers outside the US, and one million in the US market, which was below most forecasts, including its own.

AFP