Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX) is planning to produce its first French original series in a bid to boost its European expansion plan. The new series titled Marseille and revolves around the power, corruption and redemption in the back drop of French port city. The show will be aired late next-year and shooting would start at the beginning of 2015.
Original content for international markets
The online-video streaming service is ready to enter two largest European countries, France and Germany. The company is focused on the international growth adding 1.1 million International subscribers in the latest quarter, compared to the 570,000 new domestic streaming customers. Netflix is taking the right strategy by reaching out to the International users for enhancing its growth due to saturation in the domestic market.
Foreign content is vital for the growth of the company, which is entering the International waters. Though the geographical barriers have diminished thanks to the internet, but the cultural barrier is still evident. Movies are releasing worldwide, and U.S. Companies like CBS is garnering greater revenue than before. However, in countries like Germany, where English is a common language, people still prefer to watch the shows in their native language.
Netflix taking calculated risks
Netflix has the most exhaustive portfolio of contents and takes the interest in assessing risk with its originals, most precisely starting over something new, and Marseille is an addition to it. Netflix is aware of the genres that are popular among loyal subscribers from its huge database. For instance, popular series House of Cards was basedona British series of the same name. Also, Marseille may appear similar to House of Cards even though the plot is based in entirely different country, says a report from CNET.
Netflix has its operations running in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Netherlands, as well as, in Latin America and Canada. According to IHS research, the company will add 5-6 million subscribers from mainland Europe by the end of the year, which will be one-fifth of the total subscribers at that point.
According to IHS technology research, there has been an increase in the subscription service internationally. Netflix is expected to grow at an average 18% annually, according to the research, over the next five years.
