Netflix is announcing that its video streaming services will become available in New Zealand and Australia on March 24, 2015.
The service will be available on smart televisions made by Samsung, LG, Panasonic, Philips, HiSense, and Fetch TV (second generation only), as well as certain game consoles like Sony PlayStation 3/4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and Nintendo Wii. The service will also be available on Apple TV and Google Chromecast.
“Many Aussies and Kiwis have heard a lot about Netflix over the years, and we’re excited they’ll get to experience our unique blend of Netflix original content, local series and films, and popular movies and TV shows from around the world, all for a low monthly price,” said Reed Hastings, Netflix chief executive officer, in a press release.
Netflix was widely expected to bring its services to Australia and New Zealand in March, though an exact date had not been confirmed.
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As a part of the service roll-out, Netflix has brokered a deal with local broadband carrier iiNet so that viewing Netflix content does not contribute to a customer’s data usage. Netflix calls this the “first un-metering agreement” made with a major carrier in Australia.
Already Australia has a service called Quickflix, which provides many of the same DVD delivery and streaming services that Netflix does. However, according a report from ZDNet, the company has had trouble getting users to convert from the initial free trial to a subscription. With Netflix about to debut in the market, Quickflix may have bigger problems in the months to come.
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