Netflix has been gaining more and more subscribers to its streaming video business but so far that growth has mostly come from the US market where it launched in 2007. In 2010 it expanded into Canada. Today the company announced via a new press release that it will expand again to 43 more countries located in Latin America and the Caribbean. The locations include Mexico and countries in Central America and South America. The press release didn"t get more specific on what other countries will have Netflix service but it did say it will begin before the end of 2011.
Once it does launch, Netflix says that those territories will be able to access local, US and global movies and TV shows via its Netflix streaming service on televisions, PCs. Macs and mobile devices. In addition the videos will come with options to view them in Spanish, Portuguese, or English. The press release didn"t say if the different languages would be spoken or handled via sub-titles.
Netflix"s popularity here in North American certainly cannot be denied. The service currently has over 23 million combined subscribers for its streaming video business as well as its mail based DVD/Blu-Ray rental business. However Netflix has stated that it sees itself mostly as a streaming video company. Indeed studies show that Netflix streaming video is the number one biggest source of Internet traffic in the US. The company has been trying to land the rights to show more and more movies and TV shows. Earlier this month, for example, Netflix began streaming four out of the five Star Trek televisions shows including Star Trek The Next Generation which has never been (legally) available for download or streaming from any other outlet until now.