According to a report by the Malaysian news outlet, The Star, Netflix is currently testing a mobile-only subscription for the platform which users can sign up to at a discounted rate.
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Membership for this costs roughly half of the normal monthly fee for access to a smartphone/tablet app only. While streaming video exclusively on a small screen certainly doesn’t sound like an optimal viewing experience, a report by Recode says smartphone and tablet users make up 35 per cent of all Netflix signups globally.
Netflix’s director of product innovation, Cameron Johnson, said back in July that 60 per cent of subscribers around the world open the company’s mobile app at least once a month to watch something, whether it’s a movie or TV show, so I guess it makes sense to create an option for those keen on smaller screen viewing. Netflix is also planning on introducing better tools for mobile users, including a better experience for offline use.
It looks like the streaming giant is testing the new pricing tier in Asian and East Asian countries which favour mobile viewing over traditional methods.
It’s not certain whether the plan will be introduced in Australia, or if it’ll even become a mainstay in its subscription options, but for those who do absolutely everything on their phones, having a cheaper option is certainly a win. No doubt it’ll help to grow the company globally.