Netflix Releases in France Monday
Netflix has extended its services to Europe. The American based business guru has expanded its market to Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, Belgium and Luxembourg after launching in Britain, Ireland, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden and the Netherlands in recent years. The video-streaming giant has more than 50 million subscribers in 40 countries. This year they have spent $400 million to expand further internationally.
Netflix was not as welcomed in France as it was in other countries. Though Netflix declines to comment on its challenges with the country, it has finally made its debut today. "What's impressive with Netflix is its technological and marketing abilities," said Frederic Goldsmith from a French-based group of movie producers, "but its service isn't new."
Bruno Delecour, head of FilmoTV, one of France's first video-on-demand companies, said Netflix's presence is positive for the French market. The entrepreneur has decided to focus on developing a specialized offer in movies rather than competing with a generalized content provider like Netflix.
Another worry in France is that Netflix will decrease the number of subscribers away from Canal+, the main financier of French-made films. "There is a particularity in France in that television channels finance domestic productions. Their level of investment is calculated according to the number of subscribers," said Florence Gastaud, head of a union of French producers and authors. "Therefore if the number of subscribers goes down, the investment in domestic production goes down."
Netflix in France is providing French films and American films translated into French. The package also includes Netflix American original series "Orange is the New Black" and "House of Cards." Another requirement in France is that 40 percent of content on French radio, TV and movies in theaters must be of French origin. Therefore, Netflix has already planned to produce an eight-episode television drama series called "Marseille," written by French award-winning writer Dan Frank and set to start in late 2015.
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