A Spanish language service could start as early as January 2012 in Spain, according to Pedro Perez, president of the local producers association FAPAE, speaking to Screen Daily. A UK launch could also be on the cards, but the company refuses to comment.
The move into the Spanish market comes as a natural extension of the company’s plans to launch Spanish and Portuguese version for the Latin American and Caribbean markets, as announced last July.
Netflix launches in other European territories including the UK are on the cards, but the company remains tight lipped about its plans. The Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg and Scandinavia are also in the planning stage, as these countries have high broadband penetration.
By contrast, Spain is not very high on the list of broadband homes and is infamous for its high consumption of pirated material and illegal downloads. DVD and Blu-ray sales are relatively low making it a challenge for Netflix to persuade people to pay for content.
Netflix has been streaming to US members since 2007, adding the service in Canada last year.
