The UK and the Nordics are proving fertile markets for Netflix with the Netherlands fast gaining ground.
Analysis by Digital TV Research using Netflix data shows that two and a half years after the launch of Netflix in the UK it has 4,452,000 subscribers with an additional 260,000 in the Republic of Ireland.
In the Nordics, where Netflix made its debut in December 2012, Sweden is the lead country on 940,000. The relative newcomer of the Netherlands has 600,000.
The international business now accounts for 12,907,000 subscriptions, compared to 35,085,000 in the United States.
The UK’s BARB measures TV viewing, including computers, on a panel of 5,100 households based on its 53,000 household Establishment Survey.
Since January this has included questions on Netflix and Amazon Instant Video (Lovefilm). The most recent data shows the Amazon service to be in 4.5% of households. Netflix holds 10.2%.
In a blog post Joe Lewis, Project Director at BARB, challenges the assertion that VOD providers are offering to linear television that puts the standard pay-TV model at risk.
“Taking Social Grade as an example, ABC1s account for 65% of Netflix subscribers but only 52% of All Households, meaning that Netflix subscribers are 24% (index of 124) more likely to be ABC1 than the general population,” said Lewis. “They are also more likely to be multi-person households with children, own multiple televisions and skew heavily towards larger screens with HD reception. To me, this does not sound like a demographic that is in desperate need to watch television when they want and where they want. It sounds more like a typical young family wanting content to suit everyone’s tastes and needs.”
Rather than disrupting the model, Lewis says OTT is simply providing an alternate means of supplying the box sets found in stores such as HMV.
Netflix paying streaming subscribers by country (000)
| Start date | Q4 11 | Q4 12 | Q4 13 | Q2 14 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USA | 20,153 | 25,471 | 31,712 | 35,085 | |
| International | 1,447 | 4,892 | 9,722 | 12,907 | |
| Canada | Sep-10 | 1,138 | 1,862 | 2,500 | 3,000 |
| Argentina | 57 | 130 | 250 | 310 | |
| Brazil | 50 | 160 | 450 | 560 | |
| Chile | 27 | 65 | 125 | 155 | |
| Colombia | 45 | 110 | 245 | 310 | |
| Mexico | 60 | 180 | 510 | 640 | |
| Other | 70 | 140 | 385 | 480 | |
| Latin America | Oct-11 | 309 | 785 | 1,965 | 2,455 |
| Ireland | 0 | 90 | 200 | 260 | |
| UK | 0 | 1,500 | 3,432 | 4,452 | |
| UK & Ireland | Jan-12 | 0 | 1,590 | 3,632 | 4,712 |
| Denmark | 0 | 160 | 310 | 440 | |
| Finland | 0 | 105 | 260 | 370 | |
| Norway | 0 | 145 | 280 | 390 | |
| Sweden | 0 | 245 | 655 | 940 | |
| Nordics | Oct-12 | 0 | 655 | 1,505 | 2,140 |
| Netherlands | Sep-13 | 0 | 0 | 120 | 600 |
