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 The free plan is available on
Android mobile phones and will not have ads. It
features Netflix movies and TV shows such as
dramas "Money Heist" and "Bridgerton" and
African series "Blood & Water," plus some of the
programming the company licenses from others.
Netflix hopes the free plan will lead to users
signing up for a paid option with more content.
The world's largest streaming video service is
looking to add customers outside of more
saturated markets such as the United States,
where new subscriber signups have slowed
https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/netflix-current-quarter-forecast-misses-estimates-shares-fall-2021-07-20
at a time when competition for online audiences
has intensified.
Executives remain bullish on the long-term
future, noting there are large markets where
streaming television is just starting to take
hold. To attract customers in Africa, Netflix is
investing in locally made programming such as
"Queen Sono" and "Jiva!" and has partnered with
production studios in Nigeria.
"If you've never watched Netflix before — and
many people in Kenya haven’t — this is a great
way to experience our service," Cathy Conk,
director of product innovation at Netflix, said
in a blog post. "And if you like what you see,
it’s easy to upgrade to one of our paid plans so
you can enjoy our full catalog on your TV or
laptop as well."
The free plan started on Monday and will roll
out across Kenya in the coming days.
The non-paying Netflix subscribers in Kenya will
not be counted in the paid total the company
reports each quarter, a spokesperson said.
Netflix has experimented with free offers
before. In 2020, it made some episodes of series
such as "Stranger Things" and movies including
"To All the Boys I've Loved Before" available
around the world for no charge via web browsers.
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The free plan in Kenya is broader. It will look
similar to paid Netflix profiles to give viewers
a feel for the service, the spokesperson said.
Shows that are not included in the free plan
will be marked with a lock icon. Clicking on one
of those titles will encourage the user sign up
for a paid option.
Anyone 18 or older in Kenya can enroll in the
free plan and create up to five profiles. No
payment information will be required.
Some functions, such as the ability to download
a show or movie, will not be available under the
free plan.
Netflix, which
streams in more than 190 countries, has taken
other steps to boost usage in Africa https://www.reuters.com/article/us-africa-netflix/netflix-turns-to-telecoms-tie-ups-in-challenging-african-markets-idUSKBN2751FC,
including creation of a paid mobile-only plan
and partnerships with local telecom operators to
ease payments.
The company reported 209 million paying
customers worldwide at the end of June. New
member pickups slowed in the first half of 2021
after a boom early in the COVID-19 pandemic.
Africa currently is a relatively small market
for streaming TV subscriptions. Digital TV
Research projects Netflix will lead subscription
video on demand services on the continent with
6.26 million paying customers in 2026, followed
by Walt Disney Co's Disney+.
(Reporting by Lisa Richwine; editing by Kenneth
Li and Lisa Shumaker)
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