US video-on-demand giant Netflix is in negotiations to launch in Australia, according to comments made by a Village Roadshow CEO. The comments come as the company gears up in its fight against online piracy.
Speaking to ZDNet, Graham Burke, the co-CEO of Village Roadshow confirmed that Netflix was on its way. “[On] Netflix, they’re talking to our people about supply of products, so they are opening and coming to Australia,” he said without revealing a timeline.
Rumours about the web-based subscription TV service’s launch in the Australian market have been circling for months, with the latest reports pegging an official launch as early as next year. Netflix has yet to comment.
Earlier this year The Australian reported that the Seven Network, Optus, digital TV platform Freeview and movie subscription service Quickflix were considering joining forces for an online streaming service to rival Netflix, should it launch in Australia. The Australian estimates that Netflix has attracted between 50,000 to 200,000 local subscribers who access the US site simply by installing a browser extension that tricks the Netflix servers into believing a user is US-based.
The revelation comes as the Australian government is considering harsher proposals to crack down on internet piracy, a charge that is being led by Village Roadshow who produce and distribute films in Australia. The local launch of Netfilx is likely to quash arguments against piracy legislation about the lack of alternatives to subscription TV in Australia.
Netflix charges subscribers US$7.99 per month for streaming access to its vast library of TV shows and movies. It has also commissioned several ratings-hit TV shows for exclusive streaming, including the fourth season of “Arrested Development“, “Orange is the New Black” and “House of Cards.”
