The global streaming giant Netflix needs no introduction. A company that started as a subscription-based DVD delivery service provider is now the biggest name in online web content. They charge users an amount as small as $7 a month and have a user-base across the world. In 2018, the company accounted for revenue of $1,500+ million.
This makes it a bigger company than any tech giant. But the one thing that has bothered users has been the difference in the streaming service in each country. You often notice the shows that you can watch on Netflix USA, might not be available in other parts of the world. The library of content between the two countries might be vastly different.
The way Netflix works is by sourcing the streaming rights from various places. These could be from content creators, distributors, networks or TV companies. While the rights to the products might still be in the hands of the content provider, the streaming rights come to Netflix. This one of the reasons why there is a change in the content across each country. Netflix might have the right to stream content in a foreign country, but this might conflict with the rights of the content itself. This mismatch can often result in content from the Netflix Américain shows to not stream in France.
Another reason is the game of supply and demand. Some content that is created for a region-specific audience might not give any views in a new market. Both the streaming platform and the content providers do a ton of research on the users of each country. The shows are then licensed to regions where it makes the most business sense. Some content might also violate country-specific streaming rules. Which is why a show very well received on Netflix USA, could public distress if streamed unfiltered in another conservative country.
In the last couple of years, Netflix has risen to the top with creating grown-breaking content and the demand has driven it into many countries. But there are still many who prefer to go the unethical route of using VPN’s to stream shows for the Netflix library. There are systems in place to monitor these false users, but there is still a long way before they become foolproof. As high speed internet starts to reach every corner of the world, so will Netflix. But there will always be a divide in the content across the world.
