What’s a streaming service to do? Netflix might have already found the answer. Alongside its declining subscription figures, Netflix also announced plans to launch to amobile-only subscription planin India. For less than a regular Netflix subscription, customers will be able to watch all of Netflix’s content on their phones — and only on their phones — at a resolution that’s expected to top out at a mobile-friendly 480p.
Right now, India is the only place where Netflix will offer the mobile-only service, and the company said that the new subscription tier is targeted at markets where the average monthly revenue per customer is $5 or less. Still, Netflix didn’t rule out a larger roll-out for the plan in the future, saying only that it would “continue to learn more after launch of this plan.”
Netflix previously tested its mobile-only option in “various countries,” including India, where it costs about$4 a month. That’s significantly less than a basic Netflix subscription in India, which runs $7 a month, orin the United States, where it costs $9.
Half of Netflix’s customerswatch video on their mobile devices already, although television screens are still the preferred way to catch programs likeStranger Thingsand theEmmy-nominatedOzark. If mobile streaming is cheaper than regular TV, however, it’s not hard to imagine budget-strapped entertainment fans going all-mobile, all the time. On small phone screens, picture quality doesn’t matter as much either, meaning customers will need touse less data(and pay less to mobile companies) to watch their favorite shows.
A mobile-only plan, on the other hand, doesn’t hurt anyone. If you don’t mind watching TV on your phone, you can save a few bucks. Meanwhile, if the TV experience is important to you, it’s still there. Just be prepared to pay for it.
