So, should Indian direct-to-home (DTH) and TV industry develop cold feet now?
Not really, say analysts who think pricing may give a competitive edge to Indian peers on domestic grounds.
More than anything else, Indian users are still tackling with bandwidth issues. Edelweiss does not expect Netflix to have any major impact on Indian DTH and cable TV players. It says that Netflix’s rates are on higher side and broadband speed will also be a challenge. It adds that Netflix rates are almost two-three time higher than prevailing cable TV/DTH rates and its content will attract only a niche audience. Pricing of Netflix India starts at Rs 500 per month for its entire library but in standard definition format and with only one concurrent user at a time. Its Rs 650 per month plan offers high definition (HD) format and two concurrent users at the same time, while the Rs 850 per month plan offers 4K quality content and four concurrent users in the same login. The first month is free as it is the trial month.
As of now, Netflix accepts payments only through debit and credit cards and with time, but IDFC expects it to tie up with telecom companies and payment wallets to increase its target base. IDFC also thinks pricing will be an issue for Netflix and it will be able to target only premium customers.
Should TV & DTH players fret on Netflix India launch? Not really - Moneycontrol.com