Netflix officially entered India in 2016 and already has a number of Netflix Originals aimed at Indian audience. In an effort to expand its subscriber base, the online streaming service is looking to tie up with major cable TV operators and DTH service providers in the country.
“We are actively engaged with cable operator partners in India to get Netflix included in set-top boxes that are already present in the homes of millions of people and ideally get the Netflix button on the remote controls later,” said Nigel Baptiste, director-partner engagement at Netflix said.
With these tie-ups, Netflix hopes to offer a smart TV-like experience to consumers having regular televisions. The integration will enable easy navigation between cable television programming and online video content. According to Netflix, connected TVs are the primary source of Netflix viewing in India with 34 percent of viewing hours is via Smart TVs.
This is not the first time the entertainment company has collaborated with TV services. Back in March, Netflix announced a partnership with Bharti Airtel and Videocon to integrate the Netflix app with their direct-to-home set-top boxes. VideoconD2H has already has rolled out new set-top boxes that come with dedicated Netflix button in its remote control units.
The plan to relay content via cable TV is also not limited to India. Netflix is also engaging with cable operators in other Asian countries including Malaysia and Singapore.
“A large part of the next 100 million Netflix subscribers will come from Asia Pacific region, of which a significant number of subscribers will come from India” Baptiste added.
Netflix counts India among its top priority markets, and as such is ramping up its presence in the country. The US-based company recently opened up their first office in Mumbai, with more than 10 employees working on various functions such as digital payments, content and production, marketing and business development.
Netflix also hopes to bring in more regional content in India. However, for now, the company is solely focused on media engineering and device engagement among prospective clients.