Rich Fiscus
23 Oct 2009 2:35
Netflix will be expanding their Watch Instantly streaming video service beyond US borders for the first time next year.
During the company's Q3 conference call, CEO Reed Hastings said "with global studios and with global CE companies we are planning our first international effort in the second half of 2010."
He also indicated Netflix will be adding another US consumer electronics partner later this year, but couldn't name the company yet.
He talked about some ideas for future deals with both movie studios and ISPs. With DVD sales dropping the studios are concerned that cheap rentals are eating into early sales.
Hastings spoke about the idea of a sales-only window for DVDs. Under such a plan they would wait to rent DVDs until a certain number of days or weeks after it goes on sale.
He believes the DVDs released this way would sell better initially and Netflix could benefit from buying discs at a lower price when they do start renting them.
Addressing the concerns ISPs have voiced about the bandwidth used by streaming video like Netlix makes available to every subscriber, Hastings suggested they might be able to work out promotions which would make high end broadband plans more attractive to customers.