Netflix to offer ‘competitive, compelling’ P149 monthly plan for Filipinos

AIMING to increase its customer base in the Philippines, American streaming service Netflix is now offering a P149-per-month mobile plan for Filipinos, allowing them to watch movies on their smartphones and tablets.

“We are launching a new plan for the Philippines... We are super excited to announce that it will be offered for P149 only,” Netflix Director for Product Innovation Patrick Flemming told reporters via live video conference from Los Angeles, California on Wednesday.

With the new mobile plan, which is in addition to the existing basic, standard and premium plans, Mr. Flemming said Netflix users will be able to “watch films and shows — uninterrupted and without ads — on one smartphone or tablet at a time.”

The new plan will be officially launched in both the Philippines and Thailand on Thursday. The product had been launched in India, Indonesia, and Malaysia.

Mr. Flemming noted that the Philippines has been an attractive market for the company as Filipinos spend more than three hours per day watching online content on their smartphones.

He also described the new mobile plan’s price point as “super competitive and compelling.”

“Filipinos watch 2x more Netflix on mobile than the rest of the world,” he said, adding that “two out of three Filipinos use downloads on their phones to watch Netflix on the go.”

“We’re enthusiastic to introduce the Mobile plan in the Philippines to make it even easier for anyone with a smartphone to enjoy Netflix. At home or on the go, now more people can watch all the shows and movies Netflix has to offer, wherever and whenever they want,” he continued.

Interested individuals may download the Netflix app or visit its official website to register for the mobile plan for P149 per month.

Its other three existing plans are basic for P369/month, standard for P459/month, and premium for 549/month.

Netflix said customers can pay for their subscription using credit and debit cards, via direct carrier billing with their existing networking provider, or with cash using a Netflix gift code.

Netflix recently reported that its membership had increased by 20% last year.

Membership in the Asia Pacific region grew by 1.75 million in the fourth quarter of 2019, bringing the total to 16.23 million.

It said 95% of its membership growth came from countries outside the US. —