News that Kenya is among the 130 new markets where Netflix will be available swept across the different social media platforms soon after the announcement was made on January 6th, 2016. #NetflixInKenya was a trending topic on twitter for a better part of the day. This announcement comes against the backdrop of people’s dissatisfaction in the dominant DSTV which has come under fire lately for charging high fees for their services. Although Netflix made its maiden entry into the African market just the other day, it has been in existence for quite a while. This American multinational was established in 1997 and specialized particularly in mail order DVD service. With time, with technological advancement, the company introduced internet streaming service and as at now, all its services are purely online. Some of the popular series include House of Cards, Orange is the new black, Dare Devil, Star Wars: Clone Wars, Sense 8 among others. Check out the 50 Best TV Shows on Netflix Right Now.
While making his remarks, Netflix co-founder and CEO, Reed Hastings, pointed out some of the benefits that consumers stand to enjoy once they acquire this service. Some of them are:
Getting original content
Netflix will see the production of more original content as it moves from recycling old shows as well as movies. Consumers stand a chance of enjoying this content fresh from production.
Free trial
Consumers in Kenya will get 30 days of free trial where they will enjoy the services and will be free to choose from the three packages available. The packages are Basic (ksh. 817), Standard (ksh.1022) and Premium (ksh. 1226).
Enjoying TV shows and Music
Through this service, consumers will be able to watch their favorite TV shows and listen to their favorite music simultaneously. They will not be required to wait until the shows air in advance. After complying with the licensing regulations, uniform content will be aired. However, this does not bar them from streaming their favorite shows.
Growth of the local talent
The plan to come up with original content is positive to the local talent. Netflix will take advantage of the local talent to come up with original production for the local market.
Content for everyone
The content on Netflix will range from kids series to feature films to stand up comedies to documentaries. Consumers will be at liberty to select whatever tickles their fancy.
Uninterrupted programming
There won’t be any commercial breaks once your favourite shows start airing. Netflix has an option of pausing your program and resuming later so you don’t miss anything. How cool is that?
Service accessibility on different gadgets
Whether you have a smart phone, a tablet, laptop or computer, you can easily access the content on Netflix. To make this possible, you need to have reliable high speed internet connection.
But even as Kenyans get excited it is important to note that a lot of content found in the Neflix US market will not be available in the Kenyan market. Also you need to have a reliable internet connection. This will lock out many movie and series lovers who would like to access those movies.
