Netflix Bringing Mobile-Only Plan to More Countries

Last summer, Netflix began rolling out a new kind of subscription plan in India, which allowed users to stream movies and TV only on mobile devices, at a fraction of the cost of a normal subscription. People in India have since been able to pay just $2.99 (199 rupees) per month to have full access to Netflix on their phones, a plan that has apparently worked rather well for the streaming giant. A few months later, a similar plan arrived in Malaysia for about $4 each month. Based on the success of these two markets, it looks as though Netflix has its eye on even more mobile-only streaming plans.

Netflix CEO Reed Hastings spoke at a conference in Delhi, India's capital, and talked about the streamer's strategy in the country. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Hastings has plans to bring those mobile plans that have worked so well in India and Malaysia to other markets around the globe. However, it hasn't been revealed exactly where those markets are or when they are likely to arrive.

Back in October, Netflix chief product officer Greg Peters confirmed to analysts that India's mobile plan was "performing better than we tested." It's clear that the plan has helped Netflix get a foothold in the Indian market in the time since.

"If we have amazing content from around the world, people are willing to pay for that," Hastings said. "In the U.S., cable television costs about $75. Here [in India] it's about $3-$5. In the U.S., people pay $50 for mobile phone access. Pricing is very low here, and the market is very large. That's why our 199 rupees a month [mobile-only] pricing is very competitive."

Could Netflix ever roll out a mobile-only plan in the United States? That's the biggest question people have when hearing this news, but it doesn't seem to be a likely outcome. Even with new streaming services hitting the market, Netflix has a firm grasp on the landscape in the US, so it probably doesn't need a dirt cheap plan to stay afloat.

Would you want a mobile-only Netflix subscription? Let us know in the comments!