Netflix has started testing out a new streaming plan in India to lure more people into using the service in the country. Until now, the service was available in three plans: Basic, Standard, and Premium, and allowed users to watch content on laptop, tv, phone, or tablet. However, the new plan, ‘Mobile’, starts at Rs 250 (approx USD 3.5) per month, is a mobile-only plan, and restricts users from watching content on anything apart from a mobile phone or a tablet.
Until now, Netflix offered three plans in India:
Basic – for Rs 500 per month,
Standard – for Rs 650 per month,
Premium – for Rs 800 per month.
With the Basic plan, Netflix restricts access to HD and Ultra HD content and allows users to view content on only one screen at a time. On the other hand, with the Standard plan, it allows users to enjoy content in HD, on two screens at the same time. And with the Premium Plan, it provides access to both, HD and Ultra HD content, with up to four screens at the same time. It seems, at the time of writing this story, the plan is still being rolled out in phases as some people aren’t able to see the new plan yet.
With the new ‘Mobile’ plan, Netflix is restricting access for its HD and Ultra HD content, and only allowing one screen to be able to stream content at a time. As if that wasn’t enough, the Mobile plan restricts users from accessing content on anything apart from their mobile phone or tablet. The new mobile-only plan, priced at Rs 250 per month, is aimed at attracting people who aren’t using the service currently, as the current low-cost plan, offered for Rs 500, is comparatively higher than most of the other streaming services. Especially with the likes of Amazon Prime and Hotstar, which are priced competitively at Rs 129 per month (Rs 999 per year) and Rs 199 per month, respectively.
Even though Netflix offers a plethora of content, spread across various categories and genres, the Rs 250 per month cost is still a bit on the pricey side of the spectrum for the Indian market. And time would only tell if people accept the new plan and subscribe to the service in masses.