After launching a mobile-only plan in India earlier in the year, Netflix is rolling out a similar offer in another Asian country yet, Malaysia.
The streaming giant said Thursday that it will cost $4.06 per month and allow subscribers to watch the complete list of Netflix content in “standard definition (SD) on one smartphone or tablet at a time.”
Malaysia now has four Netflix options as the mobile plan is added to the basic rate subscription plan of $7.90, the $10.04 standard plan and the $12.19 premium plan.
“Our members in Malaysia love to watch shows on their smartphones and tablets. With the first-ever mobile plan in Southeast Asia, all of Netflix’s shows and movies will be even more accessible for Malaysians to stream and download,” said Ajay Arora, director of product innovation at Netflix.
Netflix pointed to the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission’s (MCMC) 2018 Internet Users Survey, which reported that 78 percent of Malaysia’s internet users spent time streaming and downloading entertainment.
Figures collated from 2019 show that 88 percent of Malaysians own smartphones, which compares to 81 per cent of Americans. “Netflix members in Malaysia already watch twice as much content on their phones as the average member,” according to the streaming giant.
Netflix has continued to expand its local Malaysian content this year, adding such local hits as Munafik 2 and Crossroads: One Two Jaga to its library. Its first Chinese-language series – The Ghost Bride – was filmed and produced in Malaysia and is set for a January release.
Netflix had in July announced the mobile-only plan for Indian, which was seen as a bid to take on cheaper rivals, such as Amazon Prime and Disney’s Hotstar.
The India plan costs $2.90 per month. Indian OTT service Hotstar and Amazon Prime Video offer an annual plan that costs $14.50, or about $1.20 per month.
