We have pointed it out a number of times but the latest move by British Cable company SKY TV shows once again that the popularity of Netflix has nothing to do with a desire to drop cable. The hugely popular streaming service will be available for 10 pounds a month Starting in November. It will be interesting to see if the push to make Netflix and Amazon carry more Euro centric programming will have any impact on the move. Customers will access the service from their Sky TV set-top boxes.
Sky is hardly the first cable company to align itself with Netflix. A number of American cable providers have done so over time as well. Comcast, which is the largest provider in the US offers Netflix through its X1 platform as do a number of smaller outfits throughout the US.
Netflix is the largest TV and movie streaming service in the world with well over 100 million customers. This kind of expansion will certainly help it continue to expand on its original content and win contracts for the streaming rights to other shows.
Does this affect US customers?
US customers can only hope that such an arrangement with a British media enterprise could increase the offerings on Netflix. Content from the UK has been popular on this side of the pond for years and has seen the rise of British specific services like BritBox and Acorn TV. PBS has long been the home of BBC content. Here’s to hoping for more to see.
