Netflix: A Year in Review of the Philippines

Wazzup Pilipinas!
Netflix, the world’s leading Internet television network with over 86 million members in over 190 countries, streams more than 125 million hours of TV shows and movies per day, including original series, documentaries and feature films. It was launched in the Philippines and 130 markets around the world on January 6, 2016. They’ve added over 9 million accounts since.

Netflix is for everyone, whatever your entertainment tastes are. Netflix original content offers something for everyone from drama to comedy series, from docu-series, to stand-up specials to films. As they’ve gotten to know people’s tastes, they’ve been shaping the service, adding content, languages and new features to provide the best possible Netflix experience.

Here’s how:

• No more waiting: Internet TV, delivered by Netflix, is changing entertainment forever by putting power in consumers’ hands. Netflix original series, films and documentaries premiere on Netflix everywhere at the same time, whether Narcos, Marvel’s Luke Cage or The Crown which means all Netflix members have access to a new title simultaneously.
• Original Series and Films: They committed to spending $5 billion on content in 2016, releasing 31 scripted shows (existing and new), two dozen original feature films and documentaries, a wide range of stand up comedy specials and 30 original kids series.
• Increasing the Catalog: They have doubled the content catalog for users around the world.

The Philippines binge:

• Some of the most popular shows for the year in The Philippines: Orange is The New Black, Stranger Things, Narcos, House of Cards, The OA, Marvel’s Luke Cage, The Crown, Designated Survivor.
• At which point did they get Hooked? Netflix found that viewers today do not base their decision to finish a series on the first episode alone. On average, it took 4 episodes for Filipinos to get hooked on a show. For example, when they watched superhero action shows Marvel’s Daredevil and Marvel’s Jessica Jones. Filipino viewers easily get hooked early on with shows that allow them to live vicariously through law-breaking characters featured in shows such as Narcos, Breaking Bad, and Better Call Saul.
• Binge-pairing: Like Netflix members around the world, Filipinos tend to pair their TV binge with a movie right after. Fans who loved Stranger Things wanted more of the same great thrills and chose Super 8, another sci-fi thriller set in the 80s. Meanwhile, Marvel’s Daredevil fans who hankered for more grim and gritty action and turned to Kill Bill Vol. 1

Delivering a great Netflix experience is just as important as creating great content.

Netflix is committed to spending $800 million on technology and development in 2016. Here are key innovations we rolled out in 2016:

• Personalization and the global algorithm: Previously, the personalization algorithms were regional or country-specific -- limiting a member’s recommendations to be based on similar viewers’ tastes confined to their particular country or region. By creating a global recommendation system, Netflix is now able to provide an even more accurate personalization experience, based not just on one country’s tastes, but by looking at the tastes of members around the world. This also helps local content travel around the world.

• Downloads: Netflix users share that they also want to continue their Stranger Things binge while on a road trip and other places where Internet is expensive or limited. Now we can download and watch shows without an internet connection on Netflix.
• Open Connect Devices.  Netflix’s Open Connect devices are provided free to ISPs to allow them to more efficiently manage their networks. They have devices present around the Asia region today to support a better streaming experience for users in the Philippines
• Video previews: They know we have less than 90 seconds to capture someone’s attention and get them excited about a title -- that’s why they’re introducing video previews into the TV browsing experience. The new television user interface uses video more extensively to bring content alive in real time and helps members decide whether to click play.
• 4K/HDR Technology: One of the advantages of streaming over the Internet is they get to be at the cutting edge of technology, providing the best picture quality for its members all over the world. Added over 600 of 4K content, Shows like the latest season of Chef’s Table, Marvel’s Daredevil now in HDR and they are working with Marvel on their entire slate.
• Partnerships/Devices: By partnering with consumer electronics companies, ISPs and mobile operators, including Globe and PLDT, they help provide a better streaming experience for consumers and enable Netflix everywhere. Many of these partnerships help drive constant innovation at Netflix, and also improve overall industry standards so that ultimately consumers everywhere get the best entertainment experience they can hope for.
• Netflix Recommended TV program: An independent smart TV evaluation program to help consumers identify televisions built for a superior Internet TV experience. Netflix Recommended TVs by LG, Samsung and Sony are available in the Philippines and around the world.

NETFLIX INTO 2017

• Next year, Netflix plan to launch over 1,000 hours of original content including:

• Marvel’s Iron Fist
• A Series of Unfortunate Events
• Sense8 S02
• Master of None S02
• Stranger Things S02
• War Machine
• The Discovery
• The Defenders
• Santa Clarita Diet

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