Stranger Things (Netflix)
Netflix users have been clamoring for offline playback to no avail for years. But it seems the streaming service might reconsider this… except there isn’t any certainty it’s coming here. Netflix’s Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos says the company is considering bringing offline mode to areas where access to high internet speeds isn’t readily available. "We have talked a lot about this over the years and our belief is that broadband and Wi-Fi become more and more ubiquitous, available in more and more places that you are, more and more minutes of the day," Sarandos told CNBC. "Now as we've launched in more territories… They all have different levels of broadband speeds and Wi-Fi access. So in those countries they have adapted their behaviors to be much more of a downloading culture. So in those emerging territories it starts to become a little more interesting. We still think for the developed world our thesis has been true but I think as we get into more and more (of the) undeveloped world and developing countries that we want to find alternatives for people to use Netflix easily."
Sarandos won’t give a specific date when this feature will be available to users. The idea though is to let users download movies to watch offline. But since the company launched in 130 new countries and added 3.2 million new international subscribers, of course, it seems obvious they want these new markets to drive future growth for the company. We’re still holding out hope they reconsider the original markets they launched in.