Netflix ‘open minded’ over video downloads

Netflix co-founder and CEO, Reed Hastings

Netflix co-founder and CEO, Reed Hastings

Netflix will keep “an open mind” about offering downloads for offline viewing, according to CEO Reed Hastings.

Speaking on the company’s earnings call earlier this week, Hastings said that to-date Netflix had focused on “click-and-watch and the beauty and simplicity of streaming” – but hinted this may change in the future.

“As we expand around the world, where we see an uneven set of networks, it’s something we should keep an open mind about,” said Hastings.

Netflix rival Amazon, which earlier this week launched Prime Video as a standalone pay-monthly service for the first time in the US, already offers offline viewing, as does YouTube with its new YouTube Red subscription service.

Netflix reported a record number of new subscribers in Q1 this week, but its share price dropped more than 7% in after-hours trading after it issued a weak subscriber forecast for the current quarter.

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