Netflix announced on Feb. 9, Monday, that its on-demand Internet streaming service is now available in Cuba. It is the first major streaming video service to have launched in the country.
Cubans can now watch shows like "Daredevil," "Marco Polo," "Bloodline," "Better Call Saul," Academy Award nominee original documentaries "Virunga" and "The Square" and even Golden Globe and Emmy Award-winning series "Orange is the New Black" and "House of Cards." Netflix will basically offer the Caribbean island country the same catalogue of films, series and kids programs that it already does through Latin America.
Speaking about the Cuban launch, Netflix co-founder and CEO Reed Hastings said in a press release "We are delighted to finally be able to offer Netflix to the people of Cuba, connecting them with stories they will love from all over the world." Hastings added that the company would also like to bring Cuban films to its global audience of more than 57 million subscribers.
Netflix is also one of the first American companies to have responded to the recent deal between the United States and Cuba to normalize the relationship between the two countries. The deal reportedly involved easing restrictions on Cubans' Internet access.
Speaking of Internet access in the country, watchdog group Freedom House states only 5 percent of Cuba's citizens have unfiltered access to the Internet. In addition, Castillo de Naipes of Quartz also notes that Netflix's subscription cost in Cuba is almost half the average salary at $8 per month.
But Netflix is optimistic about the move and expects more Cubans to gain Internet access as credit and debit cards become more widely available in addition to improved access to the Internet. In addition to that de Naipes believes the move to Cuba is also part of Netflix's marketing and expansion strategies.