Netflix is making some television shows and movies available for download to watch offline, providing its users a feature that has become a must-have for binge-watchers.
Many fans have requested to watch Netflix content without an Internet connection, especially those in emerging markets with limited Internet access.
The world’s largest online TV network will roll out the feature on phones and tablets for all subscribers, but only for select shows such as The Crown and Orange is the New Black at first, according to a statement Wednesday.
Netflix has been signalling it would add a downloading option in recent months, as a way to continue increasing its subscriber base and match video-streaming Amazon.com.
Offline viewing will make Netflix shows more accessible to customers around the world, particularly in developing markets in Asia and Africa.
Netflix has 86,7m customers worldwide, 47,5m of whom live in the US. The company now relies on international markets for most of its growth, and earlier this year expanded its footprint to the entire world, save for China, Syria, North Korea and Crimea.
“While many members enjoy watching Netflix at home, we’ve often heard they also want to continue their Stranger Things binge while on aeroplanes and other places where Internet is expensive or limited,” said Eddy Wu, Netflix’s director of product innovation, in a Web post. — (c) 2016 Bloomberg LP
