Jio tie-up helps Netflix gain users in India

American streaming service Netflix’s latest partnership with Reliance Jio is expected to help the over-the-top (OTT) video streaming platform close the year with 4.6 million paid subscribers in India, as per a recent analysis by Media Partners Asia, an independent provider of research, advisory and consulting services in the Asia Pacific.

Netflix will notch up average revenue per user (ARPUs ) of $5, the report said. Overall, it is expected to have more than 25 million subscribers in the Asia Pacific by end-2020, and India could have contributed up to 9% of Netflix’s global revenue in Q3 2020.

In September, Netflix India partnered with Jio, to offer a free mobile-only subscription to post-paid subscribers for plans starting at $5.3 per month ( ₹399). The subscribers were offered the option to upgrade to traditional plans. Netflix is also hard-bundled with Jio’s fixed broadband service with free access to subscribers opting for data plans starting at $20 per month ( ₹1,499). The streaming platform, in July 2020, started testing a $4.7 per month ( ₹349) ‘mobile plus’ plan in India, which allows single HD streaming on mobile, tablets and laptops. Netflix India reported revenue of ₹923.7 crore and net profit of ₹8.9 crore in FY20, shows its filing with the registrar of companies first reported by The Economic Times.