Variety has learned that Netflix is testing a mobile-only plan in India that costs half of its basic streaming plan. Currently, Netflix India's monthly subscription fee costs INR 500 — more or less $7. The plan in question is only INR 250 — roughly $3.6.
In a statement, Netflix confirmed that it's testing different plans to make its service accessible to more people, hinting also that this tier might come to other countries.
Mobile-Only Plans
"We will be testing different options in select countries, where members can, for example, watch Netflix on their mobile device for a lower price and subscribe in shorter increments of time," a spokesperson for the streaming service said. The latter part of that statement, referring to "increments," is particularly notable, as it could comply that Netflix is developing weekly or bi-weekly subscriptions instead of monthly plans.
The spokesperson emphasized that the new pricing tier is part of an experiment, which means not everyone will be able to take advantage of it, and Netflix might decide not to roll it out after the tests.
Netflix India
Cheap data plans in India means more people are using their mobile phones to watch content online. Netflix launched a similar plan in Malaysia in November 2018, and said at the time it would also try out the idea in other countries it did not specify. Similarly, Netflix isn't saying which other countries would get the test besides India.
Still, the whole thing makes sense. Netflix has already expressed its interest in the Indian market. The company's product VP Todd Yellin recently gave a keynote in Mumbai explaining the streaming service's content expansion plans, which will include interactive TV shows and more Netflix original Indian content.
What's on everybody's mind, of course, is whether Netflix would bring this mobile-only plan to the United States, too. It's certainly possible, as it might attract new viewers previously unwilling to shell out the full cost for a monthly plan.
