Netflix to make Asian debut with Sept. 2 launch in Japan

Netflix, the on-demand streaming service provider has announced to expand its services to Japan starting this September. In addition to the Twitter account, a Netflix Japan page is available on Facebook, and the company launched its netflix.jp website. September 2 is the scheduled date for Netflix to launch its services in Japan, putting an end to all speculations that had been surrounding the company in the past few days.

In Japan, Netflix’s competitors will include a Hulu-branded service – although Hulu itself doesn’t operate it anymore. It’s also available in Australia and New Zealand, but has yet to make an appearance in Asia. (It’s now available in over 50 countries, meaning there’s still plenty of work to be done.).

Flush with cash, Netflix has been placing greater focus on original content of late, and this has proven an effective differentiating strategy.

It’s already been a huge year for Netflix, and it’s only going to continue to get bigger. The previous year, Netflix notched up seven Emmy awards, four more than the year before.

However, to maximize the return on this investment, Netflix will need to push out into new markets. A number of countries across Europe should also land the streaming-service in a few months, with reports suggesting that Netflix has its sights set on launching in Italy, Portugal, Spain, and Iceland. The move will help Netflix add to its 66 million subscribers worldwide-it added nearly 1 million last quarter.