In the past decade, Netflix has risen as the not so quiet disruptor in the media broadcasting business. Per a recent Globes report, Netflix is now considered the most successful brand in Israel, sharing the same prestige as its predecessors like Coca Cola and Google. In Israel alone, Netflix has seen a market price increase of over 15,000% in the past twelve years.
Netflix was first launched in 1997 as a standard DVD broadcasting channel, whose main competitor was Blockbuster, the now extinct movie rental company. In 2007, Netflix introduced streaming, the key feature catapulting them as a main player into the industry. It was likely the seed which shifted the way people watch content, today called binge watching, which accounts for 61% of worldwide Netflix users.
While Netflix started its international roll out in 2013, it arrived in Israel in January 2016. In July 2017, the service became available in the Hebrew language, including its subscription packages and subtitles. When it first launched, only 10% of its media was accessible to Israel. Today, it supports at least 10 original Israeli shows, such as Homeland, Fauda, and Mossad 101.
Today, Netflix has what is believed to have over 500,000 subscriptions in Israel. Netflix recently increased its prices for Israeli users, from a range of 3 NIS to 12 NIS depending on package and number of devices. Israel is one of 20 international countries which saw a price increase, and it’s likely given more to “substantial investments” in new media, as well as product improvements.
