Netflix entered the market as an alternative to standard cable television, offering users the chance to control what they want to see instead of depending upon their cable provider. However, it looks like things have come full circle, as the company is taking a new route for its streaming platform and has chosen France as the first market for the same. The streaming giant has launched a television-like live broadcasting channel on its platform in France, that will stream shows and movies on a programmed basis, according to a report from Variety.
The linear channel, called Netflix Direct, will be only available on the web browser platform of the company. It will feature films and shows from Netflix’s own catalog, including shows from France, America and all over the world. It would be the first time Netflix will take control away from the users to choose a film or show they want to watch. The channel will run on real-time programming and it will have a fixed schedule of streaming content.
Netflix said, “Whether you are lacking inspiration or whether you are discovering Netflix for the first time, you could let yourself be guided for the first time without having to choose a particular title and let yourself be surprised by the diversity of Netflix’s library.”
The streaming giant explains that the reason it chose France to introduce the new channel service is because the country shows a higher trend in consuming traditional television. According to Netflix, the French like the idea of not having to choose ‘what to watch next?’
Netflix had earlier tested another feature, Shuffle Play, on its platform with select users. The tool would randomly pick and play content from a user’s ‘recommended’ section, which contains shows and movies that the user might like. The difference between Shuffle Play and Direct is that, in Direct, the content that is streamed would most likely not be suited according to the user’s taste.
The programmed channel service was launched as a test on November 5 in France, and Netflix says it will eventually roll it out more widely in France by early December, this year. The channel will be only available to Netflix users with a subscription. With a market of almost 9 million users in the country and a growing demand because of the lockdown, the linear channel might be able to take off pretty smoothly in France.
