Silence on Netflix language plans

IT IS not yet clear whether Netflix will offer an English-language soundtrack option to Anglophone users in France when it launches here in September.

The online video giant is negotiating broadcast rights ahead of its French debut, which was announced earlier this week.

It was unable to confirm when contacted by Connexion this week whether it will offer a multi-language service in France.

News of the launch came after months of speculation.

France operates a complex system of rules on when movies can be released in different formats, such as in cinemas or on DVD. Under current rules, a film cannot appear in an on-demand video service that is bought as a monthly subscription until three years after it opens in cinemas.

But if a consumer rents the video of the same film using a set-top box, for example, it would be available four months after its premiere.

However, there is hope that the online home of series such as House of Cards, Hemlock Grove, and Orange Is the New Black may offer an English-language option. Its services in Mexico and other Latin American countries are offered with both Spanish and English-language soundtracks.

The move into France is part of the company’s biggest expansion since 2011. It is also planning to launch services in Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Belgium and Luxembourg. These new markets will take its reach in Europe to 13 countries, and almost 50 worldwide.