The group-wide deal is based on an existing three-year-old agreement between Liberty Global’s UK business, Virgin Media. It will offer Netflix content on its other networks such as Ziggo in the Netherlands and the recently acquired Cable & Wireless Communications (CWC) in the Caribbean and central America.
Mike Fries, CEO of Liberty Global, said: “This deal will provide even more freedom to our subscribers – allowing them to access a goldmine of amazing TV and films at the click of a button, fully integrated into their usual TV viewing set-up.”
Netflix CEO Reed Hastings said the deal will allow “millions of our mutual customers around the world to easily access the broadest range of TV shows and movies without having to search for that other remote control. Combining the Netflix app– and all the great content it provides – into the familiar, easy-to-use cable box makes both more appealing.”
The companies said that the Netherlands will be the first new Liberty Global territory to launch Netflix on the Horizon box as part of this partnership. The rollout will advance to other countries as technological upgrades across all of Liberty Global’s operations continue through 2017.
Existing Netflix customers will be able to log in and search through the company’s line-up on the main TV screen, eliminating the need to have a separate device and to switch between TV inputs and remote controls. New customers to Netflix can simply sign up and watch on their TV.
As well as Virgin Media and Ziggo, Liberty Global’s European brands include Unitymedia, Telenet and UPC. Its LiLAC group, formed after the acquisition of CWC, operates in over 20 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean under the consumer brands VTR, Flow, Liberty, Mas Movil and BTC.
