Netflix to Introduce Offline Viewing by the End of the Year

In an effort to compete with Amazon Prime Video on Comcast’s online video service, Netflix is expected to introduce an option to download videos for offline viewing before the end of 2016. The move is intended to serve subscribers on the go who might not have access to an external Wi-Fi connections.

“We know from our sources within the industry that Netflix is going to launch this product,” according to industry insider and Penthera COO Dan Taitz (via Light Reading). “My expectation is that by the end of the year Netflix will be launching download-to-go as an option for their customers.”

The news isn’t merely industry gossip, though; Frost & Sullivan Principal Analyst Dan Rayburn has verified reports that Netflix is preparing to launch offline viewing. “It’s a natural progression for Netflix to want to have some of their content available for consumers to watch offline, and we’ve been hearing for months now that they are in fact going to roll something out soon,” confirms Rayburn.

“I still view download as something that’s emerging into the consciousness of consumers,” Taitz adds. “They know about downloads because before there were streaming services people downloaded movies and videos from iTunes, but they’re not necessarily looking for download as a feature of their streaming service they’re already paying for.”

The move marks a change in strategy for Netflix, which had previously thumbed its nose at offline viewing after the feature was introduced by Amazon Prime Video. Last year, Netflix’s Chief Product Officer Neil Hunt claimed that offline viewing would add a “considerable complexity” that the service’s users would struggle to manage.