Netflix has rolled out a new, affordable mobile plan across 43 sub-Saharan African countries, including Nigeria, allowing users to access their favorite movies and shows for as low as N1,200 per month. This new pricing structure represents a significant 60% reduction from the standard basic Netflix offering, which costs N2,900. The mobile plan is offered alongside existing subscription tiers: Basic (N2,900), Standard (N3,600), and Premium (N4,400). Netflix stated that this initiative aims to provide consumers with more choices, regardless of their budget or specific viewing requirements. The company recognizes that while some users prefer Ultra HD streaming on multiple screens, others primarily consume content on their mobile devices, and this new plan directly caters to the latter.

In addition to the revised pricing, Netflix is introducing an innovative 'Play Partial Download' feature. This functionality empowers users to start watching titles, such as 'Fatherhood' or episodes of 'Elite', even if the download process has not been fully completed. This builds upon Netflix's previous efforts to enhance offline viewing. The global Downloads feature was first introduced in 2016, followed by 'Smart Downloads' on Android in 2018 (and iOS in 2019), which automatically downloads the next episode and deletes watched ones. Earlier this year, 'Downloads for You' was launched on Android, proactively downloading recommended shows and movies to mobile devices.

The 'Play Partial Download' feature offers substantial benefits, primarily saving users time by eliminating the need to wait for downloads to finish, often cutting waiting times by over 10 minutes. Furthermore, it helps in minimizing cellular data usage. Users can begin watching immediately and then choose to complete the download later, ideally when connected to a Wi-Fi network, thus optimizing data consumption and ensuring a continuous viewing experience. If a user begins watching a partially downloaded title, they will be prompted to download the remainder of the movie or series episode once they are connected to a Wi-Fi or cellular network. This new feature can be accessed from the 'download' menu on mobile devices or through the 'continue watching' menu.

Notably, statistics indicate that users in sub-Saharan Africa watch Netflix on their phones twice as much as the global average, underscoring the relevance of these mobile-centric innovations. Netflix confirms that the new Mobile plan is designed to deliver a more enjoyable user experience for this demographic. Despite its lower cost, Nigerian subscribers on the mobile plan will still have access to the entire library of available Netflix titles. Keela Robinson, VP of Product Innovation at Netflix, highlighted that these additions are aimed at ensuring users can access their preferred series and movies irrespective of language, device, connectivity, or location. While the 'Play Partial Download' feature is currently available exclusively on Android, testing for iOS is expected to commence in the upcoming months.