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Netflix is testing a linear content channel scheduled in France, Variety reported. The channel, called Netflix Direct, will be available to Netflix streaming subscribers and will deliver content from its existing streaming library in a linear format, just like cable and television stations do.
“Maybe you’re not in the mood to decide, or you’re new and getting your bearings, or you just want to be surprised by something new and different,” Netflix said in a statement announcing the new service. It chose France for the launch of Netflix Direct because traditional TV is “extremely popular” there and people “just want a ‘relaxed’ experience where they don’t have to choose programs,” the company said.
Netflix Direct launched in parts of France on November 5th and will expand to other parts of the country next month. Second Variety, Netflix has around 9 million subscribers in France.
Netflix tested other alternatives to its standard streaming offerings, launching a “Shuffle” button in August to allow users to randomly cycle through recommended viewing options. With Netflix Direct, all viewers on the channel will watch the same programming at the same time.
The streaming giant saw a sharp rise in its business at the start of the coronavirus pandemic; in the first two quarters of 2020, it added 26 million subscribers, almost as many as it added throughout 2019.
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