Hastings: Netflix Download Option Having ‘Small Impact’

Netflix’s recently introduced download option for certain titles and series is sizing up to be a nice-to-have, rather than critical, feature for its massive subscriber base, according to CEO Reed Hastings.

Netflix's downloading capability, launched in November 2016 for certain titles and series, is having a “small impact” and is serving as a “modest feature” in the early going for subscribers who want to view Netflix fare offline when they are on a plane or otherwise not within reach of a solid internet connection, Hastings said Monday on the company’s Q1 2017 earnings call.

As networks around the world become more modern, downloading will become less relevant, he reasoned.

“Basically, you want to be able to just click and watch,” Hastings said. “You don’t want to think in advance outside a couple of narrow scenarios.”

Netflix execs were also asked to comment on the state of competition with rivals such as HBO and Amazon.

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