There’s nothing like a good old Netflix binge, and this new EU roaming deal will make it even handier when you want to watch your favourite shows abroad.
Currently, streaming services in Europe including Netflix, Sky, and French service Canal+ aren’t that useful when you’re out of your home country.
Your account is either inaccessible or you have to choose a show based on the library of content available in the country you are in (meaning lots of shows in foreign languages and unfamiliar series and movies). Not ideal when you want to relax in your holiday apartment in Spain of an evening with an episode or three of RuPaul’s Drag Race.
Netflix content varies across every country, according to what the population is into, so that explains the different choices.
This annoyance will soon be a thing of the past, according to Reuters.
A new law was proposed by the European Commission in December last year, and has just been endorsed by member state reps.
This means that if it’s approved officially by ministers on May 26th, you can view the content and shows you have paid for when you travel abroad.
The EC is hoping that the proposal will be in force in 2017, the same year that roaming charges are due to be abolished within the 28-member European Union.
Although this is handy for users of streaming services, many people in the film and tv industry worry that this development will lead to a lack of exclusive licences for certain countries.
For example, they won’t be able to sell a French licence to French Netflix for as much money if the same film is also available across all Netflix’s European sites already.
