PETALING JAYA, March 18 — Three years ago, Netflix landed in Malaysia and sent movie buffs and TV fanatics into a frenzy.

For the first time, a legal internet video-streaming service was available to Malaysians, opening up a whole new platform to binge watch quality storytelling in Hollywood and European movies and TV shows.

Malaysian audiences were able to view thought-provoking original Western content without having to wait for it to come on TV or using illegal means to download and watch a film or series.

However, in a press release, the video-streaming service said its entrance and development in Malaysia have not been without any challenges, despite there being 139 million subscribers to its platform globally.

Due to the various multicultural demographics in Malaysia, Netflix had to adapt and cater to these various audiences if it was to attract and sustain a large audience.

"These challenges vary from issues on breadth and depth of content at the start, criticisms on value for money among consumers and most recently in 2018, the announcement during the tabling of the budget by the then newly elected Malaysian government on digital taxation on international online service providers,” it said.

One of their strategies was to provide the consumer with control. As compared to regular TV, Netflix has a clear advantage because there are no commercials.

An infographic of Netflix’s development over the past three years. — Picture courtesy of Netflix.

Another way it attempted to give the consumers a sense of control was via the release of interactive content programming in films like the overnight sensation Black Mirror: Bandersnatch and other titles like Puss in Boots: Trapped in an Epic Tale and Minecraft: Story Mode.

Its commitment to the Asian market also saw the release of popular Asian titles on the Netflix platform.

In 2018, Netflix released a number of Asian-suited titles such as Korean rom-coms like My First First Love and Love Alarm, and other notable titles from India including Baahubali: Before the Beginning, Sacred Games and Taiwanese series such as Triad Princess.

2019 will also be an exciting year for Netflix’s Asian audiences as there is set to be over 100 new and original content from Asian storytellers.

Netflix has heavily invested in factors such as subtitling and dubbing in Chinese, Thai, Korean and Japanese, to allow different cultures to understand shows in their own unique way.

Its support of over 20 different languages around the world ensures that all Netflix subscribers can enjoy watching shows on its platform, regardless of what language it is in.