Netflix: Japan, South Korea In Its Sights

One day after Netflix’s plan to establish a beachhead in piracy-plagued Spain came to light, comes word that the streaming and DVD giant has chosen select Asian territories for expansion. The goal is to be up and running there by the end of next year and markets with established broadband infrastructure like Japan and South Korea are the most likely targets, insiders with knowledge of the plan indicate. The development follows a report in which Pedro Perez, president of the Spanish producers association FAPAE, confirmed that Netflix had approached members regarding a planned 2012 launch. In comments after the firm’s most recent earnings call, CEO Reed Hastings said that Netflix would enter Latin America by the end of this year and launch in an unnamed market in early 2012.