ZCZC
BCN-01
EU-ECONOMY-INTERNET-MEDIA
New EU rules let you watch Netflix, BBC abroad
BRUSSELS, March 30, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – Don’t leave your iPad at home this
holiday. Starting Sunday, Europeans on vacation can enjoy their online
entertainment such as Netflix or BBC iPlayer as if at home all across Europe.
Europeans spend about one billion nights in other EU countries every year
but until now faced a frustrating inability to access subscription services
or national broadcasters while outside their home country.
All that changes on Easter Sunday, when new portability rules will allow
travellers in the EU to access their online content when they’re away from
home.
“As of April 1, wherever you are travelling to in the EU, you will no
longer miss out on your favourite films, TV series, sports broadcasts, games
or e-books, that you have digitally subscribed to at home,” an EU statement
said.
As it stands, a subscriber to the Netflix or Amazon Prime streaming
service in, for example, France, only has access to the service as it is
available in the country being visited, where the supply of movies or TV
series often drastically differs to the home version.
In another example, digital subscribers to Sky Sports in London are unable
to access Premier League football matches on their iPads or laptops when
travelling abroad.
The EU hopes the measure should prevent users from using illegal broadcast
services or virtual networks, known as VPNs, that connect to a service by
hiding its true location.
The European Commission estimates that at least 29 million people, or 5.7
percent of EU consumers, could use cross-border portability this year, and
that number could reach 72 million by 2020.
BSS/AFP/HR/0930