Tourists taking photos at the Malecon in Havana, Cuba, Friday, Dec. 19, 2014. Ramon Espinosa/AP
Netflix has landed in Cuba.
On Monday, the Silicon Valley-based company announced that its internet-movie-and-TV-streaming service is now available in Cuba for $7.99 a month, offering access to a curated selection of movies and shows, including original Netflix series House of Cards and Orange Is the New Black. The service is available to anyone in Cuba with an internet connection and an international payment method.
“We are delighted to finally be able to offer Netflix to the people of Cuba, connecting them with stories they will love from all over the world,” Netflix CEO Reed Hastings said in a statement. “Cuba has great filmmakers and a robust arts culture and one day we hope to be able to bring their work to our global audience of over 57 million members.”
Netflix began offering its service in Latin America in 2011, and now counts over 5 million members across the globe. But in offering streaming to Cuban customers, the company becomes one of the first to take advantage of the White House’s recent relaxation of diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Cuba. The Netflix service is considered an export, and previously such exports to Cuban were not allowed by the U.S. government.
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