MUMBAI: Netflix has at long last unleashed its full linguistic arsenal on television screens worldwide, allowing subscribers to frolic through its catalogue in whichever of its 30-plus languages tickles their fancy. The streaming behemoth, which had previously restricted this multilingual delight to mobile devices and web browsers, has finally capitulated from 2 April to the thousands of monthly pleas from linguistically frustrated viewers.
The timing could hardly be more apt. Nearly a third of all viewing on the platform now involves non-English content—a figure that explains why Korean survival drama Squid Game had British grandmothers attempting to pronounce Ojingeo Geim and why Spanish heist caper Berlin has viewers worldwide practicing their ¡Vamos! with varying degrees of success.
"This much-anticipated feature carries over the experience members already enjoy on mobile devices and web browsers," Netflix announced.
The streaming giant has also cottoned on to another delicious trend: subscribers have been using the service as a language-learning tool. With customisable subtitle options and a "Browse by Language" feature, Netflix has become an accidental competitor to Duolingo—albeit one with considerably more drama, bloodshed and royal intrigue.
For the truly adventurous linguistic daredevils—those peculiar souls who might fancy watching Mexican telenovelas with Korean dubbing and English subtitles—Netflix has now made such exotic combinations possible on the biggest screen in the house.
Global sensations like France's Lupin, Mexico's Who Killed Sara?, Norway's Troll and Germany's Oscar-winning All Quiet on the Western Front have demonstrated that language barriers in entertainment are crumbling fast. What's driving this babel of content consumption? Perhaps viewers are finally discovering what continental Europeans have known for decades: that Hollywood doesn't have a monopoly on compelling storytelling.
As streaming wars intensify and competitors scramble for global market share, Netflix's linguistic flexibility may prove its secret weapon. After all, in the battle for worldwide domination, speaking the local lingo is more than half the battle—it's the whole war.
