Netflix to Come to the UK, Spain in Early 2012

Netflix is clearly expanding beyond its home market. It has said that much itself, when it revealed that it might launch in 43 new countries, in Latin America, concomitantly. But Netflix isn't stopping here, there are new rumors indicating that it's hitting European shores in early 2012, in Spain and the UK at the very least.

Local media in Spain had already revealed that Netflix was coming next year, but now Variety says that the same is true for the UK as well.

Based on sources from European film distributors, Netflix has been negotiating licensing for the region and will debut in the UK and Spain in Q1 2012.

While there are no indications that the company is looking at other markets as well, it is very likely that the company is negotiating a similar move in other parts of Europe, like France, Germany and so on.

Netflix has already ventured beyond the US to Canada, where it has been quite successful. And, in one fell swoop, it will become available across the American continent, North and South, later this year.

But Europe is probably going to be Netflix's hardest expansion yet. Not only does it have to get separate licensing deals for all of the countries, it is also facing tougher competition.

On the one hand, there is Lovefilm, now owned by Amazon, the company most similar to Netflix in the world. Lovefilm offers DVD rentals by mail but also video streaming. It is already fairly popular in Europe.

Of course, the cable and satellite networks in Europe are also quite entrenched. But conquering Europe is going to make Netflix a global competitor and could potentially make it one of the biggest media companies in the world, if it manages to get enough people to switch from cable or DVDs, to online streaming.