Netflix to expand to Australia and New Zealand

Netflix, continuing its push to expand, announced Tuesday that it would make its streaming video service available in Australia and New Zealand starting in March.

That would bring the number of countries and territories Netflix serves to more than 50, said the Los Gatos, Calif., company, which has more than 53 million subscribers worldwide, most of them in the United States.

Netflix is on an expansion kick, having ventured into six European countries -- including France and Germany -- in September.

The company is also expanding its scope. It has already produced some popular, exclusive television-style series, including “House of Cards” and “Orange Is the New Black.” Now it’s reaching into movies.

In late September, it said it would finance Weinstein Co.’s sequel to the 2000 film “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” coming next summer to its streaming service and certain Imax screens. A few days later, it announced an exclusive deal with Adam Sandler to partner on four new movies starring the veteran comedian.

The expansion hasn’t been without hiccups. Netflix met with resistance in France, whose homegrown film industry is a large part of its identity. And last month, the company revealed that its third-quarter subscriber growth fell short of expectations.

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