Does Netflix have the same shows and movies in every country?

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Netflix is a global company with millions of subscribed customers in 190 countries worldwide. But is the popular streaming platform the same in every country you might visit?

Let’s say you’ve found yourself in another country for whatever reason, and you want to load, log in, and watch some shows on Netflix.

That’s fine. Netflix should have a server near you, as it operates in most of the world.

But what about the content? Are all the TV shows and movies available in your home country available to the rest of the world?

If not, can you use a VPN to access the content from that region?

Even if you don’t find yourself in another country, maybe you’ve seen a friend mention a show on Twitter, and when you look for it, you can’t find it. Why is that?

Is Netflix programming the same in every country?

Short answer: No

The content on Netflix can vary when you go to a different country. The platform’s licensing and rights change from region to region, so the content you can see also differs.

READ MORE: How much does a Netflix subscription cost?

Again, if you’re traveling to a different country, you can still log into your account as long as you have a stable internet connection.

But you might be missing some shows from back home. You might also see some shows that you can’t get at home.

You might be able to use a VPN to access Netflix from a different region.

However, it’s important to note that the Netflix website says that using a VPN will mask your region, so you will only see content to which the streamer has global rights.

Regional variations

The main reason that Netflix content might not appear in every region is the rights. Netflix doesn’t even have global rights for some Netflix Originals if the title was created before Netflix acquired the rights.

READ MORE: Can you watch Netflix without an internet connection?

Some titles are shown in specific countries only. This is mainly when the streamer thinks it will be more popular in that country.

That can be true for two English-speaking countries, like the United States, the United Kingdom, or Canada.

Are there any countries I can’t stream Netflix in?

Netflix says it operates in “190 countries” worldwide. That includes the State of Palestine and the Holy See, non-member observer states, not countries.

There are only five countries that Netflix doesn’t operate in:

We don’t believe this list will expand at any point in the near future, but will update if it does.

Netflix isn’t the same in every country

And there you have it. If you access Netflix from another country, the offered programming will likely be slightly different.

You won’t have any problem logging in from another region, but you might not find all the shows you’re used to watching.

That might change in the future, as Netflix is spending huge amounts of cash creating Netflix Originals. Those self-created shows will be available worldwide to all subscribers.

Have any thoughts on this? Let us know down below in the comments, or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

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