How do you say ‘binge-watch’ in Japanese? Netflix confirms launch in Japan

After months of speculation and a strong hint last October, Netflix has finally confirmed that it will enter the Japanese market in 2015. The company declined to reveal the launch date, but confirmed it will be in the fall.

The company says a host of Japanese television and movie titles will be available from the start, in addition to Netflix original content like Marco Polo and Marvel’s Daredevil. Whether or not fan-favorites like House of Cards or Orange is the New Black will be available remains to be seen.

Netflix enters a Japanese market that is not crowded per se, but does have some players to watch out for. 4-Traders notes that local kingpin Softbank has been gobbling up content and just released a streaming service called BBTV Next. Rakuten brought Razmig Hovaghimian’s Viki into Japan early last year, and just appointed Hovaghimian head of its global video business.

The biggest test for Netflix is going to be its ability to provide local content. As much as watching non-stop Friends and Gilmore Girls Sons of Anarchy excites me, Japanese consumers want today’s hits and the entertainment they grew up with. Broadcasters in Japan guard their intellectual property very closely. For Netflix to succeed, and not disappear like Hulu, it will need to cultivate deep ties with those gatekeepers.

Netflix currently has a worldwide subscriber base of 57 million users. It is in the midst of a global expansion expected to end in 2016.

See: Singtel to start Netflix competitor in Asia with Sony Pictures, Warner Bros