Netflix Going Global

, the leading North America Internet movie subscription company that's been headquartered in Los Gatos since March 1999, announced this week it will expand to 43 countries throughout Latin America and the Caribbean later this year.

The company, which has more than 23.6 million subscribers, said in a press release Tuesday it will offer unlimited TV shows and movies streaming instantly over the Internet to TVs and computers for a monthly subscription price.

Netflix has been streaming to U.S. members since 2007, adding the service in Canada last year. The expansion won't include the delivery of DVDs through mail, a service only provided in the United States. 

The news made the company's stock rise by 8.1 percent, closing on Tuesday at a record $289.63, a year-to-date increase of 65 percent.

When it launches, Netflix members from Mexico, Central America, South America and the Caribbean will be able to instantly watch a wide array of American, local and global TV shows and movies on their TVs in Spanish, Portuguese and English via a range of consumer electronics devices capable of streaming from Netflix, as well as on PCs, Macs and mobile devices, said Steve Swasey, vice president of corporate communications for Netflix.

"We'll have more details later in the year," Swasey said. "We're really excited about providing services that Americans and Canadians love, which is streaming from Netflix over the Internet."

Los Gatos Town Manager Greg Larson said the company's aggressive expansion is a natural extension of its phenomenal growth in North America. 

He said the company's growth won't have a direct tax or financial benefit to Los Gatos, but "it is great to see our leading corporate citizen continue to break new ground and perform so well." 

Netflix already contributes more than $3 million a year to town coffers and is considered the biggest sales tax generator for Los Gatos.

Asked if he knew of Netflix's global expansion, Larson said he wasn't aware of the plans, but "it’s not surprising given their prior expansion in the U.S. and Canada, as well as the huge markets beyond North America that can be well-served by the exceptional technologies being developed right here at home. This is no different than what you’ve seen previously with eBay, Google and Facebook expanding world-wide."

Los Gatos Mayor Joe Pirzynski was on vacation and unavailable for comment, Larson said.

On Aug. 1, developer John R. Shenk will return to the Los Gatos Town Council with revisions to a plan that possibly includes buildings for Netflix's new campus.