Netflix launches in Cuba, banking on more Cubans getting Internet access

Netflix is launching its movie and TV show streaming service in Cuba as Internet access in the country improves and credit and debit cards become more widely available.

Netflix, which is working on international expansion and hopes to be in about 200 countries by the end of next year, said Monday that Cubans with Internet connections and access to international payment methods will be able to subscribe to its service to watch movies and TV shows.

Only about 27 percent of Cuba's population currently has access to the Internet, according to Internet Live Stats, which uses information from the International Telecommunication Union, the United Nations and the World Bank to estimate the world's Internet users. But Netflix is banking that infrastructure upgrades will bring Internet access to more people in the wake of President Barack Obama's easing of sanctions against the country.