• by David Goetzl , July 5, 2011

Netflix, which boasts 23 million-plus subscribers in the U.S. and Canada, will expand into 43 more countries in Latin America and the Caribbean later this year. The locales stretch from Barbados to Brazil, a critical developing market for many companies.

Netflix, which started as a company delivering DVDs in the mail, will continue that only in the U.S. going forward. As with Canada, every international market will offer a streaming-only service.

Canada became a Netflix market in 2010 with streaming only. Streaming began in the U.S. in 2007. Not all content Netflix offers is available via streaming. The company presumably has multiple rights issues to negotiate for its expansion.

The company stated that the service will be available in the new markets on computers, as well as on TVs and mobile devices.

Consumers in the new countries can customize the site to be in Spanish, Portuguese or English.

In the U.S., the cost for the streaming-only service is $7.99 a month. In Canada, it's the same price, $7.68 in local currency. Netflix did not provide specifics on pricing in its new areas.

In a report, Barclays Capital said it expects Netflix international subscribers to be 3 million in 2012. The report said it expects Netflix to focus marketing on Argentina, Brazil and Mexico. Netflix will endure up to $70 million in losses this year as it builds out internationally, the report said. The aim is to be profitable within two years after launch in Latin America.