Walmart-owned streaming video service Vudu has plans for an aggressive international expansion, according to sources, which could spell trouble for Netflix and other competitors.
The U.S. retail behemoth is expected to make Mexico the first overseas home for Vudu in June ahead of a bigger deployment across Latin America that could encompass over 30 countries. Vudu will also enter parts of Europe and Asia later in the year.
A Walmart spokeswoman declined to address Vudu's international strategy. "We're always looking at ways to expand our offerings but we have nothing new to share at this time," she said.
Vudu is the latest entrant into the increasingly competitive international market for broadband-delivered TV and movies. Earlier this year, Netflix kicked off its own expansion into 45 countries that largely mirror Vudu's plan of attack, with a high concentration of activity in Latin America and targeted European forays including United Kingdom and Ireland.
But while Netflix strives to build its brand outside the U.S., Vudu will enter the international arena with a competitive edge: cross-promotion through its stores. While the retailer may be best known for its massive footprint stateside, the company owns over 5,000 stores across 26 countries. Walmart has a particularly heavy presence in Latin America and Mexico, which was the site of the retailer's first international expansion starting in 1991.
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