Netflix to cut European traffic by 25% due to coronavirus

BRUSSELS, March 19 (Reuters) – Netflix said on Thursday it would reduce its bit rates across all its streams in Europe, in effect cutting traffic on its European networks by 25% to preserve the smooth functioning of the internet during the coronavirus crisis.

The move came after talks between European Union industry chief Thierry Breton and Netflix CEO Reed Hastings. Breton had a day earlier urged the video streaming service to downgrade the quality of its video to avoid internet gridlock. (Reporting by Foo Yun Chee Editing by Mark Heinrich)