Julia Stoll
Research expert covering TV and video media
Netflix - statistics & facts
From relatively humble beginnings as a DVD-by-mail service, Netflix has grown into one of the most used video streaming services in the world. Today, the company is capitalizing on its pioneering move to streaming back in 2007. Since this transition, Netflix’s revenue has grown by over 30 billion U.S. dollars. The number of Netflix subscribers has followed a similar trend, with the figure significantly increasing to nearly 283 million in the third quarter of 2023.
From the beginning, it was Netflix’s ability to adapt to changing technologies and consumer demands which made it so successful. This ability to adjust has continued in recent years with the success of the Netflix’s original content and increased focus on providing regional and live programming around the world. As long as Netflix can continue this trend of innovation while compensating subscriber losses, the company will likely remain an important voice in both the streaming market and the entertainment industry as a whole.
Netflix’s largest markets
The United States and Canada have long been serving as the most important markets for Netflix. However, as a result of a saturated SVOD industry with ever-increasing costs, the streaming provider has struggled to retain customers in this region and instead saw subscriber numbers grow elsewhere, in Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) in the second half of 2022. In order to offset further losses in North America, Netflix introduced a lower-cost ad-supported tier in November 2022, as well as approaches to curb account sharing in the beginning of 2023. However, in terms of average revenue per paying customer, the North American countries remain by far the most valuable ones for Netflix, generating around 17 U.S. dollars in the third quarter of 2024.Netflix’s benefits
Netflix competitors, such as Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, and Max, have also carved out significant spots for themselves within the streaming landscape. Yet, Netflix’s popularity is booming around the world, with a forecast suggesting that the streaming giant will remain the SVOD market leader in the upcoming years. One of the main differences between Netflix and its competitors is its massive wealth of original content. Worldwide, Netflix was estimated to increase its spending on own productions to around 15.4 billion U.S. dollars in 2024. Indeed, the popularity of shows such as "House of Cards," "Stranger Things," and "Bridgerton" have made original programming integral to the company’s continued success. Although being one of the very few direct-to-consumer businesses generating profits, Netflix, just like other DTC businesses, adopted new content strategies in order to stay competitive. It canceled several of their originals after one or two seasons and is now focusing on non-English content, acquired TV shows, as well as live programming such as the two NFL games on Christmas.From the beginning, it was Netflix’s ability to adapt to changing technologies and consumer demands which made it so successful. This ability to adjust has continued in recent years with the success of the Netflix’s original content and increased focus on providing regional and live programming around the world. As long as Netflix can continue this trend of innovation while compensating subscriber losses, the company will likely remain an important voice in both the streaming market and the entertainment industry as a whole.
