Netflix is an Americansubscription video on-demandover-the-topstreaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple languages.[6]
Launched in 2007, nearly a decade afterNetflix, Inc. began its pioneeringDVD-by-mailmovie rental service, Netflix is themost-subscribed video on demandstreaming media service, with 301.6 million paid memberships in more than 190 countries as of 2025.[5][7] By 2022, "Netflix Original" productions accounted for half of its library in the United States and the namesake company had ventured into other categories, such asvideo game publishing ofmobile games through its flagship service. As of 2025, Netflix is the18th most-visited website in the world, with 21.18% of its traffic coming from the United States, followed by the United Kingdom at 6.01%, Canada at 4.94%, and Brazil at 4.24%.[8][9]
Netflix was founded byMarc Randolph andReed Hastings on August 29, 1997, inScotts Valley, California. Hastings, a computer scientist and mathematician, was a co-founder ofPure Software, which was acquired byRational Software that year for $750 million, the then-biggest acquisition inSilicon Valley history.[10] Randolph had worked as a marketing director forPure Software after Pure Atria acquired a company where Randolph worked. He was previously a co-founder ofMicroWarehouse, a computer mail-order company, as well as vice president of marketing forBorland.[11][12]
Hastings and Randolph came up with the idea for Netflix whilecarpooling between their homes inSanta Cruz, California, and Pure Atria's headquarters in Sunnyvale.[13]Patty McCord, later head ofhuman resources at Netflix, was also in the carpool group.[14] Randolph admiredAmazon and wanted to find a large category of portable items to sell over theInternet using a similar model. Hastings and Randolph considered and rejected selling and rentingVHS as too expensive to stock and too delicate to ship.[11] When they heard about DVDs, first introduced in the United States in early 1997, they tested the concept ofonline DVD rental or sales by mail, by mailing acompact disc to Hastings's house in Santa Cruz.[11] When the CD arrived intact, they decided to enter the $16 billionHome-video sales and rental industry.[11][13][a] Hastings invested $2.5 million into Netflix from the sale of Pure Atria.[16][13] Netflix launched as the first DVD rental and sales website with 30 employees and 925 titles available—nearly all DVDs published.[13][17][18] Randolph and Hastings met withJeff Bezos, whoseAmazon offered to acquire Netflix for between $14 and $16 million. Fearing competition from Amazon, Randolph thought the offer was fair, but Hastings, who owned 70% of the company, turned it down on the plane ride home.[19][20]
Not restricted to the size of a retail store, Netflix could offer hundreds of thousands of DVDs to customers in along tail business model. Early employee Cindy Holland compared the company acquiring DVDs to "shoveling coal in the side door of the house".[15] Initially, Netflix offered a per-rental model for each DVD but introduced a monthly subscription concept in September 1999.[21] The per-rental model was dropped by early 2000, allowing the company to focus on the business model of flat-fee unlimited rentals without due dates, late fees, shipping and handling fees, or per-title rental fees.[22] While customers enjoyed the convenience, more important to Netflix was that it did not have to store or ship those DVDs; subscribers' homes acted as warehouses. The company secretly slowed deliveries to heavy users ("pigs"), to discourage them from quickly returning DVDs.[15]
In September 2000, during thedot-com bubble, while Netflix was suffering losses, Hastings and Randolph offered to sell the company to Blockbuster for $50 million.John Antioco, CEO of Blockbuster, thought the offer was a joke and declined, saying, "The dot-com hysteria is completely overblown."[23][24] While Netflix experienced fast growth in early 2001, the continued effects of the dot-com bubble collapse and theSeptember 11 attacks caused the company to hold off plans for itsinitial public offering (IPO) and to lay off one-third of its 120 employees.[25]
Opened Netflix rental envelope containing a DVD copy ofCoach Carter (2005)
DVD players were a popular gift for holiday sales in late 2001, and demand for DVD subscription services were "growing like crazy", according to chief talent officer McCord.[26] The company wentpublic on May 23, 2002, opening onNASDAQ at US$15.00 per share with a sale of 5.5 million shares ofcommon stock.[27] In 2003, Netflix was issued a patent by theUnited States Patent and Trademark Office to cover its subscription rental service and several extensions.[28] The company posted its first profit in 2003, earning $6.5 million on revenues of $272 million; by 2004, profit had increased to $49 million on over $500 million in revenues.[29] In 2005, 35,000 different films were available, and Netflix shipped 1 million DVDs out every day.[30]
In 2004, Blockbuster introduced a DVD rental service, which not only allowed users to check out titles through online sites but allowed for them to return them atbrick and-mortar stores.[31] By 2006, Blockbuster's service reached two million users, and while trailing Netflix's subscriber count, was drawing business away from Netflix. Netflix lowered fees in 2007.[29] While it was anurban legend that Netflix ultimately "killed" Blockbuster in the DVD rental market, Blockbuster's debt load and internal disagreements hurt the company.[31]
On April 4, 2006, Netflix filed apatent infringement lawsuit in which it demanded ajury trial in theUnited States District Court for the Northern District of California, alleging that Blockbuster's online DVD rental subscription program violated two patents held by Netflix. The firstcause of action alleged Blockbuster's infringement of copying the "dynamic queue" of DVDs available for each customer, Netflix's method of using the ranked preferences in the queue to send DVDs to subscribers, and Netflix's method permitting the queue to be updated and reordered.[32] The second cause of action alleged infringement of the subscription rental service as well as Netflix's methods of communication and delivery.[33] The companies settled their dispute on June 25, 2007; terms were not disclosed.[34][35][36][37]
On October 1, 2006, Netflix announced theNetflix Prize, $1,000,000 to the first developer of a video-recommendationalgorithm that could beat its existing algorithm Cinematch, at predicting customer ratings by more than 10%. On September 21, 2009, it awarded the $1,000,000 prize to team "BellKor's Pragmatic Chaos".[38] Cinematch, launched in 2000, was a system that recommended movies to its users, many of which might have been entirely new to the user.[39][40]
Hastings reportedly toldMynette Louie in the late 1990s that his goal was alwaysstreaming media, and that Netflix rented DVDs only to grow its customer base for streaming.[15] By the mid-2000s data speeds and bandwidth costs improved sufficiently to allow customers to download movies from the internet. The original idea was a "Netflix box" that could download movies overnight, and be ready to watch the next day. By 2005, Netflix had acquired movie rights and designed the box and service. But after witnessing how popular streaming services such asYouTube were despite the lack of high-definition content, the concept of using a hardware device was scrapped and replaced with a streaming concept.[44] In January 2007, the company launched a streaming media service, introducingvideo on demand via the Internet. However, at that time it only had 1,000 films available for streaming, compared to 70,000 available on DVD.[45][46] The service, then called "Watch Now", at first requiredInternet Explorer on a computer. Hollywood studios (including20th Century Fox,Sony Pictures,MGM,Paramount Pictures,Universal Pictures,Warner Bros.,New Line Cinema andLionsgate) licensedsecond-run content to the service, and did not expect it to threaten their existing lucrative relationships withcable television.[15][47]
In February 2007, Netflix delivered its billionth DVD, a copy ofBabel to a customer in Texas.[48][49] In April 2007, Netflix recruitedReplayTV founderAnthony Wood, to build a "Netflix Player" that would allow streaming content to be played directly on a television rather than a desktop or laptop.[50] Hastings eventually shut down the project to help encourage other hardware manufacturers to include built-in Netflix support, which would be spun off as thedigital media player productRoku.[51][52][53]
In January 2008, all rental-disc subscribers became entitled to unlimited streaming at no additional cost. This change came in a response to the introduction ofHulu and toApple's new video-rental services.[54][55][page needed] In August 2008, the Netflix database was corrupted and the company was not able to ship DVDs to customers for 3 days, leading the company to move all its data to theAmazon Web Services cloud.[56] In November 2008, Netflix began offering subscribers rentals onBlu-ray and discontinued its sale of used DVDs.[57] In 2009, Netflix streams overtook DVD shipments.[58]
On January 6, 2010, Netflix agreed withWarner Bros. to delay new release rentals to 28 days after the DVDs became available for sale, in an attempt to help studios sell physical copies, and similar deals involvingUniversal Pictures and20th Century Fox were reached on April 9.[59][60][61] In July 2010, Netflix signed a deal to stream movies ofRelativity Media.[62] In August 2010, Netflix reached a five-year deal worth nearly $1 billion to stream films fromParamount,Lionsgate andMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The deal increased Netflix's annual spending fees, adding roughly $200 million per year. It spent $117 million in the first six months of 2010 on streaming, up from $31 million in 2009.[63] On September 22, 2010, Netflix launched in Canada, its first international market.[64][65] In November 2010, Netflix began offering a standalone streaming service separate from DVD rentals.[66]
In 2010, Netflix acquired the rights toBreaking Bad, produced by Sony Pictures Television, after the show's third season, at a point where original broadcasterAMC had expressed the possibility of cancelling the show. Sony pushed Netflix to releaseBreaking Bad in time for the fourth season, which as a result, greatly expanded the show's audience on AMC due to new viewers bingeing on the Netflix past episodes, and doubling the viewership by the time of the fifth season.Breaking Bad is considered the first such show to have this "Netflix effect".[67]
In January 2011, Netflix announced agreements with several manufacturers to includebranded Netflix buttons on theremote controls of devices compatible with the service, such asBlu-ray players.[68] By May 2011, Netflix had become the largest source of Internet streaming traffic in North America, accounting for 30% of traffic during peak hours.[69][70][71][72]
On July 12, 2011, Netflix announced that it would separate its existing subscription plans into two separate plans: one covering the streaming and the other DVD rental services.[73][74] The cost for streaming would be $7.99 per month, while DVD rental would start at the same price.[75] On September 11, 2011, Netflix expanded to countries in Latin America.[76][77][78]On September 18, 2011, Netflix announced its intentions to rebrand and restructure its DVD home media rental service as an independent subsidiary called Qwikster, separating DVD rental and streaming services.[79][80][81][82][83] On September 26, 2011, Netflix announced a content deal withDreamWorks Animation.[84] On October 10, 2011, Netflix announced that it would retain its DVD service under the name Netflix and that its streaming and DVD-rental plans would remain branded together, citing customer dissatisfaction with the split.[85][86]
In October 2011, Netflix andThe CW signed a multi-year output deal for its television shows.[87] On January 9, 2012, Netflix started its expansion to Europe, launching in the United Kingdom and Ireland.[88] In February 2012, Netflix reached a multi-year agreement withThe Weinstein Company.[89][90] In March 2012, Netflix acquired thedomain name DVD.com.[91] By 2016, Netflix rebranded its DVD-by-mail service under the nameDVD.com, A Netflix Company.[92][93] In April 2012, Netflix filed with theFederal Election Commission (FEC) to form apolitical action committee (PAC) called FLIXPAC.[94] Netflix spokesperson Joris Evers tweeted that the intent was to "engage on issues likenet neutrality,bandwidth caps,UBB andVPPA".[95][96] In June 2012, Netflix signed a deal withOpen Road Films.[97][98]
On August 23, 2012, Netflix andThe Weinstein Company signed a multi-year output deal for RADiUS-TWC films.[99][100] In September 2012,Epix signed a five-year streaming deal with Netflix. For the initial two years of this agreement, first-run and back-catalog content from Epix was exclusive to Netflix. Epix films came to Netflix 90 days after premiering on Epix.[101] These included films from Paramount, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Lionsgate.[102][103]
On October 18, 2012, Netflix launched inDenmark,Finland,Norway andSweden.[104][105] On December 4, 2012, Netflix and Disney announced an exclusive multi-year agreement for first-run United States subscription television rights toWalt Disney Studios' animated and live-action films, with classics such asDumbo,Alice in Wonderland andPocahontas available immediately and others available on Netflix beginning in 2016.[106]Direct-to-video releases were made available in 2013.[107][108]
For cost reasons, Netflix stated that it would limit its expansion in 2013,[110] adding only one new market—the Netherlands—in September of that year. This expanded its availability to 40 territories.[111][112]
Development of original programming and distribution expansion (2013–2017)
Netflix had long closely analyzed its customers' preferences. Watch Now gave the company real-time data on their behavior, such as scenes that customers replayed or skipped, or when they stopped watching a show.[15] In 2011, Netflix began its efforts into original content development. In March, it made a straight-to-series order fromMRC for the political dramaHouse of Cards, led byKevin Spacey, outbidding U.S. cable networks. This marked the first instance of a first-run television series being specifically commissioned by the service.[113] Netflix executives said that its customers' love of films by Spacey and show directorDavid Fincher caused the company to acquire the show. Customers' tendency tobinge watch many episodes without stopping caused it to release all 13 episodes of the show's first season at the same time.[15] In November the same year, Netflix added two more significant productions to its roster: the comedy-dramaOrange Is the New Black, adapted fromPiper Kerman'smemoir,[114] and a new season of the previously cancelled Fox sitcomArrested Development.[115] Netflix acquired the U.S. rights to the Norwegian dramaLilyhammer after its television premiere on Norway'sNRK1 on January 25, 2012. Notably departing from the traditional broadcast television model of weekly episode premieres, Netflix chose to release the entire first season on February 8 of the same year.[116][117]
House of Cards was released by Netflix on February 1, 2013, marketed as the first "Netflix Original" production.[118] Later that month, Netflix announced an agreement withDreamWorks Animation to commission children's television series based on its properties, beginning withTurbo: F.A.S.T., a spin-off of its filmTurbo.[119][120]Orange is the New Black would premiere in July 2013; Netflix stated thatOrange is the New Black had been its most-watched original series so far, with all of them having "an audience comparable with successful shows on cable and broadcast TV."[121][122]
On March 13, 2013, Netflix added aFacebook sharing feature, letting United States subscribers access "Watched by your friends" and "Friends' Favorites" by agreeing.[123] This was not legal until theVideo Privacy Protection Act was modified in early 2013.[124] On August 1, 2013, Netflix reintroduced the "Profiles" feature that permits accounts to accommodate up to five user profiles.[125][126][127][128]
In February 2014, Netflix began to enter into agreements with U.S. internet service providers, beginning withComcast (whose customers had repeatedly complained of frequentbuffering when streaming Netflix), in order to provide the service a direct connection to their networks.[135][136][137] In April 2014, Netflix signedArrested Development creatorMitchell Hurwitz and his production firm The Hurwitz Company to a multi-year deal to create original projects for the service.[138] In May 2014, Netflix &Sony Pictures Animation had a major multi-deal to acquire streaming rights to produce films.[139] It also began to introduce an updated logo, with a flatter appearance and updated typography.[140]
In April 2015, following the launch ofDaredevil, Netflix director of content operations Tracy Wright announced that Netflix had added support foraudio description, and had begun to work with its partners to add descriptions to its other original series over time.[144][145] The following year, as part of a settlement with theAmerican Council of the Blind, Netflix agreed to provide descriptions for its original series within 30 days of their premiere, and addscreen reader support and the ability to browse content by availability of descriptions.[146]
In January 2016, at theConsumer Electronics Show, Netflix announced a major international expansion of its service into 130 additional countries, making it available worldwide exceptChina,Syria,North Korea,Kosovo andCrimea.[153] As part of this expansion, Netflix officially launched its services in Africa, with a focus onSouth Africa,Kenya, andNigeria.[154] Between 2018 and 2020 Netflix had started making significant investments in African storytelling, and hiredDorothy Ghettuba, a Kenyan media entrepreneur, as head of African Originals.[155] According to the company, it has invested the equivalent of €160 million in film content production in Africa since it began working on the continent in 2016 with over 12,000 jobs created across Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa.[154]
In April 2016, Hastings stated that the company planned to expand its in-house, Los Angeles-based Netflix Studios to grow its output; Hastings ruled out any potential acquisitions of existing studios.[156] In May 2016, Netflix created a tool called Fast.com to determine the speed of an Internet connection.[157] It received praise for being "simple" and "easy to use", and does not includeonline advertising, unlike competitors.[158][159][160] On November 30, 2016, Netflix launched an offline playback feature, allowing users of the Netflix mobile apps onAndroid oriOS tocache content on their devices in standard or high quality for viewing offline, without an Internet connection.[161][162][163][164] Netflix released an estimated 30 original series or films over that year, more than any network or cable channel.[165]
In February 2017, Netflix signed amusic publishing deal withBMG Rights Management, whereby BMG will oversee rights outside of the United States for music associated with Netflix original content. Netflix continues to handle these tasks in-house in the United States.[166] On April 25, 2017, Netflix signed a licensing deal withIQIYI, a Chinese video streaming platform owned byBaidu, to allow selected Netflix original content to be distributed in China on the platform.[167][168]
On August 7, 2017, Netflix acquiredMillarworld, the creator-owned publishing company of comic book writerMark Millar. The purchase marked the first corporate acquisition to have been made by Netflix.[169] On August 14, 2017, Netflix entered into an exclusive development deal withShonda Rhimes and her production companyShondaland.[170]
In September 2017, Netflix announced it would offer its low-broadband mobile technology to airlines to provide better in-flight Wi-Fi so that passengers can watch movies on Netflix while on planes.[171]
In September 2017,Minister of HeritageMélanie Joly announced that Netflix had agreed to make aCA$500 million (US$400 million) investment over the next five years in producing content in Canada. The company denied that the deal was intended to result in atax break.[172][173] Netflix realized this goal by December 2018.[174]
In October 2017, Netflix iterated a goal of having half of its library consist of original content by 2019, announcing a plan to invest $8 billion on original content in 2018.[175] In October 2017, Netflix introduced the "Skip Intro" feature which allows customers to skip the intros to shows on its platform through a variety of techniques including manual reviewing, audio tagging, andmachine learning.[176][177]
In February 2018, Netflix acquired the rights toThe Cloverfield Paradox fromParamount Pictures for $50 million and launched on its service on February 4, 2018, shortly after airing its first trailer duringSuper Bowl LII. Analysts believed that Netflix's purchase of the film helped to make the film instantly profitable for Paramount compared to a more traditional theatrical release, while Netflix benefited from the surprise reveal.[183][184] Other films acquired by Netflix include international distribution for Paramount'sAnnihilation[184] and Universal'sNews of the World and worldwide distribution of Universal'sExtinction,[185] Warner Bros.'Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle,[186] Paramount'sThe Lovebirds[187] and 20th Century Studios'The Woman in the Window.[188] In March, the service orderedFormula 1: Drive to Survive, a racing docuseries following teams in theFormula One world championship.[189]
In March 2018,Sky UK announced an agreement with Netflix to integrate Netflix's subscription VOD offering into its pay-TV service. Customers with its high-end Sky Q set-top box and service will be able to see Netflix titles alongside their regular Sky channels.[190] In October 2022, Netflix revealed that its annual revenue from the UK subscribers in 2021 was £1.4bn.[191]
In April 2018, Netflix pulled out of theCannes Film Festival, in response to new rules requiring competition films to have been released inFrench theaters. The Cannes premiere ofOkja in 2017 was controversial, and led to discussions over the appropriateness of films with simultaneous digital releases being screened at an event showcasing theatrical film; audience members also booed the Netflixproduction logo at the screening. Netflix's attempts to negotiate to allow a limited release in France were curtailed by organizers, as well as Frenchcultural exception law—where theatrically screened films are legally forbidden from being made available via video-on-demand services until at least 36 months after their release.[192][193][194] Besides traditional Hollywood markets as well as from partners like theBBC, Sarandos said the company also looking to expand investments in non-traditional foreign markets due to the growth of viewers outside of North America. At the time, this included programs such asDark from Germany,Ingobernable fromMexico and3% fromBrazil.[195][196][197]
In June 2018, Netflix announced a partnership withTelltale Games to port itsadventure games to the service in a streaming video format, allowing simple controls through a television remote.[200][201] The first game,Minecraft: Story Mode, was released in November 2018.[202] In July 2018, Netflix earned the most Emmy nominations of any network for the first time with 112 nods. On August 27, 2018, the company signed a five-year exclusive overall deal with international best–selling authorHarlan Coben.[203] On the same day, the company signed an overall deal withGravity Falls creatorAlex Hirsch.[204] In October 2018, Netflix paid under $30 million to acquireAlbuquerque Studios (ABQ Studios), a $91 million film and TV production facility with eight sound stages inAlbuquerque,New Mexico, for its first U.S. production hub, pledging to spend over $1 billion over the next decade to create one of the largest film studios in North America.[205][206] In November 2018,Paramount Pictures signed a multi-picture film deal with Netflix, making Paramount the first major film studio to sign a deal with Netflix.[207] A sequel toAwesomenessTV'sTo All the Boys I've Loved Before was released on Netflix under the titleTo All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You as part of the agreement.[208] In December 2018, the company announced a partnership withESPN Films on atelevision documentary chronicling Michael Jordan and the1997–98 Chicago Bulls season titledThe Last Dance. It was released internationally on Netflix and became available for streaming in the United States three months after a broadcast airing onESPN.[209][210]
In November 2019, Netflix announced that it had signed a long-term lease to save the Paris Theatre, the last single-screen movie theater inManhattan. The company oversaw several renovations at the theater, including new seats and a concession stand.[228][229][230]
Ted Sarandos, longtime CCO and named co-CEO in 2020
In January 2020, Netflix announced a new four-film deal with Adam Sandler worth up to $275 million.[231] On February 25, 2020, Netflix formed partnerships with six Japanese creators to produce an original Japanese anime project. This partnership includes manga creator group CLAMP, mangakaShin Kibayashi, mangaka Yasuo Ohtagaki, novelist and film directorOtsuichi, novelistTow Ubukata, and manga creatorMari Yamazaki.[232] On March 4, 2020,ViacomCBS announced that it will be producing two spin-off films based onSpongeBob SquarePants for Netflix.[233] On April 7, 2020,Peter Chernin'sChernin Entertainment made a multi-yearfirst-look deal with Netflix to make films.[234] On May 29, 2020, Netflix announced the acquisition ofGrauman's Egyptian Theatre from theAmerican Cinematheque to use as a special events venue.[235][236][237] In July 2020, Netflix appointed Sarandos as co-CEO.[238][239] In July 2020, Netflix invested inBlack Mirror creatorsCharlie Brooker andAnnabel Jones' new production outfit Broke And Bones.[240]
In September 2020, Netflix signed a multi-million dollar deal with theDuke andDuchess of Sussex. Harry and Meghan agreed to a multi-year deal promising to create TV shows, films, and children's content as part of their commitment to stepping away from the duties of the royal family.[241][242] In September 2020, Hastings released a book about Netflix culture titledNo Rules Rules: Netflix and the Culture of Reinvention, which was coauthored byErin Meyer.[243] In December 2020, Netflix signed a first-look deal withMillie Bobby Brown to develop and star in several projects including a potential action franchise.[244]
Expansion into gaming,Squid Game, new programing and new initiatives (2021–2022)
In March 2021, Netflix earned the most Academy Award nominations of any studio, with 36. Netflix won seven Academy Awards, which was the most by any studio.[245] Later that year, Netflix also won more Emmys than any other network or studio with 44 wins, tying the record for most Emmys won in a single year set by CBS in 1974.[246]
On April 8, 2021,Sony Pictures Entertainment announced an agreement for Netflix to hold the U.S. pay television window rights to its releases beginning in 2022, replacingStarz and expanding upon an existing agreement withSony Pictures Animation. The agreement also includes a first-look deal for any future direct-to-streaming films being produced bySony Pictures, with Netflix required to commit to a minimum number of them.[247][248][249] On April 27, Netflix announced that it was opening its firstCanadian headquarters inToronto.[250] The company also announced that it would open an office in Sweden as well asRome andIstanbul to increase its original content in those regions.[251]
In early-June, Netflix hosted a first-ever week-long virtual event called "Geeked Week", where it shared exclusive news, new trailers, cast appearances and more about upcoming genre titles likeThe Witcher,The Cuphead Show!, andThe Sandman.[252]
On June 7, 2021,Jennifer Lopez'sNuyorican Productions signed a multi-year first-look deal with Netflix spanning feature films, TV series, and unscripted content, with an emphasis on projects that support diverse female actors, writers, and filmmakers.[253] On June 10, 2021, Netflix announced it was launching an online store for curated products tied to the Netflix brand and shows such asStranger Things andThe Witcher.[254][255] On June 21, 2021,Steven Spielberg'sAmblin Partners signed a deal with Netflix to release multiple new feature films for the streaming service.[256][257] On June 30, 2021,Powerhouse Animation Studios (the studio behind Netflix'sCastlevania) announced signing a first-look deal with the streamer to produce more animated series.[258]
In July 2021, Netflix hiredMike Verdu, a former executive fromElectronic Arts andFacebook, as vice president of game development, along with plans to add video games by 2022.[259] Netflix announced plans to releasemobile games that would be included in subscribers' service plans.[260] Trial offerings were first launched for Netflix users in Poland in August 2021, offering premium mobile games based onStranger Things includingStranger Things 3: The Game, for free to subscribers through the Netflix mobile app.[261]
On July 14, 2021, Netflix signed a first-look deal withJoey King, star ofThe Kissing Booth franchise, in which King will produce and develop films for Netflix via her All The King's Horses production company.[262] On July 21, 2021,Zack Snyder, director of Netflix'sArmy of the Dead, announced he had signed his production companyThe Stone Quarry to a first-look deal with Netflix; his upcoming projects include a sequel toArmy of the Dead and a sci-fi adventure film titledRebel Moon.[263][264][265][266] In 2019, he agreed to produce ananime-styleweb series inspired byNorse mythology.[267][268]
As of August 2021,Netflix Originals made up 40% of Netflix's overall library in the United States.[269] The company announced that "TUDUM: A Netflix Global Fan Event", a three-hour virtual behind the scenes featuring first-look reveals for 100 of the streamer's series, films and specials, would have its inaugural show in late September 2021.[270][271] According to Netflix, the show garnered 25.7 million views across Netflix's 29 Netflix YouTube channels, Twitter, Twitch, Facebook, TikTok and Tudum.com.[272]
Squid Game, a South Korean survival drama created and produced byHwang Dong-hyuk, rapidly became the service's most-watched show within a week of its launch in many markets on September 17, 2021, including Korea, the U.S. and the United Kingdom.[197] Within its first 28 days on the service,Squid Game drew more than 111 million viewers, surpassingBridgerton and becoming Netflix's most-watched show.[274]
On September 20, 2021, Netflix signed a long-term lease withAviva Investors to operate and expand theLongcross Studios inSurrey, UK.[275] On September 21, 2021, Netflix announced that it would acquire the Roald Dahl Story Company, which manages the rights toRoald Dahl'sstories and characters, for an undisclosed price and would operate it as an independent company.[276][277][278][279] The company acquiredNight School Studio, an independent video game developer, on September 28, 2021.[280]
On October 13, 2021, Netflix announced the launch of the Netflix Book Club, partnering withStarbucks for a social series calledBut Have You Read the Book?.[281]Uzo Aduba became inaugural host of the series and announced monthly book selections set to be adapted by the streamer. Aduba speaks with the cast, creators, and authors about the book adaptation process over a cup of coffee at Starbucks.[282][283] Through October 2021, Netflix commonly reported viewership for its programming based on the number of viewers or households that watched a show in a given period (such as the first 28 days from its premiere) for at least two minutes. On the announcement of its quarterly earnings in October 2021, the company stated that it would switch its viewership metrics to measuring the number of hours that a show was watched, including rewatches, which the company said was closer to the measurements used in linear broadcast television, and thus "our members and the industry can better measure success in the streaming world."[284]
Netflix officially launched mobile games on November 2, 2021, for Android users around the world. Through the app, subscribers had free access to five games, including two previously madeStranger Things titles. Netflix intends to add more games to this service over time.[285] On November 9, the collection launched foriOS.[286] Some games in the collection require an active internet connection to play, while others will be available offline. Netflix Kids' accounts will not have games available.[287] On November 16, Netflix announced the launch of "Top10 on Netflix.com", a new website with weekly global and country lists of the most popular titles on their service based on their new viewership metrics.[288] On November 22, Netflix announced that it would acquireScanline VFX, the visual effects and animation company behindCowboy Bebop andStranger Things.[289] On the same day,Roberto Patino signed a deal with Netflix and established his production banner, Analog Inc., in partnership with the company. Patino's first project under the deal is a series adaptation ofImage Comics'Nocterra.[290]
On December 6, 2021, Netflix andStage 32 announced that they have teamed up the workshops at the Creating Content for the Global Marketplace program.[291] On December 7, 2021, Netflix partnered with IllumiNative, a woman-led non-profit organization, for the Indigenous Producers Training Program.[292][293] On December 9, Netflix announced the launch of "Tudum", an official companion website that offers news, exclusive interviews and behind-the-scenes videos for its original television shows and films.[294] On December 13, Netflix signed a multi-year overall deal withKalinda Vazquez.[295] On December 16, 2021, Netflix signed a multi-year creative partnership withSpike Lee and his production company40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks to develop film and television projects.[296]
In compliance with the EU Audiovisual Media Services Directive and its implementation inFrance, Netflix reached commitments with French broadcasting authorities and film guilds, as required by law, to invest a specific amount of its annual revenue into original French films and series. These films must be theatrically released and would not be allowed to be carried on Netflix until 15 months after their release.[297][298]
In January 2022, Netflix ordered additional sports docuseries fromDrive to Survive producers Box to Box Films, including a series that would followPGA Tour golfers, and another that would follow professional tennis players on theATP andWTA Tour circuits.[299][300]
The company announced plans to acquire Next Games in March 2022 for €65 million as part of Netflix's expansions into gaming. Next Games had developed the mobile titleStranger Things: Puzzle Tales as well as twoThe Walking Dead mobile games.[301] Later in the month, Netflix also acquired theTexas-based mobile game developer,Boss Fight Entertainment, for an undisclosed sum.[302]
On March 15, 2022, Netflix announced a partnership withDr. Seuss Enterprises to produce five new series and specials based on Seussproperties following the success ofGreen Eggs and Ham.[303][304] On March 29, 2022, Netflix announced that it would open an office inPoland to serve as a hub for its original productions acrossCentral and Eastern Europe.[305] On March 30, 2022, Netflix extended its lease agreement with Martini Film Studios, just outsideVancouver,Canada, for another five years.[306] On March 31, 2022, Netflix ordered a docuseries that would follow teams in the2022 Tour de France, which would also be co-produced by Box to Box Films.[307]
Following the2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Netflix suspended its operations and future projects in Russia.[308][4] It also announced that it would not comply with a proposed directive byRoskomnadzor requiring all internet streaming services with more than 100,000 subscribers to integrate the major free-to-air channels (which are primarily state-owned).[309] A month later, ex-Russian subscribers filed a class action lawsuit against Netflix.[310][311]
Netflix stated that 100 million households globally were sharing passwords to their account with others, and that Canada and the United States accounted for 30 million of them. Following these announcements, Netflix's stock price fell by 35 percent.[312][313][314][315][316] By June 2022, Netflix had laid off 450 full-time and contract employees as part of the company's plan to trim costs amid lower than expected subscriber growth.[317][318][319][320]
On April 13, 2022, Netflix released the seriesOur Great National Parks, which was hosted and narrated by former US President Barack Obama.[321] It also partnered with Group Effort Initiative, a company founded byRyan Reynolds andBlake Lively, to provide opportunities behind the camera for those in underrepresented communities.[322] On the same day, Netflix partnered with Lebanon-basedArab Fund For Arts And Culture for supporting the Arab female filmmakers. It will provide a one-time grant of $250,000 to female producers and directors in the Arab world through the company's Fund for Creative Equity.[323] Also on the same day, Netflix announced anExploding Kittens mobile card game tied to a new animated TV series, which will launch in May.[324] Netflix formed a creative partnership withJ. Miles Dale.[325] The company also formed a partnership with Japan'sStudio Colorido, signing a multi-film deal to boost their anime content in Asia. The streaming giant is said to co-produce three feature films with the studio, the first of which will premiere in September 2022.[326] On April 28, the company launched its inauguralNetflix Is a Joke comedy festival, featuring more than 250 shows over 12 nights at 30-plus locations across Los Angeles, including the first-ever stand-up show atDodger Stadium.[327][328]
The first volume ofStranger Things 4 logged Netflix's biggest premiere weekend ever for an original series with 286.79 million hours viewed.[329] This was preceded by a newStranger Things interactive experience hosted in New York City that was developed by the show's creators.[330] After the release of the second volume ofStranger Things 4 on July 1, 2022, it became Netflix's second title to receive more than one billion hours viewed.[331]
On July 19, 2022, Netflix announced plans to acquire Australian animation studioAnimal Logic.[332][333] That month, in collaboration withSennheiser, Netflix began to add Ambeo 2-channel audio mixes (referred to as "spatial audio") to selected original productions, which allows simulatedsurround sound on stereo speakers and headphones.[334][335]
On September 5, 2022, Netflix opened an office inWarsaw, Poland responsible for the service's operations in 28 markets in Central and Eastern Europe.[336]
On October 4, 2022, Netflix have signed a creative partnership withAndrea Berloff andJohn Gatins.[337] On October 11, Netflix signed up with theBroadcasters' Audience Research Board for external measurement of viewership in the UK.[338] On October 12, Netflix signed to build a production complex atFort Monmouth inEatontown, New Jersey.[339] On October 18, Netflix began exploring a cloud gaming offering and opened a new gaming studio in Southern California.[340]
On November 7, 2022, Netflix announced a strategic partnership with The Seven, a Japanese production company owned byTBS Holdings, to produce multiple original live-action titles for the subscribers over the next five years.[341][342] On December 12, 2022, Netflix announced that sixty-percent of its subscribers had watched aKorean drama.[343][344] CEO Ted Sarandos attributed the increase in viewership of Korean content among Americans to Korean films and dramas being "often unpredictable" and catching "the American audience by surprise".[345][346]
On January 10, 2023, Netflix announced plans to open an engineering hub in its Warsaw office. The hub is to provide Netflix's creative partners with software solutions for the production of films and series.[347] In February 2023, Netflix launched a wider rollout of spatial audio, and began allowing Premium subscribers to download content for offline playback on up to six devices (expanded from four).[334][335]
On March 4, 2023, Netflix broadcast its first-ever global live-streaming event, the stand-up comedy specialChris Rock: Selective Outrage.[348]
Netflix reworked its viewership metrics again in June 2023. Viewership of shows was measured during the first 91 days of availability, instead of the first 28 days, and now are based on the total viewership hours divided by the total hours of the show itself. This provided more equal considerations for shorter shows and movies compared to longer ones.[349]
In August 2023, the company announced Netflix Stories, a collection of interactive narrative games from Netflix series and movies such asLove is Blind,Money Heist andVirgin River.[350]
Co-CEOs, discontinuation of DVDs, expansion of live events and venues, WWE (2023–present)
In January 2023,Greg Peters andTed Sarandos were named co-CEOs of Netflix, with Hastings assuming the role of executive chairman.[351][352] Peters previously served as COO and Chief Product Officer, while Sarandos served as Chief Content Officer.[353][354]
On April 18, 2023, Netflix announced that it would discontinue itsDVD-by-mail service on September 29.[355] Users of the service were able to keep the DVDs that they had received. Over its lifetime the service had sent out over 5 billion shipments.[356][357]
In October 2023, Eunice Kim was promoted to Chief Product Officer and Elizabeth Stone was promoted to Chief Technology Officer.[358] That same month, amid a restructuring of its animation division, Netflix announced a multi-film agreement withSkydance Animation beginning withSpellbound (2024). The agreement partially replaces one it had withApple TV+.[359][360]
In December 2023, Netflix released its first "What We Watched: A Netflix Engagement Report", a look at viewership for every original and licensed title watched more than 50,000 hours from January to June 2023. The company also announced plans to publish the report twice a year.[361][362] In its first report for the first six months of 2023, it revealed thatThe Night Agent was the most watched show globally during that period.[363]
On January 23, 2024, Netflix announced a major agreement withprofessional wrestling promotionWWE, under which it will acquire the international rights to its live weekly programRaw beginning January 6, 2025; the rights will initially cover the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Latin America, and expand to other territories over time. Outside of the United States, it will also hold international rights to all three of WWE's main weekly programs (Raw,SmackDown, andNXT),premium live events, and documentaries among other content. The agreement was reported to be valued at $500 million per-year over ten years.[364][365][366]
In February 2024, Netflix joined withPeter Morgan, creator of the Netflix seriesThe Crown, to produce the playPatriots onBroadway. The venture is the first Broadway credit for the company but not its first stage project. It was actively involved as a producer ofStranger Things: The First Shadow in London. Both productions share a lead producer,Sonia Friedman.[367]
In May 2024, the company hosted its second Netflix Is a Joke festival in Los Angeles. It streamed several specials from the festival live, includingKatt Williams'sWoke Folk andThe Roast of Tom Brady, both of which ranked on Netflix's global top 10 the following two weeks.[368][369] That same month, Netflix announced that it would stream bothNational Football LeagueChristmas games in 2024.[370] For 2025 and 2026, the streamer will have exclusive rights to at least one NFL Christmas game each year.[371]
In June 2024, Netflix announced that it would develop new entertainment venues known as "Netflix House" atKing of Prussia Mall in Pennsylvania andGalleria Dallas in Texas. The spaces will feature retail shops, restaurants, and other interactive experiences related to Netflix original content, building upon other "pop-up" initiatives to promote individual programs.[372] Netflix House Philadelphia will feature immersive experiences for Wednesday and One Piece, Netflix House Dallas will feature Stranger Things: Escape the Dark and Squid Game: Survive the Trials.[373] Netflix House Las Vegas Strip will open in 2027.[373]
In November 2024, Netflix announced that it would discontinue further work on interactive specials and remove all but four of them from the platform, citing a desire to focus on "technological efforts in other areas".[374] On November 15, 2024, Netflix streamed a boxing event fromAT&T Stadium inArlington, Texas, featuring as co-main events an exhibition match betweenJake Paul and Mike Tyson, andKatie Taylor vs.Amanda Serrano for theWBA,WBC,IBF,WBO, andThe Ring lightweight titles. While afflicted by technical issues, Paul's promoter reported that the stream had a peak concurrent viewership of 65 million viewers, surpassing the2023 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup final (which had a reported 57 million concurrent streams onDisney+ Hotstar) as the most live-streamed sporting event.[375][376] Netflix stated that the event had an "average minute audience" (AMA) of 108 million worldwide, and that the AMA of 47 million in the United States made the Taylor vs. Serrano bout the most-watched women's professional sporting event in U.S. history.[377]
On December 20, 2024,FIFA announced that Netflix would be the exclusive U.S. broadcaster of the2027 and2031FIFA Women's World Cup, in what was deemed the platform's most significant push into sports content.[378]
On Christmas Day 2024, Netflix aired its first-everNFL games: theKansas City Chiefs versus thePittsburgh Steelers, and theBaltimore Ravens versus theHouston Texans. The games both averaged over 30 million global viewers and became the two most-streamed NFL games in US history, while simultaneously creating Netflix's most-watched Christmas Day ever in the US.[379]
In January 2025, Netflix announced that it had exceeded 300 million subscribers worldwide after adding a record 18.9 million in the fourth quarter of 2024, amounting to 41 million for the full year.[5] In May 2025, Netflix announced a redesign of its home screen for the first time since 2013, which has a simplified appearance with more prominent metadata, and replaces the sidebar menu with a streamlined section of tabs along the top of the screen. Netflix stated that the redesign was meant to allow users to "have an easier time figuring out if a title is right for them", and be more reflective of new types of content offerings such as sports and other live events.[380][381]
In August 2025, Netflix announced an exclusivity deal to stream theWorld Baseball Classic in Japan starting in 2026. The 2026 edition marks the first time it will stream a live event in Japan. Through this agreement, Netflix will stream all 47 games of the 2026 World Baseball Classic live and on-demand for its users in Japan.[382] The animated musicalKPop Demon Hunters became Netflix's most popular film of all time later that month.[383]
On October 31, 2025,Netflix, Inc. was reported to be actively exploring a bid for the studio and streaming assets ofWarner Bros. Discovery, Inc.. According to the report, Netflix retained investment bankMoelis & Co. to evaluate a potential offer and had been granted access to Warner Bros. Discovery’s financial data room as part of its preparatory due-diligence. The acquisition would give Netflix control over major IP such as theHarry Potter andDC Comics franchises, along withHBO’s premium dramas. Netflix stressed that it remains “predominantly focused on growing organically” and is not interested in owning legacy cable networks such asCNN andTNT.[384][385]
In November 2025, Netflix acquired rights to selectedMajor League Baseball games for the 2026 to 2028 seasons, including Opening Night, the Home Run Derby, and an additional special event matchup each season, including the 2026 season Field of Dreams game.[386]
In January 2016, Netflix announced it would beginVPN blocking since it can be used to watch videos from a country where they are unavailable.[390] The result of the VPN block is that people can only watch videos available worldwide and other videos are hidden from search results.[391] Variety is present on Netflix.[clarification needed] Hebrew and right-to-left interface orientation, which is a common localization strategy in many markets, are what define the Israeli user interface's localization, and in some regions, Netflix offers a more affordable mobile-only subscription.[392]
Subscriptions
Customers can subscribe to one of three plans; the difference in plans relates to video resolution, the number of simultaneous streams, and the number of devices to which content can be downloaded.[393]
At the end of Q1 2022, Netflix estimated that 100 million households globally were sharing passwords to their account with others.[315] In March 2022, Netflix began to charge a fee for additional users in Chile, Peru, and Costa Rica to attempt to controlaccount sharing.[313][314][315] On July 18, 2022, Netflix announced that it would test the account sharing feature in more countries, including Argentina, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras.[394] On October 17, Netflix launched Profile Transfer to help end account sharing.[395]
On July 13, 2022, Netflix announced plans to launch an advertising-supported subscription option.[396] Netflix's planned advertising tier would not allow subscribers to download content like the existing ad-free platform.[397] On July 20, 2022, it was announced that the advertising-supported tier would be coming to Netflix in 2023 but it would not feature the full library of content.[398] In October, the launch date was announced as November 3, 2022, and was launched in 12 countries: United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, United Kingdom, France, Germany,Italy, Spain, Australia, Japan andSouth Korea.[399][400][401] The ad-supported plan was called "Basic with Ads" and it cost $6.99 per month in the United States at launch.[402]
On February 24, 2023, Netflix cut subscription prices in more than 30 countries around the world to attract more subscribers from those countries.Malaysia,Indonesia,Thailand,the Philippines,Croatia,Venezuela,Kenya, andIran are on the list of countries where the cost for a subscription will be reduced.[403] In the same month stronger anti-password-sharing rules were expanded to Canada, New Zealand,Portugal, andSpain.[404] In May 2023, these measures were further expanded to United States and Brazil subscribers.[405][406][407]
In July 2023, Netflix added 5.9 million subscribers for the second quarter of the year for a total of 238.39 million subscribers overall. The United States and Canada accounted for 1.2 million subscribers which was the largest regional quarterly gain since 2021.[408][409]
In February, Netflix announced it would enforce stricter regulations on password sharing, and by May 2023 it began cracking down in the US, UK, and Australia. Under these new rules, multiple people can use and share one account, but they have to be under the same household. Netflix defines a household as people who live in the same location as the owner of the account. Users are asked to set a primary location based on the device's IP address.[410]
Netflix reported 8.05 million new subscribers in Q2 2024, up from 5.9 million subscribers added in Q2 2023.[411][412]
In July 2024, Netflix started phasing out its cheapest subscription plan for users in France and the US, a year after the plan was removed for Canada and the UK. Members in these countries have the option to sign up for either the standard ad-free plan or the ad plan.[413][414]
Several older devices no longer support Netflix. For home gaming consoles, this includes thePlayStation 2,[417]PlayStation TV,Wii[418] andWii U.[419] For handheld gaming consoles, this includes theNintendo 3DS family of systems and thePlayStation Vita.[420] The second and third generationApple TV previously supported Netflix with an ad-free plan, but the app was automatically removed on these devices on July 31, 2024.[421]
In addition, a growing number ofmultichannel television providers, including cable television andIPTV services, have added Netflix apps accessible within their ownset-top boxes, sometimes with the ability for its content (along with those of other online video services) to be presented within a unified search interface alongside linear television programming as an "all-in-one" solution.[422][423][424][425]
The maximum video resolution supported on computers is dependent on theDRM systems available on a particular operating system and web browser.[426]
"Netflix Originals" are content that is produced, co-produced, or distributed exclusively by Netflix. Netflix funds its original shows differently than other TV networks when they sign a project, providing the money upfront and immediately ordering two seasons of most series.[430] It keeps licensing rights, which normally give production companies future revenue opportunities from syndication, merchandising, etc.[165][431]
Over the years, Netflix output ballooned to a level unmatched by any television network or streaming service. According toVariety Insight, Netflix produced a total of 240 new original shows and movies in 2018, then climbed to 371 in 2019, a figure "greater than the number of original series that the entire U.S. TV industry released in 2005."[432] The Netflix budget allocated to production increased annually, reaching $13.6 billion in 2021 and projected to hit $18.9 billion by 2025, a figure that once again overshadowed any of its competitors.[433] As of August 2022, original productions made up 50% of Netflix's overall library in the United States.[434]
Film and television deals
Netflix has exclusivepay TV deals with several studios. The deals give Netflix exclusive streaming rights while adhering to the structures of traditional pay TV terms.
Netflix negotiated to distribute animated films from Universal that HBO declined to acquire, such asThe Lorax,ParaNorman, andMinions.[439]
Netflix holds exclusive streaming rights to the film library ofStudio Ghibli (exceptGrave of the Fireflies) worldwide except in the U.S. and Japan as part of an agreement signed with Ghibli's international sales holderWild Bunch in 2020.[440]
Netflix Games
In July 2021, Netflix hired Mike Verdu, a former executive fromElectronic Arts andFacebook, as vice president of game development, along with plans to add video games by 2022.[441] Netflix announced plans to releasemobile games that would be included in subscribers' service plans.[442] Trial offerings were first launched for Netflix users in Poland in August 2021, offering premium mobile games based onStranger Things includingStranger Things 3: The Game, for free to subscribers through the Netflix mobile app.[443]
Netflix officially launched mobile games on November 2, 2021, for Android users around the world. Through the app, subscribers had free access to five games, including two previously madeStranger Things titles. Netflix intends to add more games to this service over time.[444] On November 9, the collection launched foriOS.[445] Verdu said in October 2022 that besides continuing to expand their portfolio of games, they were also interested incloud gaming options.[446]
To support the games effort, Netflix began acquiring and forming a number of studios. The company acquiredNight School Studio, an independent video game developer, in September 2021.[447] Netflix announced plans to acquire Next Games in March 2022 for€65 million as part of Netflix's expansions into gaming. Next Games had developed the mobile titleStranger Things: Puzzle Tales as well as twoThe Walking Dead mobile games.[448] Later in the month, Netflix also acquired theTexas-based mobile game developer,Boss Fight Entertainment, for an undisclosed sum.[302] Netflix opened a mobile game studio in Helsinki, Finland in September 2022,[449] and a new studio, their fifth overall, insouthern California in October 2022,[446] alongside the acquisition ofSpry Fox inSeattle.[450]
In June 2024, Verdu was moved into a new role focusing on "innovation in game development."[451] The next month, Netflix hired Alain Tascan, vice president of game development atEpic Games, to head up Netflix Games.[452] As of July 2024, Netflix has over 80 games in development, releasing at least one game each month to attract fans.[453] The company shut down its Southern California "Team Blue" AAA gaming studio in October 2024, leading to the departure of developers likeOverwatch producer Chacko Sonny,Halo veteran Joseph Staten andGod of War art director Rafael Grassetti.[454] Netflix indicated that it maintains a commitment to grow its gaming business despite the changes.[455][456] In late October, Netflix announced several games based on hit series including Netflix Stories: Outer Banks, Netflix Stories: A Perfect Couple, Netflix Stories: A Virgin River Christmas, and The Ultimatum: Choices, as well as a new daily word game in partnership withTED Talks, TED Tumblewords.[457][458]
In November 2025, Netflix released its first batch of TV games which members play by using their phone as a controller. The games includedBoggle Party,Lego Party,Pictionary: Game Night,Tetris Time Warp andParty Crasher: Fool Your Friends.[462]
As of July 2017, Netflix series and movies accounted for more than a third of all prime-time download Internet traffic in North America.[469]
API
On October 1, 2008, Netflix offered access to its service via a publicapplication programming interface (API).[470] It allowed access to data for all Netflix titles, and allows users to manage their movie queues. The API was free and allowed commercial use.[471] In June 2012, Netflix began to restrict the availability of its public API.[472] Netflix instead focused on a small number of known partners using private interfaces, since most traffic came from those private interfaces.[473] In November 2014, Netflix retired the public API.[474] Netflix then partnered with the developers of eight services deemed the most valuable, including Instant Watcher, Fanhattan, Yidio and Nextguide.[475]
Recommendations and thumbnails
Netflix presents viewers with recommendations based on interactions with the service, such as previous viewing history and ratings of viewed content. These are often grouped into genres and formats, or feature the platform's highest-rated content. Each title is presented with a thumbnail. Before around 2015, these were the samekey art for everyone, but since then has been customized. Netflix may select a specific key art for a thumbnail based on viewing history,[476] such as an actor or scene type based on genre preferences.[477] Some thumbnails are generated from video stills.[478]
The Netflix recommendation system is a vital part of the streaming platform's success, enabling personalized content suggestions for hundreds of millions of subscribers worldwide.[479] Using advanced machine learning algorithms, Netflix analyzes user interactions, including viewing history, searches, and ratings, to deliver personalized recommendations for movies and TV shows.
The recommendation system considers individual user preferences, similarities with other users with comparable tastes, specific title attributes (genre, release year, etc.), device usage patterns, and viewing time. As users interact with the platform and provide feedback with their viewing habits, the recommendation system is able to adapt and refine its suggestions over time. Netflix uses a two-tiered ranking system, using the presentation of titles on the homepage for easy navigation to maximize user engagement. This is done by organizing content into rows and ranking the titles within each row based on how much the user would be interested in it.[479] Netflix also uses A/B testing to determine what causes the biggest interest and engagement related to options concerning movie suggestions and how titles are organized.
Tags like "bittersweet", "sitcom", or "intimate" are assigned to each title by Netflix employees.[480] Netflix also uses the tags to create recommendation micro-genres like "Goofy TV Shows" or "Girls Night In".[480]
Netflix launched "responsive recommendations", which display titles on the home page based on what its users are actively searching, in 2025.[481]
On July 18, 2013, Netflix earned the firstPrimetime Emmy Awards nominations for originalstreaming programs at the65th Primetime Emmy Awards. Three of its series,Arrested Development,Hemlock Grove andHouse of Cards, earned a combined 14 nominations (nine forHouse of Cards, three forArrested Development and two forHemlock Grove).[482] TheHouse of Cards episode "Chapter 1" received four nominations for both the 65th Primetime Emmy Awards and65th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards, becoming the first episode of a streaming television series to receive a major Primetime Emmy Award nomination. With its win for Outstanding Cinematography for a Single-Camera Series, "Chapter 1" became the first episode from a streaming service to be awarded an Emmy.[482][483][484] David Fincher's win for Directing for a Drama Series forHouse of Cards made the episode the first from a streaming service to win a Primetime Emmy.[485]
On November 6, 2013, Netflix earned its first Grammy nomination whenYou've Got Time byRegina Spektor—the main title theme song forOrange Is the New Black—was nominated for Best Song Written for Visual Media.[486]
On December 12, 2013, the network earned six nominations forGolden Globe Awards, including four forHouse of Cards.[487] Among those nominations was Wright forGolden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Drama for her portrayal of Claire Underwood, which she won. With the accolade, Wright became the first actress to win a Golden Globe for a streaming television series. It also marked Netflix's first major acting award.[488][489][490]House of Cards andOrange is the New Black also wonPeabody Awards in 2013.[491]
On January 16, 2014, Netflix became the first streaming service to earn an Academy Award nomination whenThe Square was nominated for Best Documentary Feature.[492]
On July 10, 2014, Netflix received 31 Emmy nominations. Among other nominations,House of Cards received nominations forOutstanding Drama Series, Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series and Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series. Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright were nominated for Outstanding Lead Actor and Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series.Orange is the New Black was nominated in the comedy categories, earning nominations for Outstanding Comedy Series, Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series and Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series.Taylor Schilling,Kate Mulgrew, andUzo Aduba were respectively nominated for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series, Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series and Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series (the latter was for Aduba's recurring role in season one, as she was promoted to series regular for the show's second season).[493]
Netflix got the largest share of 2016 Emmy Award nominations, with 16 major nominations. However, streaming shows only got 24 nominations out of a total of 139, falling significantly behind cable. The 16 Netflix nominees were:House of Cards with Kevin Spacey,A Very Murray Christmas with Bill Murray,Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt,Master of None, andBloodline.[494]
At the90th Academy Awards, held on March 4, 2018, the filmIcarus, distributed by Netflix, won its firstAcademy Award for Best Documentary Feature Film. During his remarks backstage, director and writer Bryan Fogel remarked that Netflix had "single-handedly changed the documentary world."Icarus had its premiere at the 2017Sundance Film Festival and was bought by Netflix for $5 million, one of the biggest deals ever for a non-fiction film.[498] Netflix became the network whose programs received more nomination at the 2018Primetime andCreative Arts Emmy Awards with 112 nominations, therefore breakingHBO's 17-years record as a network whose programs received more nomination at the Emmys, which received 108 nominations.[499][500]
On January 22, 2019, films distributed by Netflix scored 15 nominations for the91st Academy Awards, includingAcademy Award for Best Picture forAlfonso Cuarón'sRoma, which was nominated for 10 awards.[501] The 15 nominations equal the total nominations films distributed by Netflix had received in previous years.
In 2020, Netflix earned 24 Academy Award nominations, marking the first time a streaming service led all studios.[504]
Films and programs distributed by Netflix received 30 nominations at the 2021Screen Actors Guild Awards, more than any other distribution company, where their distributed films and programs won seven awards including best motion picture forThe Trial of the Chicago 7 and best TV drama forThe Crown.[505][506] Netflix also received the most nominations of any studio at the93rd Academy Awards—35 total nominations with 7 award wins.[507][508]
In February 2022,The Power of the Dog, a gritty western distributed by Netflix and directed by Jane Campion, received 12 nominations, including Best Picture, for the 94th annual Academy Awards. Films distributed by the streamer received a total of 72 nominations.[509] Campion became the third female to receive the Best Director award, winning her second Oscar forThe Power of the Dog.[510] At the50th International Emmy Awards, Netflix originalSex Education wonBest Comedy Series.[511] Later that year, Netflix received 26 Emmy Awards including six forSquid Game. TheSquid Game wins forOutstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series andOutstanding Directing for a Drama Series were the first-ever for a non-English language series in those categories.[512]
In July 2024, Netflix received 107 Emmy nominations, which was the most of any network.[515]
In January 2025, Netflix received 18 Academy Award nominations across six titles—the most of any studio.[516] Thirteen of those nominations belonged to the musical crime dramaEmilia Pérez, making it the most nominated film of the year and the most nominated non-English language film in Academy history.Emilia Pérez ultimately won an award forBest Original Song for "El Mal" andZoe Saldaña was awardedBest Supporting Actress. Other Netflix films recognized with nominations wereThe Only Girl in the Orchestra, which took home the award for Best Documentary Short, Pablo Larraín'sMaria, Tyler Perry'sThe Six Triple Eight, animated featureWallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl, and live-action short filmAnuja.[517]
In 2024, Netflix discontinued its cheapest ad-free plan. Users who were on the plan would have to pay extra for the next cheapest ad-free plan.
Customers have complained about price increases in Netflix offerings dating back to the company's decision to separate its DVD rental and streaming services, which was quickly reversed. As Netflix increased its streaming output, it has faced calls to limit accessibility tographic violence and include viewer advisories for issues such as sensationalism and promotion ofpseudoscience. Netflix's content has also been criticized bydisability rights movement advocates for lack ofclosed captioning quality.[521]
Some media organizations and competitors have criticized Netflix for selectively releasing ratings andviewer numbers of its original programming. The company has made claims boasting about viewership records without providing data to substantiate its successes or using problematic estimation methods.[522] In March 2020, some government agencies called for Netflix and other streamers to limit services due to increased broadband and energy consumption as use of the platform increased. In response, the company announced it would reducebit rate across all streams in Europe, thus decreasing Netflix traffic on European networks by around 25 percent. These same steps were later taken in India.[523]
In May 2022, Netflix's shareholder Imperium Irrevocable Trust filed a lawsuit against the company for violating the U.S.securities laws.[524] In January 2024, a federal judge dismissed the suit, stating that shareholders failed to provide instances of Netflix lying about subscriber growth.[525]
In May 2023, Netflix officially banned the use of password sharing between individuals of different households, meaning sharing an account was only available to those living in the same house.[410][526] After reporting a record number of new subscribers in Q4 2024, Netflix raised pricesin early 2025.[527]
^Hastings is often quoted saying that he decided to start Netflix after being fined $40 at aBlockbuster store for returning late a copy ofApollo 13, but Randolph later said that Hastings invented the anecdote. Blockbuster reportedly ordered Hastings in the mid-2000s to stop telling the story, after it could not find such a transaction in its records.[13][15]
^US patent 7024381, Hastings; W. Reed (Santa Cruz, CA), Randolph; Marc B. (Santa Cruz, CA), Hunt; Neil Duncan, "Approach for renting items to customers", issued April 4, 2006
^US patent 6584450, Hastings; W. Reed (Santa Cruz, CA), Randolph; Marc B. (Santa Cruz, CA), Hunt; Neil Duncan (Mountain View, CA), "Method and apparatus for renting items", issued June 24, 2003
Hastings, Reed (2020).No Rules Rules: Netflix and the Culture of Reinvention. Penguin Press.ISBN978-1-984877-86-4.
McDonald, Kevin; Smith-Rowsey, Daniel (2016).The Netflix Effect: Technology and Entertainment in the 21st Century (1st ed.). Bloomsbury Academic & Professional.ISBN978-1-5013-0944-1.
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