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Netflix Nears 100 Million Subscribers (go.com)

With the release of its first-quarter earnings, Netflix predicted it will surpass 100 million global subscribers this weekend. "The service added nearly 5 million subscribers during the first three months of the year, and will end March with 98.7 million customers in roughly 190 countries," reports ABC News. From the report: About 51 million of Netflix's subscribers are in the U.S. By the end of this year, Piper Jaffray analyst Michael Olson expects the majority of the company's subscribers to be overseas. Netflix ended March with nearly 48 million subscribers outside the U.S. Netflix CEO Reed Hastings expects the next 100 million subscribers to come more quickly than the first 100 million, but he didn't provide a specific timetable during online video review of the company's first quarter. The Los Gatos, California company currently has a market value of about $63 billion. Its stock rose $1.90 to $149.15 in Monday's extended trading, even though subscriber growth during the first quarter came in slightly below management forecasts. As it is, Netflix expects to spend about $6 billion on programming this year. The Los Gatos, California, company earned $178 million on revenue of $2.6 billion in the first quarter. Analysts predict Netflix will make $482 million on revenue of more than $11 billion for the entire year.

7 of 47 comments (clear)

  1. Stories Out of Order on Front Page by Kunedog · · Score: 3, Insightful
    Even though this is currently the newest article, the "Favorite Sci Fi Movie" is the first on the front page.

    Editor's note: the story has been moved up on the front page due its popularity.

    Stop it. I scan new articles from the top of the front page down until I hit one I've already seen (on the last visit). I don't want article I'm finished with popping up again at the top.

  2. Re:But DID give a timeframe. by Mashiki · · Score: 2

    They would likely have a bigger subscriber growth number if content wasn't region locked. There's a huge difference in content between even US and Canada netflix and what's available in both countries. Not even comparing the differences between US/UK or CDN/UK libraries. For me that's really something I'd enjoy seeing, but I doubt will happen short of another decade.

    Something else though, there is a lack of material in their library at least here in Canada. Then again, there was also a huge lack in Bell and Rogers own netflix type services as well. I believe it was Rogers that just killed theirs after a year or two and something like $200m/loss on it. Content creators could reach more audiences if they wanted, but it seems they don't want to. Which is why torrenting TV/Movies/etc is such a huge thing in Canada, even your most computer illiterate person here likely torrents(until they get caught and get a VPN). And it could be all mostly over tomorrow if those companies would hook up and supply everywhere.

    --
    Om, nomnomnom...
  3. Re:will end March with 98.7 million customers by Zaphon · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Accounts not Users. You probably need to multiply by 3 or 4 to get a more accurate number of actual people using Netflix due to families, account sharing, etc.

  4. Keep the discs coming! by Hrrrg · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I'm a long-time Netflix subscriber - to the disc service, not the streaming service. Blu-rays look way better than streaming. However, what a lot of people don't know is that the disc selection is vast compared to the streaming selection. I googled it recently and found articles that claimed with streaming you had the choice of 6000 movies, with the disc service the selection was about 96,000 titles.

    Unfortunately, the same articles claimed that while the disc-mailing service was very profitable, only a small percentage of netflix's subscribers used it (something like 5%) and that most likely it would go away in the next few years...

    So, if you don't like the lmited selection of Netflix's streaming service, get the discs and let's keep it alive!

  5. Re:Netflix is USA only by Seeteufel · · Score: 2

    Even more so I want content in my language and as an expression of my own culture. Not this anglo-imperialist content with its US-nationalist ideology.

  6. Re:Netflix is USA only by CrankyFool · · Score: 2

    FWIW, I believe that virtually -- if not literally -- of all the content that Netflix has produced in the last 2-3 years is available globally on its service.

  7. Big Thumbs Down by nwaack · · Score: 2

    The new 'thumbs up/thumbs down' rating system was the nail in the coffin for me. I've spent a lot of time rating movies and shows, and was subsequently rewarded with recommendations that were spot on. Now those recommendations are garbage that I'd never watch. Screw you, Netflix. Screw you hard.