SAN FRANCISCO, United States — Netflix exceeded analysts’ earnings estimates on Thursday, reporting strong revenue growth and an increase in subscribers as a result of its significant investment in engaging content—even in the face of efforts to limit password sharing.
The leading streaming service reported adding an astounding 9.3 million users in the most recent quarter, bringing its overall user base to 269.6 million.
Financially speaking, Netflix announced a $2.3 billion profit on about $9.4 billion in revenue for the quarter, which is a substantial increase from the $1.3 billion net income on $8.2 billion in revenue during the same period last year.
According to senior analyst Ross Benes of Emarketer, “Netflix continues to dominate its competitors, evident in its ability to convert casual viewers into paying subscribers, particularly in the context of prevalent password sharing.”
Netflix’s stock fell more than 4 percent in after-hours trading despite these strong numbers, presumably as a result of the company’s conservative view on sales for the current quarter, which fell short of market projections.
Even though Netflix’s stock has been rising since the year started, investors are nonetheless wary of the company’s plans for increasing revenue, particularly given the possibility that its ad-supported business may generate significant income on its own.
With a big content plan for 2024, Netflix is hoping to keep its subscribers interested with shows that will captivate them. The much awaited “3 Body Problem” television series, which was based on a well-known Chinese novel trilogy set in an alternate reality featuring alien contact, made its premiere in March.
The highly anticipated releases for 2019 include the second season of the hugely successful “Squid Game,” in addition to an eclectic schedule that includes international productions such as a biographical drama about the legendary Brazilian racer Ayrton Senna and a Spanish-language series adapted from Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s “One Hundred Years of Solitude”.
Netflix’s ambitious content strategy is further enhanced by its work with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle of Britain on documentary series. This partnership showcases a diverse range of entertainment genres to appeal to a worldwide audience.
Co-chief executive Ted Sarandos of Netflix underlined the company’s dedication to high-quality content, saying that it intends to keep leading the industry without sacrificing film production.
In a hint of Netflix’s flexibility in a changing media environment, Sarandos also recognized the value of short-form video platforms like YouTube and TikTok in fostering user engagement and spotting up-and-coming storytellers.
