Netflix Adds 3 Million Streaming Subscribers, Debuts New Streaming Package, and Pledges More Content
Netflix has been doing brisk business for years, and there are no signs that the movie streaming company is slowing down. Netflix released its Q1 financial report, which included plenty of interesting tidbits about what it’s up to now and in the near future.
First, those 3 million additional streaming subscribers (2 million of which are stateside) bring Netflix’ total to about 36 million. To put that in contrast to the company’s DVD business, the latter has shrunk to less than 8 million domestic.
Netflix attributes some of the growth of its streaming business to original programming such as the hit “House of Cards”; a new season of “Arrested Development” is coming in Q2, and this summer we’ll see the launch of two new original programs. “Orange is the New Black” is a prison drama/comedy from Jenji Kohan (the person responsible for “Weeds”), and a senior center-based comedy from Ricky Gervais called “Derek”. There’s more coming down the pike at the end of this year and the beginning of 2014, including some original kids’ programming from the folks at DreamWorks Animation.
Engadget noted that in remarks addressing the Q1 report, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings mentioned that a new streaming package is in the works. There will be another option for $11.99 per month that offers streaming of up to 4 videos at once (currently, you max out at two simultaneous streams). Netflix will also apparently be rolling out “personal profiles”, which allows family members on the same account to keep their preferences, favorites, and recently watched content separate from everyone else. (As people who are sick of kid shows cramping our profile’s style, we can’t wait for that one to roll out in the next few months.)
As always, Netflix is wheeling and dealing licensing deals with content producers, and to that end, the company says it’s struck multi-year deals with Turner Broadcasting and Warner Brothers, which includes select shows on a variety of channels including NBC, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, FOX, A&E, and USA.
Things aren’t going as well with Viacom; Netflix is going to let its deals for content from Nickelodeon, BET, and MTV to expire at the end of next month.
First, those 3 million additional streaming subscribers (2 million of which are stateside) bring Netflix’ total to about 36 million. To put that in contrast to the company’s DVD business, the latter has shrunk to less than 8 million domestic.
Netflix attributes some of the growth of its streaming business to original programming such as the hit “House of Cards”; a new season of “Arrested Development” is coming in Q2, and this summer we’ll see the launch of two new original programs. “Orange is the New Black” is a prison drama/comedy from Jenji Kohan (the person responsible for “Weeds”), and a senior center-based comedy from Ricky Gervais called “Derek”. There’s more coming down the pike at the end of this year and the beginning of 2014, including some original kids’ programming from the folks at DreamWorks Animation.
Engadget noted that in remarks addressing the Q1 report, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings mentioned that a new streaming package is in the works. There will be another option for $11.99 per month that offers streaming of up to 4 videos at once (currently, you max out at two simultaneous streams). Netflix will also apparently be rolling out “personal profiles”, which allows family members on the same account to keep their preferences, favorites, and recently watched content separate from everyone else. (As people who are sick of kid shows cramping our profile’s style, we can’t wait for that one to roll out in the next few months.)
As always, Netflix is wheeling and dealing licensing deals with content producers, and to that end, the company says it’s struck multi-year deals with Turner Broadcasting and Warner Brothers, which includes select shows on a variety of channels including NBC, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, FOX, A&E, and USA.
Things aren’t going as well with Viacom; Netflix is going to let its deals for content from Nickelodeon, BET, and MTV to expire at the end of next month.
