Netflix shows 'Bird Box' and 'Elite' drive subscriber growth
Shows including 'Bird Box' helped Netflix end 2018 with more than 139 million subscribers, adding 8.8 million members in the last three months of the year. The streaming giant said the growth reflected the success of its original programs.
Netflix-original material now represents the "vast majority" of its most popular shows, executives said. Television viewers in the US also spend an estimated 10% of their time on Netflix, they claimed. The figures accompanied the release of the firm's quarterly earnings report on Thursday. They offered investors a rare glimpse of audience viewing patterns, as the firm seeks to explain how its massive spending on content - much of it funded with debt - is paying off.
The company released details of some of its most popular shows: 'Bird Box' was watched by 80 million households in its first four weeks after release. Spanish drama 'Elite' was watched 20 million households in its first four weeks after release Netflix estimates that 'You and Sex Education' will both be watched by 40 million households within their first four weeks of release. Analysts estimate that Netflix spent more than $13bn on movies and shows this year.
