Netflix Strengthens Its Global Dominance with Spectacular Growth and a New Focus on Live Content and Advertising

With over 300 million subscribers worldwide and a remarkable 16% increase in revenue, Netflix continues to outshine its competitors and solidify its position as the undisputed leader in the streaming industry.

On January 21, 2025, the California-based giant announced a gain of nearly 19 million new subscribers in the fourth quarter of 2024, bringing its total to 301.6 million. This performance confirms its role as a pioneer, particularly in France, where Netflix now exceeds 10 million subscribing households. This growth is attributed to several factors, including stricter password-sharing policies and an enhanced live programming offer, especially in sports.

Live Sports and Major Series Comebacks

To capture subscriber attention, Netflix has diversified its content with live sporting events. During the holiday season, the platform broadcasted two NFL games and a highly publicized boxing match between Jake Paul and Mike Tyson. At the same time, on December 26, the much-anticipated second season of Squid Game was released. However, according to Greg Peters, Netflix’s co-CEO, these events represent only a small fraction of the new subscriptions for the quarter: “It’s the entirety of our service that contributed to this growth.”

Strong Financial Results

Netflix posted quarterly revenue of $10.2 billion, with a net profit of $1.9 billion, slightly exceeding market expectations. The company’s stock also saw a rise of over 14% following the release of these results.

Despite these impressive gains, Netflix announced it will no longer disclose subscriber numbers quarterly, focusing instead on engagement metrics such as watch time. The emphasis is now on increasing revenues and profit margins.

Monetization Strategy: Price Hikes and Advertising

To support its growth, Netflix has begun raising prices in the United States, with notable increases in its “Standard” plan and its ad-supported tier. The latter, launched at the end of 2022, accounted for over 55% of sign-ups in countries where it is available. In 2024, Netflix doubled its advertising revenue, with plans to repeat this success in 2025.

The platform is also focusing on strategic partnerships to boost its income. It recently signed a $5 billion deal with WWE to stream live wrestling, and announced an exclusive partnership with the FIFA Women’s World Cup.

A Future Focused on Live Content and Advertising

Netflix has now clearly stated its shift toward live streaming and advertising formats. In 2025, the platform will offer more advertising options and technical partnerships, making it even more attractive to advertisers. For analysts, this shift signals a desire to diversify revenue streams, with a particular focus on sports rights, despite previous statements excluding the purchase of rights for full sports seasons.

Finally, on the content front, Netflix can count on the release of final seasons of hit series like Stranger Things, Squid Game, and Wednesday to attract new subscribers.

Even in the face of internal and external challenges, including wildfires in Los Angeles, Netflix remains optimistic, stating that these events should not significantly affect its timelines or financial results, although the human impact is considerable.