Netflix soars as the streamer delivers earnings beat, tops 300 million subscribers
Shares of Netflix were up almost 15% in after-hours trading Tuesday after the streaming giant topped Wall Street’s Q4 expectations.
The streaming giant pulled in $10.25 billion in revenue, slightly above Wall Street’s forecasts of $10.1 billion, while earnings per share landed at $4.27, beating the expected $4.20.
Netflix also said it would raise ad-free subscription prices in the US from $16 to $18 per month. The company is also hiking the ad-tier memberships by $1 to $8 per month.
Netflix added 19 million subscribers for the quarter, topping 300 million paid memberships for the first time. This is the last quarter Netflix will break out subscriber numbers, as it shifts focus to building profits.
Sign-ups in Q4 were fueled by films like “Carry On,” the return of the hit series “Squid Game,” and its growing focus on live sports. November’s Jake Paul-Mike Tyson fight was the most-streamed sporting event ever. Meanwhile, Netflix’s two NFL Christmas games became the two most-streamed games in the league’s history.