Are you a Netflix addict? Do you spend your weekends binge-watching your favorite shows? Well, get ready to discover some fascinating facts that you probably didn’t know about the streaming giant.
From the origins of the company to its impact on popular culture, this list of 14 facts will have you hooked.
So, grab your popcorn, get comfortable, and prepare to be amazed by the secrets behind Netflix’s success.
Netflix was founded in 1997 in Scotts Valley, California, by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph.
1 The original idea for the company came about after Hastings was charged a late fee for a rental DVD, and he realized that there was a need for a DVD rental service that did not have late fees. Hastings and Randolph decided to start a company that offered DVD rentals by mail, and they launched Netflix in April of 1998.
The company grew quickly and became one of the largest DVD rental services in the United States, with millions of subscribers. In 2007, the company launched its streaming service, which has since become the primary focus of the company’s business.
Netflix’s original business model was to offer DVD rentals by mail, with no late fees.
2 This was a revolutionary concept at the time, as most video rental stores charged late fees for rentals that were not returned on time. Netflix’s model allowed customers to keep DVDs for as long as they wanted, and to return them when they were finished watching.
The company charged a monthly subscription fee, which allowed customers to rent a certain number of DVDs at a time. Once a DVD was returned, the customer could then choose another DVD to be sent to them. This model proved to be very successful, and Netflix quickly became one of the largest DVD rental services in the United States.
When Netflix was founded in 1997, its first headquarters were located in a small office in Scotts Valley, California.
3 At the time, the company had fewer than 30 employees, and its focus was on developing the technology and infrastructure needed to support its DVD rental by mail service. As the company grew, it moved to larger offices and began to expand its business beyond the United States.
Today, Netflix has more than 200 million subscribers in over 190 countries, and it has become one of the world’s largest streaming entertainment services.
Netflix originally offered a subscription service for unlimited DVD rentals, with no late fees.
4 When Netflix first launched its DVD rental service in 1998, it offered a subscription service that allowed customers to rent an unlimited number of DVDs each month, with no late fees.
Customers could keep the DVDs for as long as they wanted, and return them when they were finished watching. Once a DVD was returned, the customer could then choose another DVD to be sent to them. This model proved to be very successful and helped Netflix to rapidly grow its customer base.
The company later added streaming services to its offering, which has become the primary focus of the company’s business today.
The company launched its streaming service in 2007, allowing users to stream movies and TV shows online.
5 The service initially offered a limited selection of content, but it has since grown to include a vast library of movies, TV shows, documentaries, and original content. Today, streaming is the primary focus of Netflix’s business, and the company has invested heavily in producing its own original content, such as “Stranger Things,” “The Crown,” and “Narcos,” among others.
The first TV show produced by Netflix was “House of Cards,” which premiered in 2013 and starred Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright.
6 The series was a critical and commercial success and helped to establish Netflix as a major player in the entertainment industry. Since then, Netflix has produced many other original series, including “Stranger Things,” “The Crown,” “Orange is the New Black,” “Narcos,” and “Ozark,” among others. These original series have been very popular with viewers and have helped to set Netflix apart from its competitors.
Netflix has over 200 million subscribers in more than 190 countries.
7 This makes Netflix one of the largest streaming services in the world, and its subscriber base has continued to grow rapidly in recent years. The company’s success has been driven by its vast library of content, its commitment to producing high-quality original content, and its user-friendly interface and recommendation algorithms.
The company’s logo features the colors red, black, and white, which are intended to represent passion, sophistication, and simplicity.
8 The logo is designed to be simple and easy to recognize, and it has become one of the most recognizable logos in the world. The company has used this logo since its early days as a DVD rental service and has maintained its design even as the company has shifted its focus to streaming.
Netflix spends billions of dollars each year on producing original content, including TV shows, movies, and documentaries.
9 In 2020, the company reportedly spent over $17 billion on content, a significant increase from previous years. This investment in original content has helped to differentiate Netflix from its competitors and has enabled the company to offer a wide range of content to its subscribers.
Some of the most popular original shows produced by Netflix include “Stranger Things,” “The Crown,” “Orange is the New Black,” “Narcos,” and “Ozark,” among many others.
The company has won numerous awards for its original content, including dozens of Emmys and Oscars.
10 In recent years, the company has been particularly successful at the Emmy Awards, where it has won a number of awards for its original TV shows, including “The Crown,” “Stranger Things,” and “Ozark.” Netflix has also won several Oscars in recent years, including for the movies “Marriage Story,” “Roma,” and “The Irishman.”
These awards have helped to establish Netflix as a major player in the entertainment industry and have contributed to the company’s ongoing success.
In 2019, Netflix became the first streaming service to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture, with its film “Roma.”
11 The film was directed by Alfonso Cuarón and was critically acclaimed for its cinematography, storytelling, and performances. Although “Roma” did not ultimately win Best Picture, its nomination was seen as a significant milestone for Netflix and for the streaming industry as a whole, as it demonstrated that streaming services can produce high-quality films that are worthy of recognition from the film industry’s most prestigious awards.
Netflix has a hidden menu that can be accessed by typing specific codes into the search bar.
12 These codes correspond to different categories of content, such as “cult comedies” or “critically-acclaimed independent dramas,” and allow users to discover new titles that they might not otherwise find.
The codes are not widely publicized by Netflix, but they have been compiled into lists by third-party websites and can be found with a quick internet search.
Netflix’s first international expansion was to Canada in 2010, where it offered streaming services for the first time outside of the United States.
13 This was followed by an expansion to the UK and Ireland in 2012. Since then, Netflix has expanded to over 190 countries worldwide, with its streaming service being available in almost every country in the world.
Netflix’s success has spawned numerous imitators and competitors, including Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, and Disney+.
14 Each of these platforms offers their own unique selection of TV shows and movies, as well as their own exclusive original content. The competition has led to an increased focus on producing high-quality, original programming, as well as the continued expansion of the streaming market around the world.
