Netflix recorded a record increase of 19 million new subscribers in the fourth quarter of 2024, surpassing the 300 million customer milestone worldwide for the first time – a 15 percent increase compared to the previous year and higher than the 293 million expected by analysts. The stock rose by more than 14 percent in after-hours trading.

The streaming service benefited particularly from strong demand for the new season of the hit series Squid Game and a targeted push into the live sports sector. A boxing match between Mike Tyson and Jake Paul attracted 65 million streams worldwide, while two NFL games on Christmas Day averaged 24 million viewers.

In view of the success of live broadcasts, there is speculation that Netflix could secure major sports rights. However, Co-CEO Ted Sarandos emphasized that complete league packages remain a challenge due to high costs. However, he left the door open for possible collaborations: "If there is an economically sensible way for us and the league, we will consider it.

Netflix plans to raise subscription prices in several markets. In the USA, the price of the most popular plan increases by $2.50 to $17.99 per month. The ad-supported basic subscription is raised by $1 to $7.99. Analysts see this as a sign of the company's strengthened confidence in a diversified content strategy compared to the competition.

With quarterly sales of $10.2 billion and an increased revenue forecast for 2025 by $500 million to up to 14 percent growth, the company is optimistic. Earnings per share doubled to $4.27, while operating income rose by 52 percent to over $2 billion.

The subscriber numbers, which have been a central measure of company success so far, will no longer be published quarterly starting this year. However, Netflix announced that it will continue to make the numbers public at important milestones.

The company has experienced strong growth since the implementation of measures against password sharing in May 2023, which led the stock price to rise by more than 80 percent in 2024. However, the stock fluctuated at the beginning of 2025. To ensure further growth, Netflix is increasingly focusing on live events, including the recently launched weekly broadcast of WWE Raw, which attracted around 5 million viewers in the first week.

The advertising revenue, which initially started sluggishly, has now doubled and is expected to double again by 2025, according to Co-CEO Greg Peters. “We are making significant progress,” Peters said. “2025 will be the year we transition from crawling to walking.”