Netflix says its profits have soared in the first three months of this year, partly thanks to a crackdown on password sharing.
The streaming giant said it added 9.3 million customers in the first quarter, bringing its total number of subscribers to almost 270 million.
The company also said its profits in the first quarter jumped to more than $2.3bn (£1.85bn).
But the firm will stop reporting key subscriber numbers from next year.
…
Some investors saw its unexpected decision to stop reporting subscriber numbers as a sign that Netflix’s wave of customer growth may be coming to an end.
Simon Gallagher, a former Netflix director and now principal of entertainment investment firm SPG Global, told the BBC’s Today programme that while the numbers indicated a “very, very strong performance” this might not last.
Do what though? We can either unsubscribe, or subscribe. This is not a social service by them, nor is a gun being put to our heads to use Netflix. I really don’t mean to defend them, I prefer the high seas myself, but I genuinely feel there’s nothing we can or should do except either agree or disagree with them about subscribing to their plans.
My response to being told Netflix would stop my password sharing was to cancel my sub. And now, months later, I’m using someone else’s password to keep watching their shows…
This is where the problem lies: We have pathetically little power over the situation. I try to do my best to avoid paying companies that abuse their paying customers and let others know about it.
Collectively, we do. We just never do collectively.