Financial Report Preview | Paid Sharing + Advertising Support Netflix's Low-Price Strategy Shows Results
Netflix is set to announce its first-quarter performance for 2024 on April 18th. The market expects Netflix's first-quarter revenue to be around $9.3 billion, with a potential year-on-year growth of about 14%. Recently, Netflix has seen a series of positive developments in user growth and revenue, mainly achieved through cracking down on password sharing and ad-supported streaming services. In the fourth quarter of 2023, Netflix added 13 million new users, reaching a record 260.8 million paid users. Additionally, Netflix's ad-supported plan has also been successful in attracting more price-sensitive customers. Considering seasonal factors after the holidays, Netflix's addition of paid users may decline compared to the fourth quarter
According to the Zhitong Finance and Economics APP, Netflix (NFLX.US) will announce its first-quarter 2024 performance on April 18. The market expects Netflix's first-quarter revenue to be around $9.3 billion, with a year-on-year growth of about 14%, slightly higher than the company's guided target of $9.24 billion. It is expected that earnings per share will remain at $4.50, compared to $2.88 in the same period last year.
Effectiveness of Cracking Down on Password Sharing
Netflix has recently encountered a series of positive developments in user growth and revenue as the company has been cracking down on password sharing and building its ad-supported streaming service. In the fourth quarter of 2023, Netflix added 13 million new users, exceeding Wall Street's expectations, bringing its total paid user base to a record 260.8 million.
Last spring, Netflix began offering a paid sharing option in the United States, allowing users to pay an additional $8 per month to share their account with people outside their household. This move has also increased Netflix's revenue, as users outside the main household need to pay new subscription fees or additional fees to share the account.
Ad-Supported Users
The ad-supported tier has also gained traction, allowing the company to attract more price-sensitive customers. In January this year, Netflix stated that the global user base for this plan was 23 million, up from about 15 million in November 2023. The plan seems to offer customers a reliable value proposition, priced at $7 per month in the U.S., providing full HD video quality, similar to Netflix's ad-free standard plan.
Furthermore, the ad-supported plan is expected to bring in more revenue per user than the company's standard plan, as the increased ad revenue more than offsets the discounts offered at the ad tier. In other words, considering typical seasonal factors after the holidays, Netflix's paid user additions may decline compared to the fourth quarter