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The company's customer base fell by 200,000 subscribers during the January-March period, the company disclosed Tuesday in releasing its latest earnings report. Netflix's stock price plunged more than 37% to $219.50 in early trading on Wednesday as investors fretted about the company's slowing growth and mounting competition.
The decline in subscribers is the first since Netflix became available throughout most of the world outside of China six years ago. The drop this year stemmed in part from Netflix's decision to withdraw from Russia to protest the war against Ukraine, resulting in a loss of 700,000 subscribers.
The company reported revenue of nearly $7.9 billion in the period, falling slightly short of Wall Street forecasts. For the current quarter ending in July, Netflix said it expects revenue of just over $8 billion. Analysts surveyed by Zacks had expected revenue of $8.2 billion.
Netflix also lost 800,000 subscribers in 2011 after it unveiled plans to begin charging separately for its then-nascent streaming service, which had been bundled for free with its traditional DVD-by-mail service. The customer backlash to that move elicited an apology from Netflix CEO Reed Hastings for botching the execution of the spin-off.
But the latest subscriber loss was far worse than a forecast by Netflix management for a conservative gain of 2.5 million subscribers. The news deepens troubles that have been mounting for the streaming since a surge of signups from a captive audience during the pandemic began to slow.
The streaming industry "is more saturated and filled with a multitude of services offering compelling content at prices lower than NFLX's, including mega-tech platforms with deep pockets," Oppenheimer analysts wrote in a note.
It marks the fourth time in the last five quarters that Netflix's subscriber growth has fallen below the gains of the previous year. Now investors fear that its streaming service may be mired in a malaise as it faces stiffening competition from well-funded rivals such as Apple and Walt Disney.
"Netflix is still the single most dominant player in the streaming industry, especially in demand for original content," noted Parrot Analytics, a company that analyzes streaming content, in an email. "But as several nearly century-old firms erode the incumbent's market share, Netflix is reaching a point where it needs to focus more on subscriber retention, especially in North America, while its legacy media-backed competitors Disney+ and HBO Max continue focusing on subscriber growth in key international territories."
Last year, Netflix had its weakest annual gain since 2016, adding 18.2 million subscribers. That contrasted with an increase of 36 million subscribers during 2020 when people were corralled at home and starved for entertainment, which Netflix was able to quickly and easily provide with its stockpile of original programming.
Netflix has previously predicted that it will regain its momentum, but is now starting to acknowledge that it's mired in a serious malaise that requires action. Among other things, Netflix signaled that it will likely crack down on the sharing of subscriber passwords that has enabled multiple households to access its service from a single account.
With the pandemic easing, people have been finding other things to do, and other video streaming services are working hard to lure new viewers with their own award-winning programming. Apple, for instance, held the exclusive streaming rights to "CODA," which eclipsed Netflix's "Power of The Dog," among other movies, to win Best Picture at last month's Academy Awards.
Last October, Netflix hiked prices for the second time in less than two years. The current monthly pricing for the Netflix Standard plan with ads is $6.99. Without ads, the Standard plan will run you $15.49 a month and the Premium plan will cost $22.99.
The company is cracking down on customers who share their accounts with people outside a single geographic household, introducing an $8 monthly charge in a long-threatened bid to retain customers and stanch a slowdown in subscription growth. Netflix uses location tracking to ensure subscribed users are logged in at a single home subscriber base, which is sure to test users already sensitive to growing threats to their online privacy.
Since the end of June, Netflix has blocked devices that attempt to access a Netflix account without paying the proper fees, according to TechRadar. Subscribers in a compliant household can keep using the service on the road, like on laptops or hotel TVs, without paying additional fees.
The Financial Times previously reported that Netflix had alerted internet provider partners in the UK that they should expect angry calls and support questions about the sharing price hike and location tracking features.
This move suggested that despite Netflix's best efforts, the company predicted a large number of subscribers would only detect the change when Netflix demanded an extra $8 for sharing the account outside their new "home" location.
Ben Demers manages digital content and engagement at Kiplinger, informing readers through a range of personal finance articles, e-newsletters, social media, syndicated content, and videos. He is passionate about helping people lead their best lives through sound financial behavior, particularly saving money at home and avoiding scams and identity theft. Ben graduated with an M.P.S. from Georgetown University and a B.A. from Vassar College. He joined Kiplinger in May 2017.","contributorText":"With contributions from","contributors":["name":"Esther D\u2019Amico","role":"Senior News Editor","link":"href":"https:\/\/www.kiplinger.com\/author\/esther-d-amico"]}), " -0-11/js/authorBio.js"); } else console.error('%c FTE ','background: #9306F9; color: #ffffff','no lazy slice hydration function available'); Ben DemersSocial Links NavigationAudience Engagement Manager, Kiplinger.comBen Demers manages digital content and engagement at Kiplinger, informing readers through a range of personal finance articles, e-newsletters, social media, syndicated content, and videos. He is passionate about helping people lead their best lives through sound financial behavior, particularly saving money at home and avoiding scams and identity theft. Ben graduated with an M.P.S. from Georgetown University and a B.A. from Vassar College. He joined Kiplinger in May 2017.
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