Netflix will never have advertising: it is confirmed by the CEO who also talks about the great results achieved also thanks to The Witcher
After closing 2019 in growth, Netflix definitely denies a news that had been circulating for some time. It was the co-founder and CEO Reed Hastings to reassure users by promising that Netflix will never host advertisements.
The denial comes right in January, a time of the year when a balance sheet of the previous one is made and strategies for the months to come are decided. Some time ago, two managers of Hulu and NBCUniversal had admitted that Netflix would not be able to continue following its business model without inserting commercials. This prediction had caused concern among the 125 million subscribers worldwide, even as the service recently raised its rates. Fortunately, the rumors were put to rest a few days ago. In addition, the company recently celebrated the success of The Witcher series and is preparing to launch more exclusive content in 2020.
Netflix: streaming platform continues to grow
The statement from Netflix's CEO came during a meeting dedicated to the 2019 budget. The company finished the year with an increase in subscribers and revenues, and now prepares to organize the strategy for the current one, for which many new releases are planned.
From October to December 2019, net revenues rose to $587 million, a result above forecasts, and that far exceeds that of 2018, which had closed with $134 million. Earnings were up 30 percent, but what stands out most is the number of subscribers, which grew to more than 8.3 million and will continue to increase in 2020.
For the first quarter of this year, 7 million new subscribers are expected. The number is lower than in 2019 because it takes into account both rising subscription prices and increasingly fierce competition - Disney+ is preparing to arrive in Europe as well, not to mention that streaming video services from Apple and Amazon continue to grow.
After presenting budgets and forecasts, Reed Hastings confirmed that the rumors about the arrival of advertising on Netflix are absolutely false, and indeed he pointed out that the service is designed to fully satisfy users, giving them the opportunity to discover new content, find inspiration, relax and have fun without annoying interruptions. In addition, he stressed the importance of The Witcher series for the success of 2019.
The role of The Witcher for the success of Netflix
The success of 2019 stems from apt choices by the platform, in particular the production of The Witcher, a series inspired by the eponymous series based on the saga of novels by Andrzej Sapkowski. The first season, launched in December 2019, was followed by 76 million users, immediately becoming a unique case and, above all, bringing huge results to the platform.
Now the company, in addition to the second season, is also about to launch an anime inspired by the events of Geralt of Rivia played by Henry Cavill. Not only Netflix has been able to benefit from the success: the sale of the video game, but also of books and merchandise have spiked worldwide. All that remains is to wait for the second season, which will be able to be enjoyed without advertising, the word of the CEO of Netflix.