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10 TV Shows Every Entrepreneur Should Watch on Netflix Have some free time on your hands? Get into one of these series.

By Deep Patel

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

If you've suddenly found yourself with a lot of free time at home, TV shows and docuseries can be a great way to fill the extra hours. They can help you recharge and relax, and you might even learn a little something in the process.

As I build my company, I'm always looking for ways to keep my creativity flowing. In order to do that, I try to remember to engage in self-care and give myself a chance to decompress. If the world seems to be falling apart and you're feeling your anxiety levels creep up, it might be time to engage in the tried-and-true relaxation strategy of binge-watching Netflix.

Related: 7 Movies on Netflix All Entrepreneurs Should Watch

If you pick the right shows, you'll not only find some much-needed escapism; you might also get an inspiration boost to help you see things from a different angle. So, if you're an entrepreneur in the middle of a forced staycation, here are 10 must-see shows to add to your Netflix list.

1. Dirty Money

This brilliant and scathing documentary series is sure to leave you feeling fired up, pissed off and unable to stop watching.

Why watch it? Dirty Money takes deep dive into corporate fraud and greed through in-depth looks at a few scandals you've probably heard about (but may have forgotten) or never fully understood to begin with.

What you'll get out of it : Every episode covers some aspect of greed and corruption. From crippling payday loans to emissions-cheating car manufacturers to money laundering for cartels, the series takes you on an enthralling journey through cons and corporate malfeasance.

Set in a fictional law firm in New York City, Suits follows a talented college dropout who works as a law associate despite never having attended law school. The show's two main characters, Harvey and Mike, provide lessons in confidence and bravado, and demonstrate how far you can go if someone just believes in you.

Why watch it? Over the course of seven seasons, Suits uses quick-witted workplace humor to depict how characters deal with tough situations and always come out on top.

What you'll get out of it: The show champions perseverance, the importance of sticking to one's ethics and the need for strong communication. It's a great way to learn about negotiation and navigating complex corporate situations.

3. Workin' Moms

This truth-telling comedy for working parents finds the humor amid the stress of trying to maintain a work−life balance. Workin' Moms depicts a group of friends coping with the challenges of being working mothers and dealing with difficult situations in fast-paced and competitive workplaces.

Why watch it? The series pushes past the tired and stereotypical one-dimensional portraits we've grown accustomed to seeing on many sitcoms. This show feels genuine in how it portrays people trying to balance home life, parenting and professional goals. It's also damn funny!

What you'll get out of it: The show isn't afraid to depict the less-than-idyllic reality of what working mothers face — but it does so in a relatable way that finds the humor in everyday life. So, if you're balancing being a tough-as-nails entrepreneur while caring for a tiny human or two, and also trying to maintain some semblance of a relationship, this show is for you.

4. The Mind, Explained

The human mind is often regarded as a great mystery. But scientists have done a lot of work to uncover the enigma of how our brain works.

Why watch it? The Mind, Explained is a Netflix docuseries featuring the inner workings of our brains. It takes you through five of the most intriguing parts of our minds, covering memory, dreams, anxiety, mindfulness and psychedelics.

What you'll get out of it: As an entrepreneur, the more you can unravel the mysteries of the mind and understand how people think and what makes them tick, the better you can incorporate this knowledge into your own marketing and business strategies.

5. The Office

This mockumentary sitcom offers brilliant comedic performances and characters you'll love (and maybe love to hate). It's so relatable and engaging, you'll just keep cruising through episodes.

Why watch it? The Offic e is an insightful study in human behavior, and it offers some hilarious lessons in what not to do in the workplace.

What you'll get out of it: The show tells the story of contemporary workplace culture and the dead-end jobs that people too often end up in. And yet there is meaning and hope, along with a lot of humor, in these everyday lives. If anything, The Office will affirm your choice of being an entrepreneur and why you seek your own way in life and in business.

Broken is made up of standalone investigative episodes that explore the manufacturing processes and cultural forces behind the demand for different types of products, including makeup, e-cigarettes, furniture and plastic. Each episode delves beneath the surface to reveal the corrupt and dysfunctional underbelly of these industries.

Why watch it? This documentary series will make you wiser as a business owner and consumer. Episodes examine how influencer hype and scarcity marketing create conditions where counterfeit makeup thrives, teens become addicted to vaping, disposable furniture kills and corporations use single-use plastic.

What you'll get out of it: The series offers a terrifying yet enthralling view of the all-powerful influences of globalism, consumer culture, brand desire and mass production that shape the marketing world. The show reinforces the crucial lesson that deceptive marketing and business practices are always wrong.

7. Better Call Saul

If you're a fan of Breaking Bad , then watching this prequel is a no-brainer. (And if you haven't seen Breaking Bad , it's time to jump on that bandwagon! It's about a high school chemistry teacher who decides to leverage his talents to become a drug lord.)

Why watch it? Like its predecessor, Better Call Saul is a captivating, darkly humorous modern drama chock-full of cliff-hangers that keep you watching.

What you'll get out of it: The spin-off tells the origin story of crooked attorney Saul Goodman. Saul has many important lessons for entrepreneurs, such as learning when to take risks in growing your market and embodying a "fake it till you make it" attitude. Of course, his successes are overshadowed by the immoral and controversial ways he achieves them. But we can learn from his unscrupulous behavior and get a few laughs along the way.

8. Inside Bill's Brain: Decoding Bill Gates

This has been one of the most talked-about docuseries for good reason. Bill Gates, the software magnate, has largely been a mystery to the world, but this series seeks to give viewers a glimpse of who he really is at his core.

Why watch it? This three-part documentary series from Netflix offers an unadulterated view of the Microsoft co-founder's human side.

What you'll get out of it : It's rare that we get such intimate access to someone like Gates, and this series does an incredible job of pinpointing what makes his mind different and the characteristics that made him one of the world's richest men. The series includes stories from his two sisters, his wife, current and former co-workers, friends and the voice of the late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen.

This show has been around awhile, so it's likely that you've heard about it, but maybe you haven't had a chance to check it out. Now is a great time to sink into this 92-episode marketing series and period drama, which chronicles the lives of 1960s advertising executives in an age where anything could be marketed with the proper tagline.

What watch it? Mad Men provides a captivating view of the inner workings of ad agency life, including its business structure, client interactions and the creative process, and it doesn't ignore the heavy drinking and pervasive sexism.

What you'll get out of it : In an age when consumerism equaled happiness for many, this series offers great tips on how to pair marketing strategies while earning customer happiness. And happiness is what advertising is really selling, right?

10. Girlboss

This series is based on the autobiography of the girl boss herself, Sophia Amoruso, the CEO and founder of Nasty Girl and an inspiring female entrepreneur. Although this show only lasted one season, it did a great job of showing what it takes to make it in business. Based on the book with the same name, Girlboss is essentially Amoruso's personal story, with a bit more drama added in.

Why watch it? The series depicts Amoruso's struggles to overcome roadblocks on her journey to success with her Nasty Gal vintage fashion brand.

What you'll get out of it: Much like Silicon Valley's classic tale of starting a business from a garage, Amoruso started Nasty Gal from her bedroom at the age of 22. You see her hitting rock bottom and then revising, starting over and finding her way to success. You see her passion for what she does and her willingness to give it her all.

Related: What Entrepreneurs Can Learn From These 6 Movies With Horrible Bosses

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‘Business Proposal’ Season 2: Netflix Renewal Status and What We Know So Far

Business Proposal has been major success on Netflix, but will it be returning for a second season?

Business Proposal – copyright. Kross Pictures

Business Proposal has been one of the stand out K-Dramas of 2022, and has amassed over hundred million hours of views from subscribers. But despite the series popularity, it’s unclear if Business Proposal will be retuning for a second season on Netflix. 

Business Proposal is an internationally licensed South Korean Netflix Original drama series based on the popular webtoon novel The Office Blind Date. The series is directed by Park Seon Ho, and was written by screenwriters Han Sul Hee and Hong Bo Hee.

Shin Ha Ri, has been single for a long time and has held a crush for her friend for years, but learns he has a girlfriend, which leaves her incredibly sad, so she turns to her friend Jin Young Seo for support. Young Seo asks Ha Ri to go on a blind date on her behalf and goes in with the intention of turning down the date, only to discover her date is none other than Kang Tae Moo, the CEO of the company where she works.

A Business Proposal Season 2 Netflix Renewal Status

Official Netflix Renewal Status: Pending (Last Updated: 12/04/2022)

A Business Proposal has been extremely popular on Netflix, however, renewal is ultimately not up to the streaming service, and is instead up to the drama’s distributor SBS, and the producer Kross Pictures. The reason for this is that A Business Proposal is an internationally licensed Original and not produced by Netflix.

This isn’t to say that A Business Proposal won’t be renewed, as Netflix could be massively influential in any decisions made.

Over the past several weeks, A Business Proposal has dominated the Netflix’s global top ten Non-English TV list. Between February 28th and April 3rd, the k-drama has watched for a total of 102,840,000 million hours. Taking into consideration that we’re still waiting for the viewing data for the final two episodes, the total hours watched will be considerably higher.

For now, we have to wait for a decision to be made by SBS, but we believe it’s highly unlikely that the show will be renewed for a second season.

Ha Ri and Tae Moo

Love was in the air for everyone in the finale of A Business Proposal.

After spending a significant time throughout the season hiding her true identity from Tae Moo, Ha Ri’s secret was finally revealed but that didn’t stop the young CEO from falling in love with her.

When the pair’s relationship was revealed to everyone, it caused a lot of trouble as Chairman Kang disapproved of their relationship, even asking Ha Ri to end the relationship and quit her job for Tae Moo’s sake. Ha Ri refuses the Chairman’s request, but the old man faked an illness in order to distract Tae Moo. Despite their differences, Ha Ri visits Chairman Kang, and takes care of him, slowly softening his stance.

Tae Moo and Ha Ri are able to get the approval of their parents, but the former has to take his grandfather to the US for treatment. Ha Ri is invited to go along with Tae Moo to America, but she declines, and instead, the pair settle on a long-distance relationship. A year later Tae Moo returns to Korea and reveals his grandfather finally approves of their relationship and proposes to Ha Ri.

Sung Hoon and Yeong Seo

Avoiding the date with Tae Moo so she can find someone to fall in love with, she goes against her father’s wishes, who had hoped by Yeong Seo marrying Tae Moo, they could merge their respective companies.

Yeong Seo eventually moved out of her father’s home, and as fate would have it she would find an apartment next to Tae Moo’s assistant Sung Hoon.

Despite her flirting and advances, Sung Hoon resists due to his concern about what Tae Moo would think. Soon after, Sung Hoon saves Yeong Soo and Ha Ri from a creep who trying to film the pair in the apartment. Eventually, Yeong Soo confesses her feeling for Sung Hoon and the pair begin dating.

Due to her father being so judgemental of Sung Hoon, Yeong Seo leaves her father’s company and starts a brand new life with Sung Hoon. Together, the pair begin their new life by becoming a happily and newly engaged couple after Sung Hoon proposes.

Does the series need a second season?

It may be disappointing to hear for some fans, but no, the series doesn’t need a second season.

The love stories of Ha Ri and Tae Moo, alongside Yeong Seo and Sung Hoon were all left on a happy and positive note. While tension and drama could be crafted from the Tae Moo’s and Yeong Seo’s respective families and their companies, it would feel extremely superficial considering Tae Moo already has the approval of his family, and Yeong Seo removed herself from her father’s influence.

Would you like to see another season of A Business Proposal on Netflix? Let us know in the comments below!

Jacob joined What's on Netflix in 2018 as a fulltime writer having worked in numerous other industries until that point. Jacob covers all things Netflix whether that's TV or movies but specializes in covering new anime and K-dramas. Resides in Norwich in the United Kingdom.

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‘business proposal’ director explains the creation of netflix’s latest k-drama hit.

The Korean rom-com series, starring Ahn Hyo-seop, Kim Se-jeong, Kim Min-kyu and Seol In-ah, was Netflix's most watched non-English show for three consecutive weeks.

By Soomee Park

Soomee Park

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Park Seon-ho tries to avoid feeling too guilty when it comes to clichés. As the director of Business Proposal , the latest hit South Korean romantic comedy based on a popular webtoon of the same title, he sticks to the principle that “what you’re familiar with works the best.” So instead of forcing change or adding artificial flavors, he tries to portray comfortingly predictable scenes as they are.  

For K-drama fans, the plot of the story may indeed ring familiar: An ordinary girl is disguised as her rich friend and meets an arrogant heir of a conglomerate on a blind date at the friend’s request, only to learn that he is the CEO of the company she works for. The two fall in love, and despite the pressures from the boy’s family due to class differences, the couple overcomes hardship and lives happily ever after.  

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Yet this predictable storyline, which adopts the Cinderella plot with a contemporary corporate-workplace twist, resonated in a huge way with many fans of K-drama. On Netflix , where the series was released globally, Business Proposal was the streamer’s No. 1 non-English series for the third consecutive week as of last week. It was also the third-most-watched Netflix show in the world, behind the first two seasons of Bridgerton .  

The Hollywood Reporter talked to director Park to discuss the global success of his latest work and his experiences of working with up-and-coming Korean actors.  

This is your third series after Suspicious Partner and Wok of Love. How did you approach Business Proposal , and what was your first impression of the original webtoon?  

I also shot a short drama series My Fantastic Funeral , so I’d say Business Proposal is actually my fourth piece. After I completed Wok of Love , I was preparing to work on another project, but it fell through with the pandemic. Right when I started feeling frustrated and disappointed with myself because of the lost time of a full year, a production company reached out to me. The impression I got from my first read of the script was great. I accepted the offer because I knew I could enjoy working on the piece. After I said yes, I read the original webtoon series and got the impression that it was a cute and quirky romantic comedy set in an office. I thought, “This is a piece that audiences can enjoy anytime with peace of mind. It doesn’t give you any headaches, and it’s great for relieving stress.” I tried to expand on those impressions from the original webtoon in my process of dramatizing the series.

In the earlier episodes, it was difficult to understand why Tae-moo couldn’t tell the difference between Ha-ri and Geum-hui. Did you have any concerns about this setup?

I had many thoughts about it. I was at a loss as to what to do about it. ( Laughs .) From Kim Se-jeong’s [Ha-ri’s] point of view, she has to switch from Ha-ri and [the rich friend  she’s impersonating] Geum-hui constantly, so the nuances in her acting had to be different. She had to have the basic foundation as a charming lead in a romantic comedy series, while giving variation to her acting style. We gave Geum-hui a more dramatic change in her style, but there were some structural issues to match with that character, so her style had to go through an overhaul again. I communicated with Kim Se-jeong constantly throughout this entire process to build on her opinions, especially in the details in her acting and her overall style. She basically had to prepare for two roles, since she was playing two different characters. I had a lot of thoughts on how the two characters’ relationships with Tae-moo would develop when they met him. With the basics in place for the characters Ha-ri and Geum-hui, the development process was a little bit easier. But I did try to make the flow more natural and the story more realistic since it would have to make sense to the viewers. That’s why we put in scenes where Ha-ri deliberately avoids making eye contact with Tae-moo in the beginning when she encounters him at work. We also added a playful chase scene with her slipper. (We thought it would also be a fun allusion to Cinderella.) Also, we intentionally portrayed Ha-ri as a character who’s very skilled at her job. We made her character likable, but by also highlighting her competence, we emphasized that Tae-moo would be unable to match Ha-ri and Geum-hui because of his very strong impression of Ha-ri as a qualified employee.  

Young-seo and Sung-hoon’s relationship is contrasted with the conventional fairy-tale setting of Tae-moo and Ha-ri. How did you want to portray their relationship?

I didn’t think the relationship between Tae-moo and Ha-ri was that conventional either. ( Laughs .) I thought it had some fantasy aspects to it, so in script meetings with the writer, we agreed to make it more realistic and plausible. Romantic comedy as a genre takes aspects of fantasy for granted (especially in the case of Cinderella-format tales) so I wanted to bring some realness to balance out emotions so that viewers wouldn’t have a hard time accepting the story. Young-seo and Sung-hoon’s relationship is the same. I don’t think that falling in love at first sight or the girl pursuing the guy is that out of the ordinary today. I think what makes their relationship special is the way they express their relationship and how they capture their emotions in their acting. I don’t want these two couples to be a stark contrast of each other. People love in different ways, which is the message I wanted to convey.  

You added interesting visuals by using animated effects. Whose idea was that?  

They all started off as my ideas, and of course our great teams built on it. I focused most on an organic story flow and plausible character emotions. A drama is just a story told using visuals, so I think the story, which is the foundation, is the most important element. That’s why we focused on the overall storyline and the flow of emotions, even though they may not be perfect. Visual effects were used to maintain the integrity of the original webtoon as well. Personally, I like using special visual effects and try to incorporate them where I can. I never use it to compromise the flow of the story or the actors’ performance, though.

What was your first impression of your stars, Ahn Hyo-seop and Kim Se-jeong?

They had great attitudes toward work and understanding their characters. They were diligent. As a producer, I wanted to propel their careers forward so they could build on their stardom as up-and-coming actors. They were both adorable and good at their jobs. At our first meeting, Ahn Hyo-seop was a lot more youthful than I had heard. That’s when I knew that he was the right fit for Tae-moo, not the other way around. I jokingly told him that I wanted to bring out the childish side of him in this series. ( Laughs .) He already had the looks for the part of Tae-moo, so adding on his childlike aspects would bring layers to the character’s complexity. Ahn Hyo-seop as an actor is solid and sincere, so he not only brought out nuanced emotions from the character but also could aptly color Tae-moo’s personality and capture details.

Kim Se-jeong is a former member of a K-pop idol group. Did you have any concerns about her acting experience?  

Not at all. In the first meeting, the writers and I were blown away by how Kim prepped and interpreted her character. I knew she had the will and tenacity to develop her character with vigor. She was perfect for us. We talked extensively about the character’s emotions and their styles. She’s a diligent and talented actor. She’s excellent because she knows how to bring out her own emotions. There are some biases to thinking that people from idol groups might be bad actors. If idol stars go into acting, we can judge them by looking at their previous works. We can fathom what kind of possibilities lie ahead for them as actors, and see if producers can elevate that.

Were there any interesting or memorable anecdotes from the set?

We enjoyed most of our time on set. Sure, there were times when we were tired or frustrated, but our great team of staff, actors and good vibes easily compensated for that. There was a concert scene in the show. The male duo singer group MeloMance [a famous Korean group] accepted being featured in the drama and sang live. They must have been exhausted from shooting since they didn’t have much acting experience, but they took on song requests from our supporting actors in between shoots to provide us with live music. Shooting the concert scene actually felt like we were in a concert. Kim Se-jeong even went onstage and sang with them as a duet.  

The drama is enjoying global popularity thanks to Netflix. Are you conscious of overseas reception? What do you think is behind the show’s global success?

Of course, I’m conscious of it. I’m human, too. ( Laughs .) People around me keep telling me how this blew up through Netflix. I was floored. Many global fans comment on my Instagram posts and show their support. I’m always very grateful. A drama is based on storytelling. If a story is good, it will resonate with people all over the world. I think that was the secret behind Business Proposal . We took a cliché of a story, tweaked it here and there and made it into an emotional, detail-oriented narrative. The actors’ stellar performances and production staff’s competence helped in delivering the story in a beautiful way — they all came together.

Romance as a genre has its limits in giving variations or transcending beyond the fixed structure. Did you have any principles or rules when you were dealing with conventional compositions or clichés?

It’s such a difficult task. It’s really not easy to keep that fine line between refreshing and conventional. I continued to question myself when it came to dealing with clichés, on whether I was making it too predictable or not. I’m still learning and growing, but I study a lot on how I can deliver a story in a way that makes viewers’ hearts flutter but avoids being obvious. So recently a thought came to me, “let’s just be honest about this” and “what you’re familiar with works best.” Let’s not force change or add artificial flavors. Let’s portray predictable scenes as they are, but add changes within that big frame. Clichés get a bad rep, but when used properly, they’re not to be discarded. That’s how I justified some of the scenes. But I’m still searching for the answer, though I don’t even know if there is such a thing as a right answer. ( Laughs .)

In episode 11, there is a love scene between Tae-moo and Ha-ri. Some pointed out that it came off as random in the flow of the story. Are you happy with the outcome?  

I think some people thought that it was random because Tae-moo and Ha-ri were in an innocent relationship where they supported each other emotionally. But from a production point of view, I didn’t want to trap them in this platonic love. They were both adults, so it wasn’t weird that they were doing adult things. Also, at this point of the story, Tae-moo is desperately looking for Ha-ri, and Ha-ri’s feeling is mutual. I know that scene wasn’t for everyone, so I was humbled and reflected on how I have more to learn.  

Some aspects of the drama were hardly relatable to young Koreans today, like how the female lead in the drama has to look after her boyfriend’s sick grandfather or the humiliation of seeking approval from his family.

I completely understand. Even as a fictional drama, it can’t veer too far away from the reality of the time period. That’s why I tried to make the narratives and emotional flows of each character organic with no artificial disruptions. I focused on the overall flow to justify the character’s positions — like why she has no choice but to care for the ill grandfather, or why the humiliation was necessary for approval of their marriage — so that viewers wouldn’t ask themselves, “What on earth are these characters doing?”

K-dramas such as Our Beloved Summer and Twenty-Five Twenty-One have also garnered much attention globally. What do you think is the strength behind K-rom-coms?

I watched them, and thought they were both great pieces. My wife really loved both dramas, too. ( Laughs .) The strengths of Korean rom-coms … that’s a very hard question. It would have to be the plausible narrative built from the beginning and the detailed emotional nuances that the screen captures. There are also amazing actors who are skilled at portraying those emotions beautifully. Lastly, the amazing crew bring it all together through tireless work.

This is your first project after leaving SBS (a major Korean broadcaster). What does Business Proposal mean to you personally?  

I feel relieved and happy. Business Proposal will probably mean “business” and “proposal” for me. This was my first project as a freelancer after leaving the company, and I’m relieved that it came out well. Also, I was happy to work with great crew and actors in the direction I wanted. Viewers feeling happy from watching the drama was the cherry on top for me. The most important factor for me is the people I work with. Even as I venture into different genres and projects, I want to maintain the warmth, the feelings and the good narratives in each of my projects.  

Interview has been edited for length and clarity.

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13 Best Business Shows on Netflix for Entrepreneurs

We’ve curated the 13 best business shows on Netflix, ranging from wildly inspiring to provocative for your entrepreneurial sensibilities, straight from the comfort of your couch.

Everyone loves a good story – especially Hollywood. After all, who doesn’t love plugging into an underdog’s journey to success, especially when the odds are so highly stacked against them? With that in mind, we’ve collated some of our favourite movies, documentaries and tv shows that truly evoke the entrepreneurial spirit. Some are incredibly inspiring, others are cautionary tales, and several, both. So, regardless of whichever stage you are at in building your business, be sure to grab some popcorn and strap in as you make your way through this carefully curated list of the 13 best business shows on Netflix that all entrepreneurs should watch.

Business Shows on Netflix to Watch

1. fyre: the greatest party that never happened .

This Netflix-produced feature chronicles what has become known as the biggest entrepreneurial disaster in millennial history – a supermodel-touted luxury music festival that quickly descended into chaos or, as ticket holders described it, an absolute “shit show.” One of the most thrilling business shows on Netflix, the documentary calls attention to the power of influencer marketing, whilst also serving as a warning. The 400 influencers were instrumental in selling out 5000 tickets which cost up to USD 100,000, only to fly their guests to a scene of muddy beaches, collapsed disaster-relief tents, and no facilities. It documents the festival’s trail of debt to powerful clients and local residents at Great Exuma and ends up landing the man behind it all in jail for wire fraud. What was supposed to be the most luxurious music festival ever is now a cautionary tale on corporate irresponsibility and social media’s heavy influence in shaping our beliefs – and thus realities.  

How accurate Netflix’s version is, however, is up for the viewer to decide, as the film’s executive producer list names companies contracted by Fyre Festival – Vice, Jerry Media, and Matte Projects. 

Key Takeaway: Keep your entrepreneurial dreams realistic

2. Jiro Dreams of Sushi

When you combine an entrepreneur’s perseverance for their passion and creativity, any business will thrive. The humbling work ethic and tenacious strive for perfection are embodied in none other than 85-year-old Jiro Ono, known by his contemporaries as the greatest living sushi chef. His immaculate curation and innovative techniques earned him three Michelin stars for twelve years, but these were stripped away just recently – the celebrity-frequented, 10-seat restaurant had gotten too exclusive for the general public to experience. This documentary traces the maestro’s lifetime of innovating and perfecting his craft and delves into the borderline-obsessive execution behind his facilities, supply chain, and an all-star team that lives up to his definition of success. 

Key Takeaway: Strive for perfection in your quest for success

3. Breaking Bad

Breaking Bad is a gritty, modern favourite of millions worldwide and incorporates a string of power moves businesses should take note of. With five seasons worth of action-packed content, anti-hero Walter White forms a powerful entrepreneurial presence as his alias Heisenberg and delivers a distinctive product in the market that disrupts the drug industry. Walter’s criminal empire rose with his increasingly ambitious drive and creativity in removing competition, forming alliances to stay ahead, and protecting his partners. However, entrepreneurs should also calculate their losses and know when to get out, which is what ultimately leads to Walter’s downfall. Disclaimer: Not everyone can go from high school teacher to ruthless kingpin making millions whilst fighting terminal cancer and Mexican drug lords. 

Key Takeaway: Do your research and know when to cut your losses

4. Dirty Money

Dirty Money is a Netflix investigative documentary series exposing the biggest fish in the pond – the fiscal corruption of billionaire predators. One of the best business shows on Netflix, this harrowing series is a sharply incriminating portrayal of Capitalism and reminds entrepreneurs of when to draw the line between opportunity and exploitation. With a recent premiere of the second season on March 11th, the provocative documentary shows the wretched lengths firms go to profit at the expense of those less fortunate, by any means necessary. Viewers will see HSBC laundering money for drug cartels, Volkswagen’s unabashed billion-dollar deceit, the siphoning of Malaysian sovereign funds that lined the pockets of the rich and famous in Hollywood, and the endless line of victims used and discarded by veteran sociopath Donald Trump and son-in-law Jared Kushner for their appetites for wealth. In this world, profit overrides ethics in judicial systems, and jail time and fines are just part of doing business.

Key Takeaway: Differentiate between opportunity and exploitation, else you could lose everything and it won’t be pretty

You might also like 5 Growth-Hacking Strategies You Need to Grow Your Business Fast

5. Inside Bill’s Brain: Decoding Bill Gates 

This Netflix three-part-documentary, directed by Academy Award-winner Davis Guggenheim, documents the co-founder of tech giant Microsoft, Bill Gates, and his extraordinary journey to becoming one of the most successful entrepreneurs and second-wealthiest person alive. Guggenheim’s portrayal allows viewers to focus on some of the most important entrepreneurial lessons: viewers will learn the value of a never-ending drive to innovate and discover, the importance of social advocacy, and the power of unplugging – a surprising message from one of the world’s biggest tech leaders. However, outside of Bill’s accomplishments and idiosyncrasies, the series does not reveal much of his strained relationship with co-founder Paul Allen or the US government’s lawsuit against Microsoft.

Key Takeaway: Don’t ever stop learning

6. The Big Short 

The 2015 Oscar-winning adaptation of Michael Lewis’ best-selling novel The Big Short , this movie zooms in on the lives of several American financial workers who exploited and saw the build-up to the infamous collapse of the credit and housing bubble in 2008, most notably marked by the abrupt bankruptcy of the Lehman Brothers. Albeit dotted with dizzying terminology, this witty picture is more than just financial jargon and receding hairlines; it pokes fun at the absurdity of the subprime mortgage crisis, has celebrities explain complex terms like MBS and CDOs, and shows how Michael Burry (Christian Bale) navigates careful judgements of risks, opportunities, and corruption, solidly leaving audiences with mixed emotions. 

Key Takeaway: Seize opportunities when you can, but know you might have to face the consequences

7. Yes Man 

This film is the ultimate reminder that even if your team has hired the best talents you’ve found, a workplace environment that stifles honest communication and creativity will not get you anywhere. The premise of Yes Man is simple: What happens when you say yes to everything? The decision catapults our spiralling protagonist into a life of danger and excitement as he lands in unexpected and uncomfortable situations, due to a series of shortsighted and uninformed decisions. With the comedic talents of Jim Carrey and The Hangover ’s Bradley Cooper, this lighthearted movie is an honest portrayal of balancing opportunity and catastrophe and reminds viewers to not take life so seriously.

Key Takeaway: Risk-taking can be a boon as long as you’re thinking long-term too

8. American Factory 

Produced by the Obamas’ Higher Ground Productions, this Academy Award-winning, Netflix-backed documentary is a staggeringly honest and timely portrayal of a divisive clash in workplace culture and the consequences of global hypercapitalism. In 2007 Ohio, Chinese billionaire ‘Chairman Cao’ opened a large-scale glass-making factory that revived an abandoned General Motors plant, hiring over 2,000 blue-collar Americans in the process to join several hundred Chinese workers. American Factory is, in fact, only nominally about America. The film shows Chinese workers grappling with American radicalism and Americans struggling to understand the Chinese workers’ uniformity. Albeit not a light-hearted pick, this film is an important reminder of the costs and benefits an economic boon can create in an area, and the scramble to adapt to an era of automation. 

Key Takeaway: If you’re scaling internationally, prepare yourself for a myriad of culture-clash problems

9. Something Ventured 

A documentary that takes an in-depth look inside the world of venture capitalism, Something Ventured tells the story of how a few risk-taking individuals took the leap to invest in companies that no one else saw potential in – companies like Google, Apple, and Intel – a move that laid the groundwork for America’s startup economy as they provided the working capital to allow these small companies to reach their full potential. The movie gives an honest insight into how these investors, whether through a stroke of genius or simply pure luck, went on to become some of the most successful and prolific venture capitalists of our generation.

Key Takeaway: Extraordinary risks may result in unprecedented rewards

10. The Pursuit of Happyness 

Based on the true ‘rags to riches’ story of American entrepreneur and multi-millionaire Chris Gardner, The Pursuit of Happyness reveals Gardner’s hardships as he deals with homelessness and singlehandedly raising his young son while taking on an unpaid internship as a stockbroker. As he works towards his dream of becoming financially free and providing for his son, Gardner struggles to fight the odds while staying to true to himself, even in the worst of times. 

Key Takeaway: Believe in your dream and never stop working towards it

11. The Wolf of Wall Street 

In yet another Scorsese-DiCaprio classic, The Wolf of Wall Street depicts the real-life story of Jordan Belfort, a shamed Wall Street stockbroker hooked on the extravagant life of rampant fraud and corruption. Following the height of Belfort’s now-infamous career where he was rumoured to be earning close to one million dollars a week, t he film offers an uncompromising portrayal of Belfort’s insatiable corporate greed, capturing the predatory manipulations, drug-fuelled recklessness, and sheer lunacy behind his (short-lived) whirlwind of success. From his cunning intelligence, to trade secrets, business ethics, and of course, the iconic sales pitch , The Wolf of Wall Street is packed full of valuable lessons for everyone in the world of business and entrepreneurship.

Key Takeaway: Money and greed should never be the only drivers for success.

A money-centric Netflix original drama starring Jason Bateman, Ozark follows Marty Byrde, a Chicago-based financial advisor whose fate rests on his promise to launder and deliver a clean $8 million to an aggrieved Mexican drug lord. With stakes at an all-time high, Marty is forced to relocate with his family in the Ozarks – a remote Missouri region with little populous and almost no profitable enterprises. Throughout the series, you’ll be struck by Marty’s diverse set of entrepreneurial skills as he taps into his financial expertise and emotional intellect to find creative escapes under the watchful eye of the cartel, and the added scrutiny of the FBI. Recently renewed for its fourth and final season, it’s a show you won’t want to miss out on. 

Key takeaway:  Money alone does not bring emotional fulfilment, but it does illuminate others’ personal motivations.

13. Billions

This high-stakes American TV drama plays off the tricky dynamics between two elites – Bobby “Axe” Axelrod, a corrupt hedge fund manager, and Chuck Rhodes, a New York District Attorney. Loosely based on historical events, this series delves into the shady side of the law, from insider trading to bribery, and the constant power struggle between the filthy rich stretched over four captivating seasons. With plenty of moral depravity to go around, a surprising dose of self-awareness and some kickass women (special mention to financial genius Taylor Mason, the first major non-binary character to hit American television), Billions is “woke” in a way that will make you rethink the glamour of wealth.

Key Takeaway: Competition can be a good motivator, but don’t let it consume you.

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Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Business Proposal’ On Netflix, A Convoluted Romantic K-Drama Where The Meet-Cutes Are Off The Charts

Where to stream:.

• Business Proposal
• Korean Dramas

Stream It Or Skip It: 'The 8 Show' On Netflix, A Dark Comedy Where People Join A Strange Game Show Where Time Is Literally Money

Stream it or skip it: 'uncle samsik' on hulu, where a corrupt fixer and an idealistic young politician team up in postwar south korea, stream it or skip it: ‘blood free’ on hulu, a korean drama with miracle meat, corporate intrigue, and dangerous secrets, stream it or skip it: 'parasyte: the grey' on netflix, about a woman sharing her brain with an alien parasite.

We’ve talked about the “meet-cutes” in romantic K-dramas before. But we haven’t seen a show with as many “meet-cutes” in a first episode as  Business Proposal , a new drama on Netflix. Read on and find out how many you can put up with.

BUSINESS PROPOSAL : STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

Opening Shot: A young man in a suit trudges through the airport. First we see him in animated form, then the animation goes away and we see him in live action.

The Gist: Kang Tae-mu (Ahn Hyo-seop) has been working overseas for GO Food, the company founded by his grandfather, Kang Da-goo (Lee Deok-hwa). He has been in an overseas office, but has come back to Korea to be installed as the company’s president. He’s serious and detail-oriented, and his grandfather sees him as a workaholic.

Even at the “inaugural” on his first day as the company’s president, he sends his chief of staff, Cha Sung-hoon (Kim Min-kyu) to make a perfunctory speech explaining that he doesn’t have time for all of this ceremony.

At the ceremony is Shin Ha-ri (Kim Se-jeong), a relatively new researcher who wasn’t at the company the last time Tae-mu was in Korea. She has had a crush on Lee Min-woo (Song Won-seok) since their university days, and when he calls her on her birthday, she foregoes birthday dinner plans with her co-workers and goes straight to the chef’s restaurant.

“What if he’s planning to transfer from the friendship line to the boyfriend express?” asks Ha-ri’s bestie Jin Young-seo (Seol In-ah). It turns out he isn’t, but not before she runs in his arms and smashes a cake meant for some of his best customers.

Chairman Kang wants his grandson to find a wife, so he tells Tae-mu that he’s set him up on a series of blind dates with women from some of Seoul’s biggest business families. Tae-mu wants nothing to do with it, but suddenly agrees to go on the first one after a lot of prodding.

Young-seo finds out she’s going on a blind date with some business family’s son, and she hates these setups, so she asks Ha-ri to go in her place; it’s worked before. Ha-ri agrees so she can pay off a debt to her parents’ neighbor after a kerfuffle. When she shows up, she realizes the date is with the president of her company. So she tries her best to turn him off, acting unhinged and talking about the men in her life. None of it dissuades him; he even says yes to her offer to get a room.

After the date, he tells Sung-hoon that he wants to marry who he thinks is Young-seo. She comes from a good family, he likes her honesty, and it’ll get his grandfather off his back. When Young-seo hears this, she persuades Ha-ri to meet him and tell him that she’s not interested. Ha-ri tries one again to tell her that he’s a great catch. Let’s just say things get more complicated from there.

What Shows Will It Remind You Of? Take a romantic K-drama like  Forecasting Love and Weather   and amplify the meet-cutes by 10, and you have  Business Proposal .

Our Take: Business Proposal is based on a webtoon called  The Office Blind Date , and it seems to have that kind of feeling, where there’s complications and convolutions galore, and characters that are only somewhat based on reality.

Your enjoyment of the series really depends on how you feel about misunderstandings and complications. As much as Ha-ri wants her friend Young-seo to straighten out this mess, she still gets in deeper the more she meets Tae-mu in the guise of a crazy version of Young-seo. And, of course, she’s run into him at the office, and she has seemed to get his attention for the product research she’s done. So how will she be able to separate her office self from the one pretending to be Young-seo? And when she inevitably falls for Tae-mu, where does she go from there?

Then there’s the matter of Young-seo, who has a love-at-first-sight encounter with Sung-hoon outside a convenience store. You see where this is going, right? When she’s around Sung-hoon, who’s around Tae-mu, who does she say she is? All of these complications might make for a good episode of  Three’s Company , but it feels exhausting for a multiple-episode K-drama.

Sex and Skin: None.

Parting Shot: Trying to avoid Min-woo, Ha-ri ducks into what turns out to be Tae-mu’s car, and sparks fly.

Sleeper Star: Lee Deok-hwa is funny as Chairman Kang, who still wants to watch “his shows” even though he’s the chairman of a huge food conglomerate.

Most Pilot-y Line: One of the scandalous things Ha-ri wanted to do to turn Tae-mu off is… show her bare shoulders! Wow, that  is scandalous!

Our Call: SKIP IT. You may like the complications of a romantic K-drama like  Business Proposal , but we feel it’s trying a bit too hard to make a unique love story.

Will you stream or skip the romantic K-drama #BusinessProposal on @netflix ? #SIOSI — Decider (@decider) March 1, 2022

Joel Keller ( @joelkeller ) writes about food, entertainment, parenting and tech, but he doesn’t kid himself: he’s a TV junkie. His writing has appeared in the New York Times, Slate, Salon, RollingStone.com , VanityFair.com , Fast Company and elsewhere.

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Netflix Business Model (2023) | How does Netflix make money

Last Updated: Feb 3, 2023

Company: Netflix, Inc. Co-CEO:  Ted Sarandos & Greg Peters Year founded: 1997 Headquarter:  Los Gatos, USA Type: Public Ticker Symbol: NFLX (NASDAQ) Market Cap (Feb 2023):  $ 162.95 Billion Annual Revenue(FY22): $ 31.6 Billion Profit |Net income (FY22): $ 4.49 Billion

Products & Services:  Netflix Official Website | Monthly Subscription Plans | Video Recommendation-Algorithm System Offerings Streaming Options Domestic (featured tool) | International Streaming Options and Features Competitors:   Amazon Prime Video | HULU | YouTube | Direct TV | Sony PlayStation’s Vue | HBO | Sling TV | HotStar | Disney + | Apple TV+

Table of Contents

Introduction to Netflix, Inc.

Netflix, Inc . happens to be one of the most successful entertainment mass-media-companies of all times. Netflix, Inc. originally began its inception in 1998 by providing services to customers through means of mailing out physical copies of movies, shows, video games and other forms of media through standard mailing system.

Through its successful startup and the rapid changes that technology introduced over time, Netflix converted its business model . They went from physical copies handouts to allowing customers streaming their favorite contents from the comfort of their own convenience.

Today, the platform has advanced to streaming technologies that have elevated and improved Netflix’s overall business structure and revenue. The platform provides its viewers the ability to stream and watch a variety of TV shows, movies, documentaries and much more, through means of using a software application.

Since Netflix converted to streaming, it is the world’s ninth-largest internet company by revenue , ranging its presence at a global scale. The following is a compilation that comprises specifications of Netflix’s business canvas model and its core operations.

Business Model Canvas of Netflix

1. Netflix’s Key Partners

Netflix has built more than 35+ partners across the media business. Netflix today has millions of different types of genres for subscribers to select from and enjoy watching. 

• Built alliances with Smart TV companies like LG and Sony for new emerging markets and several other aspects.
• Netflix has set an alliance with Wii , X-Box , PlayStation and many other brands in the gaming industry. Netflix built partnerships to provide and cater its “ gamer-clients ” with an entertainment video game.
• Netflix joined forces and partnered with Dish, Tivo and other TV network companies.
• Netflix crucial phase of converting the business from mail-in-system to streaming, Netflix established a partnership with Apple , Android, and Microsoft .
• Finally, Netflix joined the network and big data providers like Google and Amazon . (Amazon was accompanied to promote Netflix listings and subscription options)
• Netflix recently partnered with Samsung to further integrate its streaming service with Galaxy smartphones. In exchange, Samsung users will benefit from Netflix’s original shows and special bonus content.
• To expand in West Africa more aggressively, Netflix partnered with Nigerian filmmaker Mo Abudu , the owner of Ebony Life TV. This partnership will enable Netflix to create new content targeting consumers in West African nations.

2. Netflix’s Value Propositions

Netflix strategizes methods and aims to provide the best customer experience by deploying valuable propositions.

Here are a few of what Netflix idolizes:

• Users can stream 24-7, minus the ads !
• View shows & movies in high-definition
• Stream content conveniently anywhere without going to a DVD store or theatre
• Get unlimited access to TV shows and movies
• Access to exclusive Netflix’s original movies or shows
• New signups can avail a 30-day free trial ( 1 month free of services )
• Contract-oriented but can cancel at any time !
• Access locally-produced and culturally-relevant content
• Receive algorithmic recommendation for new items to watch
• Avoid commercials ads- Some people like looking at commercials and other advertisements and some people avoid them.
• At Netflix, users have the flexibility to either turn on notifications and suggestions or keep them switched off.
• Netflix “ user profiles ” gives leverage for users to personalize their user account and preferences. The User profiles allow the “admin-user” to modify, allow or ever restrict certain users
• Sharing accounts options is one of the rarest features a movie platform can provide. Sharing accounts feature on Netflix allows spouses, friends or even groups to share an account with specific filters and preferences already set.
• Netflix solves the issues with theaters and mainstream media that frustrated most consumers. The company promises to solve the problems of its target with four simple words – Watch Anywhere. Cancel Anytime .

3. Netflix’s Key Activities

• Hire and retain software and tech geeks
• Maintain and expand its platform on the website, Mobile apps, TV apps.
• Produce, acquire and license Netflix’s original content to expand its video library
• Develop its pricing strategy and subscription model to ensure affordability and new customer acquisition.
• Develop a roadmap to enter into the new market .
• Ensure great user recommendation to retain current customer base.
• Build and secure a partnership with Studios and content production house
• Negotiate the deals with Studios, Content providers and Movie production houses
• Comply with the laws (laws as per to State or Region/country), maintaining compliance to censorship , specifically for minors and children. Netflix has always promoted and operated within the boundaries of censorship.
• Supporting disadvantaged communities and other ideological issues that are important to its customers. 
• Building local communities and economies that support the development of its local original content .

4. Netflix’s Customer Segments

• The Netflix platform is designed to offer a vast collection of different types of genres for subscribers to select from. Their collection (movies or shows) are designed appropriately for
• Everyone, who is interested in watching movies, TV shows and documentaries – and honestly who isn’t?
• Although Netflix offers content for children and adults alike, Netflix aims to promote Family-friendly , educational and entertaining content to help capture the better interests of families.

5. Netflix’s Customer Relationships

Self-setup made easy.

• Netflix platform was originally designed to ensure that it is simple and easy to use.
• Developers of the Website ensured to associate elements and themes that serves and promotes friendliness and provides a self-setup

Exceptional Customer Experience

• Netflix provides customer services through means of the website portal, email inquiries and users have the option to reach a representative directly, by telephone and live chat.

Online Live Chat Services

• Users have the option to opt-in to a live chat session with a Netflix representative.
• Users can directly chat with a Netflix representative to ask questions and support related inquiries.
• Request for discounts and other special promotional deals that they may qualify or offer such user or subscriber.

Social media

• Channeling major advertisements, deals, and other promotional deals through Social media channels and other relative platforms to help gain the high attraction of customer and new sign up users conversions.
• Social media is also used to inform and update individuals that operate or are familiar with the Netflix platform. Such platforms may include Facebook , LinkedIn , Instagram, Twitter , Snapchat etc.

Netflix gift Cards

• Part of the subscription plan, all users will be geared to receive special promotional discounts and other gift cards to avail.

6. Netflix’s Key Resources

Software developers.

• Software developers at Netflix are at constant innovation
• Design and enhance to help create a better customer-user experience

Recommendation system (algorithm)

• Artificial intelligence and selection preference sequence technology helps developers design and build the recommendation algorithm system for its users.
• Some data are based on “new releases,” or internal data that identifies user watch selection and the most viewed.
• Provides users with relative results based off of frequent searches

7. Netflix’s Channels

Through Netflix’s channeling sequence, users and interested users can access Netflix platform from one or more of the following;

• Online streaming through the website
• Streaming through Mobile apps
• Streaming on TV Apps and Gaming consoles
• Mail delivery for DVDs

8. Netflix’s Cost Structure

• Major purchasing rights establishment (TV shows and movies)
• Cost of producing movies
• Cost for providing personalized recommendations, R&D and artificial intelligence
• Subscription maintenance cost
• Paid-Connection deal with Internet Service Provider (ISP) such as Comcast to stream Netflix data at high speed.
• Infrastructure (data centers) cost of streaming content
• DVDs and mail-related shipping costs
• Employee salary distribution (customer service, Engineers, etc.)

9. Netflix’s Revenue Streams

It wasn’t until 2007, when Netflix launched “streaming” services through Netflix subscription plans , that it attained significant revenue streams and additional revenues.  

• Monthly subscriptions fees with three different price options In US market (Basic – $8.99/month, Standard – $12.99/ month & Premium – $15.99/ month)
• Netflix has established a global presence with international streaming to expand its customer base.
• Upselling opportunities – Upgrade from Basic to Premium Plan etc.
• Money-making movie studio with Netflix original shows like fuller house, house of cards, etc.

How does Netflix Make Money?

Netflix was a platform which started as only offering an extensive collection of movies, shows and dramas (925 listings) through the mail-in-delivery system . It wasn’t till 2007 when Netflix has decided to convert their business structure from mail-in-system to streaming content based on subscriptions. Before launching online streaming in 2007, Netflix revenue on average summed at annually at around $997 million . 

Subscription-based Business Model

• Netflix has over 230 million members from over 190 countries (as of Dec 2022)
• In fiscal year 2022, Netflix generated  $31.6 billion annual revenue from both the United States and international regions.

Important partnerships

• One of the most influential tactics implemented was its ability to build alliances with a wide range of movie producers, filmmakers , writer, and animators to receive content and legally broadcasting the contents required aligning licenses.
• To make the Netflix platform and its streaming possible, setting the partnership between Internet Service provider was also crucially important.

Technology ( Monolithic architecture )

• Technology platforms allowed “streaming” accessibility to become convenient and unique and during their conversion year in 2007, not a lot of media companies offered such, which made the platform greatly attractive.

During the early year in 2000, Blockbuster was offered to purchase Netflix and all of its assets for only $50 million .

As of feb 2023, Netflix is worth $163   Billion in market cap value. Perhaps, it isn’t really about what a company sells, rather, it’s about how a company sells or promotes its products.

Through Netflix’s powerful technological tactics, innovating the accessibilities has helped to increase customer/user experience positively. Netflix implemented in several areas that helped to capture the global market. 

 References & more information

• Netflix Annual Report

Tell us what you think? Did you find this article interesting?                                                     Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments section below.

A management consultant and entrepreneur. S.K. Gupta understands how to create and implement business strategies. He is passionate about analyzing and writing about businesses.

11 comments

Cancel reply.

Informative article, exactly what I needed.

Informative article!

Thanks Umar, Happy reading !

Disney+ next?:)

really a good one

Thanks Luca !

Yes, artical was very informative. Thank you.

Kirby – Thank you for the great feedback, really appreciate it. Happy reading !!!

excellent insight

Great article! Where can I find the list of sources you used? Thank you!

The Primary source of the article is Netflix’s Annual report – you can find the link in the reference section. And for secondary sources, links are embedded within the article.

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20 Best Business Movies on Netflix Every Entrepreneur Should Watch

Avantika Bhardwaj , Akshat Hawelia

Entrepreneurs, just like anyone else, also appreciate a relaxing evening. And what better way to unwind than by indulging in a night of binge-watching Netflix? But here's the exciting part: even during your downtime, you can find inspiration and ignite your entrepreneurial spirit by watching the right movies and clips. So, grab your popcorn and get ready for a lightning bolt of inspiration as we explore the world of captivating films that can leave a lasting impact on your entrepreneurial journey.

Let’s bring on the new culture of NETFLIX & LEARN.

By watching movies that inspire us, we can absorb the qualities of our favorite characters and gather new ideas right from the comfort of our couches. If you are a business enthusiast looking for some captivating movies to inspire and entertain you, Look no further! In this blog, we have curated a list of the best business movies available on Netflix that will take you on a thrilling journey into the world of entrepreneurship, corporate intrigue, and financial success. From true stories of visionary entrepreneurs to gripping tales of corporate scandals, these movies offer valuable insights and entertainment for both aspiring and seasoned business professionals. Get ready to be inspired, motivated, and entertained as we explore the top business movies streaming on Netflix.

The graph shows the number of Netflix global subscribers from 2017 to 2023. The number of subscribers has increased yearly, from 99.04 million in 2017 to 238.4 million in 2023. This represents a growth rate of over 240% in six years.

Best Business Movies on Netflix

Here are some of the best movies for entrepreneurs on Netflix to get inspired by. These Netflix movies about business are a great source of business motivation for entrepreneurs.

• The Pursuit of Happyness
• The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind
• The Theory Of Everything
• Manjhi – The Mountain Man

The Social Dilemma

Fyre: the greatest party that never happened, the big short, the defiant ones.

• The Social Network
• The Founder
• The Great Hack
• Bob Ross: Happy Accidents, Betrayal & Greed

Downfall: The Case Against Boeing

Inside bill's brain: decoding bill gates.

This movie is based on Chris Gardner's heart-wrenching “upward mobility” memoir, The Pursuit of Happyness is all about winning the fight against all odds that life throws on you while staying true to your inner compass. The story details Chris's nearly year struggle with homelessness while raising his young son and pursuing an unpaid internship as a stockbroker. At times, he had to resort to sleeping in a subway bathroom, while struggling to sell medical bone-density scanners for income. It has been decades since this film was released, and yet the subject is still relevant today.

The Pursuit of Happyness Trailer | Netflix Business Movies

What should we learn from "The Pursuit of Happyness" movie?

"The Pursuit of Happyness" teaches us the valuable lessons of resilience, determination, and the power of belief in oneself. As an entrepreneur, it reminds us to never give up, even in the face of adversity, and to keep striving for our dreams. It also emphasizes the importance of taking risks, seizing opportunities, and maintaining a positive attitude throughout the entrepreneurial journey.

This Netflix original is based on the true story of a boy named William Kamkwamba, who saved his town from famine by constructing a windmill to provide water and electricity. He was an adolescent when he was forced to drop out of school in Malawi because his family couldn’t afford the school fees. As famine hit his village, he began to search for a solution. He borrowed books from his former school’s library, and in them, he learned about wind turbines. At its heart, this is a story of incredible innovation.

What should we learn from "The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind" movie?

"The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind" teaches us several lessons as an entrepreneur. It highlights the power of innovation , problem-solving, and resourcefulness. The movie demonstrates that even in challenging circumstances, one can find creative solutions to overcome obstacles and achieve their goals. It inspires entrepreneurs to think outside the box, leverage their skills and knowledge, and make a positive impact on their community. Additionally, it emphasizes the importance of perseverance, determination, and the belief that one person can make a difference through their entrepreneurial endeavors.

The movie is based on the Late Stephen Hawking, who has been one of the most brilliant and influential scientists of our time. But as well as, harboring an exemplary scientific mind, he was an extraordinary man. Hawking was a fighter who overcame what was supposed to be a fatal case of ALS also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, and so he went on to live a full and accomplished life. He was advised by the doctor that he won’t survive not more than two or three years when he was diagnosed in 1964, but the disease progressed slower than expected. Although Hawking was confined to a wheelchair for much of his life, and as his condition worsened, he had to resort to speaking through a voice synthesizer and communicating by moving his eyebrows.

What should we learn from the movie "The Theory Of Everything"?

"The Theory of Everything" offers valuable lessons for entrepreneurs. The movie teaches us the importance of embracing challenges, adapting to adversity, and never giving up. It emphasizes the power of passion and curiosity in driving innovation and pushing boundaries.

Moneyball is a captivating sports drama that portrays the true story of Billy Beane, the general manager of the Oakland Athletics, and his innovative approach to building a competitive baseball team on a limited budget. Facing financial constraints and struggling to keep up with wealthier teams, Beane partners with Peter Brand, an economics graduate, to revolutionize player evaluation using sabermetric principles. The film showcases how they challenged conventional wisdom and traditional scouting methods, ultimately leading to a historic 20-game winning streak during the 2002 season.

What should we learn from the movie "Moneyball"?

Moneyball inspires entrepreneurs to leverage their knowledge and embrace change to achieve remarkable outcomes and make a meaningful impact in their endeavors. It demonstrates that with the right mindset and approach, transformative achievements are possible, even in industries with established norms and limitations.

"Manjhi - The Mountain Man" is a biographical drama film based on the true story of Dashrath Manjhi, a poor laborer from Bihar, India. The movie portrays the incredible journey of Manjhi, who single-handedly carved a path through a mountain using only a hammer and chisel.

Motivated by his wife's death due to lack of medical access, Manjhi spent 22 years breaking down the barrier to improve his community's lives. The film showcases his determination, resilience, and belief in the power of an individual to make a difference. It is an inspiring tale of triumph over adversity.

What should we learn from the movie "Manjhi- The Mountain Man"?

The movie emphasizes that with determination, resourcefulness, and a strong drive toward your dreams, you can overcome obstacles and achieve success. It inspires us to challenge excuses, push through limitations, and carve our own path to success, just as Manjhi did.

This is a sci-fi drama that is basically peaking onto the influence of the subconscious over our waking lives and what reality really means. The protagonist uses "inception" to implant another person's idea into his target's subconscious. However, the subconscious mind will repel the attempts of inception, especially if that planted idea isn’t authentic. The plot explores the idea of “dream-sharing,” connecting with others on a much deeper level and being able to tap into someone’s core beliefs.

What should we learn from the movie "Inception"?

It teaches us the art of persuasive storytelling and marketing. Just like the characters in the movie plant ideas in people's minds, entrepreneurs can use strategic messaging and storytelling techniques to influence their target audience. By crafting compelling narratives that resonate with customers, entrepreneurs can create a sense of ownership and inspire them to take action, making their products or services feel like a natural and irresistible choice.

This is a biographical movie based on Steve Jobs , who was not about to follow the given paths to success. The film is divided into three parts, each focused on the time period prior to the launch of their key products. The scenes have offered crucial insights not only into professionality but also into strained personal life. Steve offered opportunities who shared his obsessions and were determined to do it. It also showed that Steve was not good at playing well with others.

Steve Jobs Official Trailer | Best Business Movies for Entrepreneurs on Netflix

What should we learn from the "Steve Jobs" movie?

Steve Jobs' story reminds us that great ideas can disrupt industries, and success comes from challenging the status quo and pushing boundaries. It also emphasizes the significance of strong leadership, effective communication , and the ability to inspire and motivate teams. As an entrepreneur, "Steve Jobs" teaches us to believe in our vision, persevere through setbacks, and never settle for mediocrity in our pursuit of greatness.

“Saying Yes to everything life” leads to funny chaos of scenes in the protagonist’s life. That’s because life, with all of its chaos, danger, and fun, is meant to be fully embraced. In the movie, Carl Allen is a man who basically lives to say no to everything. Completely stuck in a negative mindset , Carl attends a conference based on the concept of saying yes to any question thrown his way. What happens next is the result of Carl saying yes to every opportunity — which of course is insane and a lot of fun. In the end, Carl realizes he’s taken the “yes” exercise a little too far, but he’s changed for the better.

What should we learn from the "Yes Man" movie?

The movie teaches us the power of saying "yes" to new opportunities and experiences. As an entrepreneur , it is important to be open-minded, embrace change, and be willing to take risks. "Yes Man" reminds us that stepping out of our comfort zone and embracing a positive attitude can lead to personal and professional growth. By adopting a "yes" mentality, entrepreneurs can discover new paths, expand their network, and unlock hidden potential.

"The Social Dilemma" is a thought-provoking documentary that delves into the hidden consequences of social media and the impact of technology on society. It features interviews with former employees from major tech companies who provide insights into the design and algorithms used to keep users engaged and addicted to social media platforms. The film raises awareness about the negative effects of excessive screen time, the erosion of privacy, and the proliferation of misinformation.

What should we learn from "The Social Dilemma" movie?

"The Social Dilemma" provides valuable lessons for businesses, stressing the significance of ethical technology design and prioritizing user well-being over profit. It encourages questioning the information consumed online and developing critical thinking skills for responsible navigation in the digital landscape. By applying these lessons, we can foster a conscious and responsible digital future, where technology serves as a tool for positive societal impact, rather than manipulation.

Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened is a captivating Netflix documentary released in 2019. It delves into the story of Billy McFarland and the Fyre music festival, a booking app that promised a luxurious musical experience on a Bahamian island. Targeting affluent young individuals with alluring promotions featuring stunning models and the promise of an extraordinary night of music and revelry, the documentary unveils the harsh reality of a failed event that never came to fruition.

What should we learn from the movie Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened?

The movie "Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened" teaches us the importance of honesty, transparency, and delivering on promises as entrepreneurs. It serves as a reminder that building a successful venture requires more than just hype and marketing tactics ; it necessitates genuine planning, organization, and delivering value to customers.

The biographical comedy-drama was picturized based on the book The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine. The story was about a housing bubble where most people took housing loans as their choice and couldn’t able to repay on time. This happened because Michael Burray the MD of Hedge Funds predicted housing loans would be the future and had bet 1 billion dollars and this steep made others take huge loans and invest in his way without a second thought of the future. This led to the biggest financial crisis in 2007-2008. Then few financial experts worked on the issue and saved the crisis.

What should we learn from the movie The Big Short?

"The Big Short" highlights the importance of critically analyzing the prevailing financial system and being aware of potential risks. It emphasizes the significance of questioning assumptions, conducting thorough research, and taking proactive measures to protect oneself from financial crises . Trusting in one's own efforts and staying determined are key to navigating uncertain times successfully.

The Ambitious HBO's TV series The Defiant Ones was a four-part documentary about Jimmy Lovine and Dr. Dre's impeccable music partnership and was released in 2017. Together, they formed Beats Electronics, which was later sold to Apple Inc. The four-part documentary shows the struggles faced by Jimmy Lovine and Dr. Dre individually and how they came together to form Beats Electronics.

Part 1 shows how both started their careers individually with many failures setbacks and frustrating moments and insults.

Part 2 shows the aspiration of both when by the little success of Fuck tha Police to Dre and a few hits to Jimmy.

Part 3 shows Jimmy founded Interscope Records and had a contract with Nine Inch Nails rock band to hail the music.

Part 4 shows the forming of Beats Electronics with the ambitious partnership and becoming a colossal success and then was sold to Apple for 3 billion dollars in 2014.

The Defiant Ones Official Trailer | Best Business Related Movies

What should we learn from the movie The Defiant Ones?

"The Defiant Ones" teaches us the importance of perseverance and resilience in the face of adversity. It inspires us to never give up on our dreams and to maintain a "never quit" attitude, no matter how challenging the journey may be. The movie reminds us that with determination and unwavering belief in ourselves, we can overcome obstacles and achieve our goals.

The story is about the youngest and richest billionaire and founder of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg. Mark Zuckerberg, angry with his girlfriend, created a website called Facemash and listed the total number of girls in the university (Harward) and started to give a rating to them. Soon, it went on to reach even students of Harward. Knowing such an act by the administration, Mark got rusticated for six months. Attracted by such an attempt, Mark started improvising the idea in a bigger manner and launched Facebook along with his friend Eduardo Saverin. Then Mark started expanding the Facebook network from one university to another and from one place to another, making it a huge success.

What should we learn from the movie The Social Network?

"The Social Network" teaches us that turning an idea into reality requires relentless effort and perseverance. Despite facing numerous challenges and obstacles, the protagonist's determination to bring his vision to life sets him apart. The movie showcases how Facebook, with over 480 billion accounts, has become a global phenomenon. It reminds us that those who take action and bring their ideas into the world have the potential to create history and leave a lasting impact.

In this American biographical drama, the story revolves around Ray Kroc, the man responsible for turning McDonald's into a global fast-food empire. The film explores the origins of McDonald's and the visionary ideas of the McDonald brothers. It then delves into Kroc's journey as he recognizes the potential of their fast-food system and persuades them to franchise their restaurants. However, Kroc's rise to success comes at the expense of his relationship with the McDonald brothers and his own moral compass.

What should we learn from the movie The Founder?

The movie "The Founder" teaches us the importance of perseverance, seizing opportunities, and the impact of decision-making on personal relationships and integrity in the pursuit of entrepreneurial success.

"The Great Hack" delves into the depths of the Cambridge Analytica controversy, exposing the subtle exploitation of social media data for political benefit. The story of David Carroll, a determined professor seeking access to his data, Brittany Kaiser, a former Cambridge Analytica employee turned whistleblower, and Carole Cadwalladr, a relentless investigative journalist, is intertwined as they uncover the scope of the data harvesting operation and its impact on the 2016 US presidential election and the Brexit vote. The movie highlights frightening issues about data privacy, the ability of social media to influence minds, and the potential erosion of democratic norms in the digital age as the layers of deception unravel.

What should we learn from the movie The Great Hack?

The movie teaches us that businesses should prioritize data transparency and accountability, exercise responsible data collection practices, implement robust data security measures, refrain from misusing data for manipulative tactics, uphold ethical data practices in advertising, collaborate with data brokers responsibly, and stay informed about data regulations and industry standards.

Bob Ross: Happy Accidents, Betrayal & Greed

The documentary explores the life and career of painter and television broadcaster Bob Ross and the battle for his commercial empire. It humanizes Ross, challenging the idea of him as a novelty and highlighting the ownership dispute around his franchise. The documentary tries to present a more complex perspective of Bob Ross and his legacy, highlighting the need not to oversimplify his image. It was launched on August 25, 2021, and has been described as educational and thought-provoking.

What should we learn from the movie Bob Ross?

As it digs into the battle over Bob Ross's economic empire following his death, it highlights the necessity of protecting one's legacy and business interests. The documentary emphasizes the need to know the business side of creative efforts and the possible difficulties that might develop when commercial interests collide with artistic integrity. It also underlines the need for individuals to be cautious in protecting their intellectual property and economic operations to guarantee that their objectives preserve their legacy.

The film explores the reasons for the 2008 global financial crisis. The film thoroughly accounts for the events leading up to the crisis, including financial industry deregulation, the increase of subprime mortgages, and the development of complicated financial products such as Collateralized Debt Obligations (CDOs). The movie is one of the top business movies on Netflix. It also investigates the crisis's impact on key financial institutions, rating agencies, and government authorities. The film emphasizes the financial industry's lack of accountability and ethical standards and the need for increased transparency and regulation.

What should we learn from the movie Inside Job?

The film teaches various important business principles, particularly company ethics and financial regulation. The film emphasizes the importance of better accountability and ethical standards in the financial industry, shedding attention on the repercussions of uncontrolled greed and a lack of regulatory monitoring. It highlights the significance of ethical business practices, transparency, and stronger regulation to avoid future financial disasters. Furthermore, the film serves as a reminder of the financial sector's connectivity with politics and academia, emphasizing the potential influence of these relationships on the global economy.

Downfall: The Case Against Boeing looks into the events that led to Lion Air Flight 610 and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 crashes, including the Boeing 737 MAX. The documentary investigates Boeing's culture of concealment and the company's negligence in addressing component failures in the 737 MAX. It links these concerns to Boeing's capitalization and the shareholder-first attitude that evolved following its 1997 acquisition of McDonnell Douglas. The documentary presents a devastating depiction of the catastrophes caused by Boeing's wrongdoing and greed, contextualizing Boeing's guilt within bigger trends in American corporate governance. It also highlights the need to transition toward safety-conscious engineering and responsible business decision-making in the aerospace sector.

What should we learn from the movie Downfall: The Case Against Boeing?

Maintaining a culture of safety and quality is of utmost importance, as responsible corporate decision-making is crucial. This documentary highlights the dangers of prioritizing financial gain over ethical business practices and neglecting regulatory oversight, emphasizing the need for transparency and accountability in industries where safety is paramount. Additionally, it serves as a reminder of the significance of crisis management and the importance of companies having effective risk management strategies in place.

"Inside Bill's Brain: Decoding Bill Gates" is a 2019 Netflix documentary series that provides insights into the life and work of Bill Gates , focusing on his philanthropic efforts, childhood, and his pursuit of solutions to global challenges such as sanitation and climate change . The series offers a glimpse into Gates' personal and professional life, showcasing his determination, problem-solving approach, and commitment to positively impacting the world. It sheds light on the complexity of Gates' character and his efforts to address significant global issues.

What should we learn from Inside Bill's Brain: Decoding Bill Gates?

The documentary "Inside Bill's Brain: Decoding Bill Gates" is a source of valuable business lessons. It emphasizes the importance of continuous learning, thinking globally, and collaborating with passionate problem solvers. The film also highlights the significance of forming partnerships, practicing compassion, and developing clean and efficient solutions. It underscores the need to comprehend complex systems, detach oneself from emotions, and work diligently to tackle significant global challenges.

The film Baazaar depicts the financial market's underbelly. The plot revolves around an ambitious young man who moves to Mumbai and works as a stock trader for an infamous businessman. Saif Ali Khan , Rohan Vinod Mehra, Radhika Apte, and Chitrangada Singh play pivotal parts. The video provides viewers interested in the stock market with insights into the market and enjoyment.

What should we learn from the movie Bazaar?

The film "Baazaar" teaches various business lessons, including the need for long-term and ethical business methods, avoiding shortcuts for rapid success, and completing rigorous study and analysis before making investment decisions. It also underlines the risks of blindly following market leaders and the significance of developing one's tactics. The film explores the complexities of the financial market and promotes slow and lasting returns over fast gains, emphasizing the importance of diligence and caution in business dealings.

So, NETFLIX & LEARN!

Exploring the world of business through movies can be both entertaining and educational. The best business movies on Netflix provide valuable insights, inspiring stories, and lessons that entrepreneurs can apply to their own journeys. These films offer a glimpse into the triumphs, challenges, and strategies employed by successful entrepreneurs, showcasing the highs and lows of the business world. By watching these movies, we can gain inspiration, learn from the experiences of others, and gain a fresh perspective on various aspects of entrepreneurship. These are some of the best business movies on Netflix 2023 to watch. So grab your popcorn, settle in, and let these movies spark your entrepreneurial spirit and motivate you on your path to success.

What are the movies to watch for entrepreneurs?

The best business movies on Netflix to watch for entrepreneurs are:

Are these business movies based on true stories?

Yes, business movies like The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, Moneyball, The Pursuit of Happyness, and more are some of the most popular movies based on true stories.

Is The Pursuit of Happyness a true story?

The Pursuit of Happyness is a true story based on the Real-Life Rags of Successful Businessman Chris Gardner. Entrepreneurs can learn a lot from this business movie on Netflix.

Is The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind a true story?

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind is a true story based on Malawian inventor & engineer- William Kamkwamba. The movie is a story about the incredible journey of innovation. It is a must-watch entrepreneur movie on Netflix.

Is Manjhi the Mountain Man a true story?

Yes, Manjhi- the Mountain Man is a true story of Dashrath Manjhi who is also known as Mountain Man. He was a laborer in Gehlaur village in Bihar, India who carved a path for crossing a mountain. It is one of the best entrepreneur movies on Netflix.

Can Netflix be used in two different locations with one account?

A Netflix account is meant for one household's use, allowing all members to access it from different locations and benefit from new features like Transfer Profile and Manage Access and Devices.

Can business movies provide practical business advice?

Yes, business-related movies often depict real-world business scenarios and can offer valuable insights and lessons for entrepreneurs.

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How Does Netflix Make Money? Netflix Business Model Analysis

Netflix is a subscription-based business model making money with three simple plans: basic, standard, and premium, giving access to stream series, movies, and shows. Leveraging on a streaming platform, Netflix generated over $33.7 billion in 2023, with an operating income of over $6.95 billion and a net income of over $5.4 billion. Starting in 2013, Netflix started to develop its content under the Netflix Originals brand, which today represents the most important strategic asset for the company that, in 2023, counted over 260 million paying members worldwide.

Netflix Business Model Short Description

Netflix is a subscription-based business model making money with three simple plans : basic, standard, and premium, giving access to stream series, movies, and shows.

Leveraging on a streaming platform, Netflix generated over $31.6 billion in 2022.

Since 2013, Netflix has been transitioning from a platform (primarily providing licensed content) to a media powerhouse (mostly producing its own content). In 2021, Netflix spent over $4 billion on produced content.

We describe the Netflix   business model   via the   VTDF framework   developed by FourWeekMBA.

Table of Contents

Netflix’s business model today

Before we dive into the history and break down the Netflix business model.

Let’s look at some of the key highlights from the current landscape of 2022.

Let’s do that by looking at the graphic below:

2022 marked the year where The Walt Disney Company managed to build a streaming empire, which passed Netflix’s total subscription count.

Indeed, by November 2022, Disney’s streaming products had reached over 235 million subscribers, compared to the 230 million subscribers of Netflix.

It’s important to highlight and emphasize that Disney achieved that with a multi-product strategy , where with different streaming services (the primary ones are Disney+, ESPN+, and Hulu), it managed to grow big in a short time frame successfully.

Yet, it’s also true that Disney still has the option to bundle these streaming services up in a single offering. This indeed might be a possible move by Dinsey to expand its streaming empire further.

In fact, Netflix started as an aggregator, and by 2013, it had begun to invest more and more into original content. Going forward, Netflix’s main advantage will be built on original content.

2022 has been a difficult year for Netflix, and yet a year that is determining a business model transition that can help the company transition to a billion members/users worldwide.

To give you a little bit of context about what happened in 2022. By Q1 of 2022, for the first time in its history, Netflix subscribers had slowed down.

Yet by the end of 2022, Netflix was back on track, bringing its subscriber base to over 230 million subscribers.

This made the company rethink its all business model and evaluates, for the first time since its inception, an ad-supported Netflix.

Of course, the company might have been experimenting over the years with ads; we can’t know for sure.

Yet, the real move into the ad-supported business came this year.

Thus, let me take you through the journey to show you the various transitions, or if you wish, in startup lingo, the “pivots” Netflix has been going through for most of its history:

• Business model change number one: the initial idea of Netflix came when Randolph and Hastings carpooled for a few months, trying to figure out their next business venture. When Randolph pitched for the first time the idea of running a movie-by-mail business, Hastings wasn’t impressed. However, a couple of months after their discussion, a new technology (we were in the year 1997), the DVD, made the whole idea viable. As they started to roll this business model of DVD rentals by mail, orders began to pour in. However, it took a good year and a half for Netflix to transition and experiment with subscription services. Thus, eliminating the pain of having to pay for late fees (something Blockbuster was doing). As the co-founders explained over the years, rather than an aha moment, this was the result of a painful attempt to make Netflix survive.
• Business model change number two: As Netflix IPOed in 2002, Reed Hastings, who had succeeded Randolph as CEO of the company, already envisioned a future where Netflix had to make its content available on-demand. The Internet had exploded a few years earlier, and Netflix was already exploring ways to deliver content on demand. Yet, it would still take a few years for this model to become fully viable. In 2007, Netflix started to offer a streaming service. Eventually, the whole business model turned into that. An on-demand streaming service based on a subscription revenue model, where paying members could consume all the content they wanted at their own pace and without any additional fee.
• DVD rentals as a heritage of the old business model: when we look at today’s financials, it’s interesting to see how DVD rentals are a heritage of Netflix’s past business model. Indeed, in 2021 DVD revenues were about $182 million (a tiny number compared to the over $29 billion in revenues from streaming services). Yet it’s also interesting to notice how Netflix keeps generating revenues in that segment, also at a wide margin. This shows how the DVD subscription service was a great, viable idea. However, if Netflix had not changed its business model, its DVD market would have been way way smaller compared to the streaming services market.
• The pandemic effect is over: In 2021, the acquisition of new paid members slew down. From over 36 million new members in 2020 to over 18 million new members in 2021. The effect of the pandemic is over. Indeed, the fast growth of Netflix’s paying members was driven by the pandemic.
• Keep growing overall paying members’ base: Netflix still grew its overall paying members base, from over 189 million paying members in 2020 to over 210 million paying members in 2021. This is a good sign that the company, while maturing, can also pull some interesting growth numbers.
• Price spikes:  since the overall paying members’ growth started to slow down, Netflix implemented various price spikes to its membership packages. This created a boost in revenues. While price spikes might be sustainable in the long term, it’s critical for Netflix to keep investing in great, original content only available on its platform. Because, over time, if Netflix were to lose traction in terms of the brand’s strength, additional price spikes might become way more burdening to users, which would cancel their subscriptions. For now, the basic packages are still convenient, thus, most paying members still stick with them.
• A media powerhouse: Netflix has been the first streaming media player to start massively investing in original content as its main asset. In fact, there is a key statistic to look at, which is licensed vs. paying content. Indeed, in 2019 the % spent on produced content was 21% vs. 79% on licensed content. This number changed by 2021 when the produced content grew to 34% of the total content spending. While licensed content in 2021 represented about 66% of the total content spending. This shows how Netflix is fully transitioning into a media company, where most of the content available on the platform might be produced content.
• Entering the ad business: since it inception, Netflix has worked with a simple subscription-based model. It’s incredible how the company managed to grow to over 220 million members worldwide, with a such simple revenue model. Yet, as of 2022, the company also realized that if it wanted to reach the next level of scale (a billion users?) in the next decade, it had to add an additional engine to its business model. Similar to Spotify’s business model , Netflix launched an ad-supported tier, in 2022. In my opinion, this is a way for Netflix to test, understand, and kick off a learning curve in the TV advertising business. If it will work out, we might see, over the years, Netflix offering a completely free ad-supported plan, as Spotify does. Why? Because, the ad-supported machine if scaled, can help Netflix reach a billion users worldwide, while it keeps growing its premium members base! Spotify has been the master of this model, and many companies like Netflix are trying to learn from it.
• Vertically integrating the content machine: the point above shows that Netflix is vertically integrating its business model, getting more and more into production, thus becoming a key player in the media industry. This approach is critical because the overall business model survival, in the long-term, depends on the ability of:
• Having content available on Netflix only. As we saw, this is critical to make its subscription sticky, for members, in the long term. Especially in light of the fact that paying members acquisition is slowing down. From that, it also depends on Netflix’s ability to keep increasing its prices, without triggering a leaky bucket.
• Having control over content gives control over the cost structure. The fact that Netflix will own the content makes it possible for the company (in the long term) to have control over its cost structure. Indeed, for now, when Netflix advances the money to acquire licensed content, this expense is amortized over the years, as members pay for their subscriptions. However, if the licensed content agreements expire, suddenly that content might not be available on the platform, making the subscription less interesting. In addition, relying too much on licensed content, also makes Netflix subject to competitors’ retaliation. In short, Netflix’s competitors might cut it out from licensing agreements, thus posing a threat to its business model.
• Having control over distribution:  another key element of producing your own content, is the fact, that Netflix can freely distribute it across its global platform, without needing specific licensing agreements for each country. This is critical because it’s very hard to know at foresight, in which country, a TV series might be most successful. Indeed, over the years, Netflix has shown how series made in a country can become hits globally (see the “Casa de Papel” or “Money Heist” global success). The fact that Netflix does own the content makes it much easier to experiment, launch globally and benefit from that content.
• Also being able to license it to others, when it makes sense to amplify it.  By owning its content, Netflix also has the option to license it to others, when it makes sense. This is critical to amplifying TV Series on other networks. Take the case of an old Netflix series, which had been already passed through the Netflix platform for years. As Netflix has already enjoyed the full distribution of this content on its platform, it can allow other networks to distribute it for a fee. Thus, creating an additional revenue stream, while amplifying its own content!

The Mediafication of Netflix Business Model

When many analysts look at Netflix, they consider it a tech company. Indeed, Netflix does have tech components that are an essential part of its business model.

And the company does work as a platform business model . However, Netflix identifies itself much more as a media company.

For instance, if you look at the underlying infrastructure for Netflix, this mostly relies on Amazon’s servers, as explained below:

Why didn’t Netflix build its own data centers? In reality, Netflix is focused on providing great content, and building its brand through that.

That is why, in these years, we’re assisting the “mediafication” of Netflix, and I won’t be surprised if in the coming years, at a certain point, produced content investments will pass the licensed content investments.

At that point, we can officially call Netflix a media company!

This index I like to call “Mediafication Index” and we can use it to track the full transitioning of Netflix from platform to media company.

Content Arbitrage Multiple

So how do we track the health and ability of Netflix to keep generating growing revenues compared to its content investments?

The answer is the Content Arbitrage Multiple. This metric, which we invented, is a ratio between the total revenues/content investments.

For instance, in 2021, the Content Arbitrage Multiple was 2.4x. Indeed, on the $29.7 billion of total revenues in 2021, Netflix had invested over $12.2 billion in content. This was a 5% growth compared to a Content Arbitrage Multiple of 2.3x in 2020.

Of course, there is a lagging issue here. For instance, when it comes to produced content, we’ll see the results of it in terms of revenues, profits and cash generated a few years in the future.

Indeed, with licensed content, this can be quickly made available on the platform and enhance its content selection.

When it comes to produced content, it might take 2-3 years from the first investment to see it going to fruition. Thus, it’s important to perform the same analysis on a 3-5 years basis at least.

Netflix origin story: the history of Netflix in a nutshell

As Marc Randolph, co-founder of Netflix, explained, the idea to start a company that would wreck down dominant players like Blockbuster wasn’t the result of a lightning moment, rather it happened after considering thousand of business ideas .

The initial launch of Netflix

For a bit of context, back in January of 1997, Randolph was working for a software company run by Reed Hastings. As the company got acquired, Randolph would be unemployed shortly after that. Both Randolph and Hastings were in the same situation, where the company who was acquiring them, was keeping them around for six months, as to enable a smooth transition after the acquisition. 

Thus, in these six months, Randolph and Hastings started to brainstorm hundreds of business ideas . Indeed, Hastings and Randolph, which had the habit of carpooling, used that opportunity to brainstorm business ideas . As they drove each day to their office in the Santa Cruz Mountains, in Sunnyvale, the two men brainstormed hundreds of ideas, and for weeks they could not find a really good one to be the object of their next venture.

Among these ideas, Randolph pitched Hastings the idea of video rental by mail. Hastings was not impressed. Indeed, the business would not be viable considering that at the time video rentals came into big cassettes, which were heavy, expensive and fragile. Thus, not a feasible idea.

Yet, a couple of months after the idea came to Randolph, Hastings mentioned to him, how he had read about this new technology, called DVD. A thin and small flat rounded plastic object. This could easily fit into a small envelope.

They went right on to test the idea. Randolph placed a DVD into a pink gift envelope which he sent to Hastings’ home in Santa Cruz. The next day, Hastings received the DVD, intact, and handed it to Randolph. The CD inside was unbroken, and it had arrived in Hastings’ home in less than 24 hours for the price of a stamp!

That is how they realized their idea might work. And a few months later, Hastings wrote a check for 1.9 million dollars to Randolph to start the company. 

After hiring a dozen people, and spending the next six months developing an e-commerce website, finally on April 14, 1998, Netflix was launched. As Randolph pointed out, at the time Netflix wasn’t trying to dominate the DVD market, to go against Blockbuster, or to look for a larger market, like streaming.

They were trying to survive. Indeed, for a year and a half, Netflix was struggling to find its business model , a business model that would make it viable and scalable.

Finding a viable business model for Netflix

Later on, the company would change leadership, with Hastings taking over as CEO (still to these days). Under Randolph, Netflix would go through a first transition phase becoming a subscription-based business model, with DVD rental. And it would later use the same model for streaming services.

Netflix started as a DVD-rental company. That was the most viable way to start a   business   that could compete with existing players like Blockbuster.   Netflix   could have tried to play it bigger.

Netflix   had known for years that being a competitive player in the DVD-rental space, was “just the beginning of something else:”

In a   Wired article , entitled “The   Netflix   Effect” from 2002, Reed Hastings, still current   Netflix’s CEO, highlighted:

The dream 20 years from now, is to have a global entertainment distribution company that provides a unique channel for film producers and studios.

Converting the business model from DVD to streaming operations

Reed Hastings, after its initial investment, got more and more involved with the company until he took over as the new CEO. Already in the early 2000s, Netflix was looking into ways to transition from DVD, which had enabled the initial development of Netflix’s business model, to streaming.

For years, the Netflix executive team had been looking at how streaming was evolving. They thought by the early 2000s this might have been an option. Yet, they missed the shot for several years. Indeed, it would take longer for the streaming technology to become fully viable.

Yet when it did, it proved to be quite successful for Netflix’s business model. Indeed, Netflix started to offer streaming options by 2007. As the NYT announced at the time:

The impending death of the company, with its online system for renting DVDs delivered by mail, was predicted late in 2002, when Wal-Mart said it would enter the business; again last year, when Apple and Amazon announced movie-downloading services; and again last week, after the introduction of a series of products and services intended to bring Internet video to television sets.

The NYT highlighted, back in 2007, how Netflix’s death had been predicted several times (and indeed, the company did go through various near-death experiences in these years). Yet

Yet, as Hastings had highlighted “..DVD is not a hundred-year format, people wonder what will Netflix’s second act be.” Back then the NYT remarked: 

Netflix is introducing a service to deliver movies and television shows directly to users’ PCs, not as downloads but as streaming video, which is not retained in computer memory. The service, which is free to Netflix subscribers, is meant to give the company a toehold in the embryonic world of Internet movie distribution.

As Netflix announced its streaming service, its shares dropped 6.3 percent and a JPMorgan Securities analyst downgraded the stock, citing increased competition. 

Yet, by 2011, the streaming service execution had successfully been rolled out, with streaming subscribers passing the DVD subscribers. In 2011, in the US paid DVD subscribers were over 11 million, in the same period streaming subscribers had passed 20 million!

In 2009, Netflix’s revenues were over $1.6 billion. By 2011, the number passed the $3.2 billion mark!

Netflix had entered a new era, it had passed through the transitional business model of DVD subscription services, and tapped into a market expansion strategy , where the streaming segment became many times over the DVD segment.

In 2021, DVD subscriptions had become an obsolete business model, whereas the company generated over $29.5 billion from streaming subscription services!

However, to get there, Netflix had to go through another important transition in its business model. And move from being a platform/aggregator of content to becoming a media brand.

From platform to brand: Becoming the new Hollywood?

In a historic speech, in 2013, at the Edinburg International Film Festival, Kevin Spacey summarized well, the transition of Netflix, which created the company we know today:

Indeed, back in 2013, Netflix had started to implement a new strategy . The company no longer just aggregated content on top of its platform. It started to develop its own content, and it did that through a series called “House of Cards.”

Kevin Spacey’s speech captured the important transition that media companies had to go through if they wanted to survive the next wave of media, empowered by the Web. This speech is worth reading at it all because it opened up the way to the Netflix that we know today, and it created a new standard for media companies, where everyone followed the lead set by Netflix.

Like Kevin Spacey highlighted back in 2013:

House of Cards creatively actually follows the model more often employed here in Great Britain.The television industry here has never really embraced the pilot season looked to buy the networks in the United States as a worthwhile effort and now look of course we went out to all the major networks with House of Cards and every single one was interested in the idea but every single one wanted us to do a pilot first.

In short, Kevin Spacey highlighted how the “pilot content model” was broken. And how, thanks to the Internet, and new waves of content consumption, the habits of hundreds of millions of new consumers, had completely changed.

He further explained:

And look, it wasn’t out of arrogance that David Fincher and Beau Willimon (the producers of House of Cards) and I were not interested in having to audition the idea.

It was that we wanted to start to tell a story that would take a long time to tell. We were creating a sophisticated multi-layered story with complex characters who would reveal themselves over time and relationships that would need space to play out.

And the obligation of course of doing a pilot from the writing perspective is that you have to spend about 45 minutes establishing all the characters and create arbitrary cliffhangers and basically generally prove that what you’re setting out to do is network.

Netflix was the only network that said ‘we believe in you,’ we’ve run our data and it tells us that our audience would watch this series we don’t need you to do a pilot.

By comparison last year 113 pilots were made, 35 of those were chosen to go to air, 13 of those were renewed but most of those are gone now.

And this year 146 pilots were shot, 56 have gone to series but we don’t know the outcome of those yet, but the cost of these pilots was somewhere between 300 and 400 million dollars a year.

That makes our House of Cards deal for two seasons look really cost-effective.

In other words, Kevin Spacey explained how the new model, they envisioned, back then, was a model where it was way more about crafting a story, and the characters around the story. Thus, going way beyond the pilot.

This model not only focused more on building the story, and the characters, but it looked at creating such a hook for the people watching the series, that they wanted to watch it all at once.

Not only this model would be more convenient, eventually, as the cost of developing a few episodes would be much less expensive, in comparison, than that of developing a pilot. But, it would give it a different format. A format that would be more in line, with the way consumers approached it.

Indeed, Kevin Spacey explained:

Clearly the success of the Netflix model releasing the entire season of house of cards at once proved one thing: the audience wants the control they want the freedom!

If they want to binge as they’ve been doing on house of cards and lots of other shows then we should let them binge.

I mean I can’t tell you how many people have stopped me on the street and said thanks ‘you sucked three days out of my life.’

And through this new form of distribution we have demonstrated that we have learned the lesson that the music industry didn’t learn give people what they want when they want it in the form they want it in at a reasonable price and they’ll more likely pay for it rather than steal it.

Well, some will still steal it, but I think we can take a bite out of piracy so I predict that in the next decade or two any differentiation between these platforms will fall away.

This opened the way to binge-watching , a new, and powerful way, to distribute content. And Spacey also remarked:

Is 13 hours watched as one cinematic whole really any different than a film? do we define film as being something two hours or less? surely it goes deeper than that.

If you’re watching a film on your television is it no longer a film because you’re not watching it in the theater? if you watch TV show on your iPad is it no longer a TV show? The device and the length are irrelevant. The labels are useless except perhaps to agents and managers and lawyers who use these labels to conduct business deals.

But for kids growing up now there’s no difference watching avatar on an iPad or watching YouTube on a TV or watching Game of Thrones on their computer it’s all content it’s just story.

And the audience has spoken they want stories, they’re dying for them they’re rooting for us to give them the right thing and they will talk about it, binge on it carry it with them on the bus and to the hairdresser force it on their friends, tweet, blog, Facebook make fan pages silly gifs and God knows what else about it.

Engage with it with a passion and an intimacy that a blockbuster movie could only dream of.

And all we have to do is give it to them!

The prize fruit is right there shinier and juicier than it’s ever been before. So it’ll be all the more shame on each and every one of us if we don’t reach out and seize it.

And I want to leave you with the words of a man is as any to address the Nexus of Commerce and art Mr. Orson Welles who once said: “I hate television I hate it as much as peanuts.”

This was the start of Netflix’s transition from aggregator/ platform to media powerhouse!

In 2013, Netflix became the first streaming platform to win a Primetime Emmy Award with House of Cards. By 2021, most awarded shows were coming from Netflix’s original production!

A glance at the Netflix business model

Starting in 2013, Netflix started to develop its own content under the Netflix Originals brand, which today represents the most important strategic asset for the company that in 2021 counted over 221 million paying members worldwide.

Netflix is changing the way we consume traditional media. From series like Stranger Things, Narcos, and Black Mirror, Netflix has been able to become a titan of the media industry, with more than a hundred and fifty thousand members across the globe.

With three simple subscription plans (basic, standard, and premium) from $9.99 to $19.99 (in the US), Netflix has been able to become a multi-billion dollar unicorn worth more than $150 billion in March 2022.

Netflix wasn’t an overnight success

Like any start-up, also Netflix has its founding myth. As the story goes Netflix founder and CEO Reed Hastings recounted how the idea behind Netflix came about:

The genesis of Netflix came in 1997 when I got this late fee, about $40, for Apollo 13. I remember the fee because I was embarrassed about it. That was back in the VHS days, and it got me thinking that there’s a big market out there. So I started to investigate the idea of how to create a movie-rental business by mail. I didn’t know about DVDs, and then a friend of mine told me they were coming. I ran out to Tower Records in Santa Cruz, Calif., and mailed CDs to myself, just a disc in an envelope. It was a long 24 hours until the mail arrived back at my house, and I ripped them open and they were all in great shape. That was the big excitement point.

This was the year 1997, still a long way to go until Netflix reached its scale and international expansion worldwide, which can be dated in 2017.

Today Netflix is among the most successful brands in the world. And this happened not only because it managed to create one of the most successful streaming platforms of the Internet era. But also because Netflix has learned along the way when to transition its business model .

In fact, Netflix started with CD first, then it expanded its strategy by adopting streaming.

Also, it’s important to understand how Netflix changed the way we consume content (from movies to series) and also how it was the first platform player to transition from aggregator to media company.

Indeed, starting with House of Cards, in 2013, Netflix heavily invested in original programming, which today is the main growth driver and sticky engine for the company.

How does Netflix’s business model work? A simple subscription will do

As explained in the Netflix annual report:

Our business model is subscription based as opposed to a model generating revenues at a specific title level. Therefore, content assets, both licensed and produced, are reviewed in aggregate at the operating segment level when an event or change in circumstances indicates a change in the expected usefulness.

In short, Netflix sells three simple kinds of subscriptions:

With simple packaging and three subscriptions (basic, standard, and premium) you can get the streaming of all the available series, movies, and shows available on the Netflix library.

Currently, the subscription prices vary from a base plan of $9.99 to $19.99 (in the US).

Business segments

The business segments are the are of the business that has a different financial logic and thus require a separated strategy .

As of 2021 Netflix revenues were over $29 billion, with a staggering growth compared to just 2013, when the revenues passed $4 billion. And a continued growth after 2019. As the pandemic hit Netflix revenues kept growing. Yet Netflix also managed to consolidate the revenues generated during the pandemic (also thanks to increased service prices).

If we look at the global picture, you can see how Netflix has more than 221 million subscribers worldwide.

The company has three business segments:

• Domestic streaming:  revenues from monthly membership fees for services consisting solely of streaming content to our members in the United States.
• International streaming: revenues from monthly membership fees for services consisting solely of streaming content to our members outside the United States.
• and Domestic DVD: revenues from monthly membership fees for services consisting solely of DVD-by-mail. This is a heritage of the old business model, which Netflix used to run before it became a streaming-first company.

Let’s dive a bit into the numbers of each of those segments to understand the financial logic behind those and also see what’s strategy of Netflix in the next future.

Netflix US streaming financials explained

From the numbers above you can see how the Netflix total number of members in the US grew from 67 million in 2019 to over 75 million in 2021.

As you can see from the financials above, Netflix has managed to both increase the number of paying members, and the rate each of those members pays. Indeed, the average monthly revenue per membership grew from $12.57 in 2019 to $14.56 in 2021.

This shows, that the platform, for now, is sticky enough for paying members to stay, even when there are price increases. Thus, the churn rate, which is a key metric for a subscription-based platform is stable enough to enable a consistent revenue growth for Netflix.

Of course, where the brand becomes less differentiated in the future, additional price increases might determine a sudden switch of users to other platforms, and therefore, an accelerating churn.

What about other geographical areas?

Netflix international streaming financials explained

The overall international segment has become larger than the US segment. This shows the ability of Netflix to successfully launch its content worldwide. This is, in fact, one of the most effective strategies that Netflix has been using in the last years.

Netflix invests in original content worldwide, making it accessible on its international platform, thus, enabling the content to become successful worldwide.

This has created international series, like La Casa de Papel (Spanish series, in the US, renamed as Money Heist), which not only were massive successes in the countries where they were launched, but they became incredible successes worldwide.

While changing the whole way people consume content across the world.

Netflix indeed mastered a new methodology for analyzing, developing, launching, and distributing content.

In a speech at the Edinburgh Television Festival in 2013, Kevin Spacey said: “If they want to binge then we should let them binge,” r eferring to the method of consumption that Netflix enabled for the members.

Where platforms and TV networks released series gradually, Netflix released entire seasons all at once, giving consumers the choice of how to consume content. This has created a habit of binge-watching , which also turned out to be one of Netflix’s sticky engines of growth.

Below I explain the difference between the old content model, and the new one, built by Netflix.

When looking at Netflix’s content model, it’s also important to frame it in the context of its overall financial model.

In fact, Netflix is a subscription-based platform, where members pay for content, which is made available through it. In short, Netflix advances the investments needed to develop, and license content. And those costs are amortized over time, as subscription revenue comes in.

It all started with that DVD pay per rental business model

Today we give for granted the on-demand business model of Netflix. Yet, back in the day, you could have movies “on-demand” only with the pay per rental business model . As technology has evolved, the on-demand model has been possible also for media companies.

Netflix has been able to transition its business model when streaming became viable as a technology at scale. Thus transitioning its business from a pay-per-rental or DVD subscription business to an on-demand streaming service.

Yet, it’s interesting to notice, as of 2021, how DVD revenues still show up, as a heritage of Netflix’s past business model. This is a historical relic of the evolution of Netflix’s business model and is very interesting to look at. Indeed, as of 2021, Netflix still had $182 million in DVD revenues.

Is Netflix profitable?

Netflix is a profitable company, which net profits were $5.1 billion in 2021. Growing from $2.7 billion in 2020.

The company runs a negative cash flow business model, where it anticipates the costs of content development and licensing through the platform.

Those costs get amortized over the years, as subscribers stick to the platform.

Netflix cash flow negative business and cost structure

Netflix Financial Statements 2021

As highlighted in its financials:

Net cash provided by operating activities decreased $2,034 million from the year ended December 31, 2020 to $393 million for the year ended  December 31, 2021 primarily driven by an increase in investments in content that require more upfront cash payments, partially offset by a $4,702 million or 19% increase in revenues. The payments for content assets increased $4,933 million, from $12,537 million to $17,469 million, or 39%, as compared to the increase in the amortization of content assets of $1,423 million, from $10,807 million to $12,230 million, or 13%. The increase in payments for content assets was primarily driven by delays in productions resulting from the pandemic that impacted the prior year, which resulted in the timing of certain production payments being shifted into the current year. In addition, we had increased payments associated with higher operating expenses, primarily related to increased headcount to support our continued improvements in our streaming service and our international expansion

Therefore, the company has to invest substantial amounts of cash upfront to develop Netflix’s original content.

To understand why the Netflix business model also runs on negative cash flows, we need to dig into the Netflix cost structure:

We acquire, license and produce content, including original programing, in order to offer our members unlimited viewing of TV series and films. The content licenses are for a fixed fee and specific windows of availability. Payment terms for certain content licenses and the production of content require more upfront cash payments relative to the amortization expense. Payments for content, including additions to streaming assets and the changes in related liabilities, are classified within “Net cash used in operating activities” on the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows.

What can we learn from Netflix’s business model?

For a company that started in 1997 as a website with  925 titles available for rent through a traditional pay-per-rental model; a company that in 2000 offered itself for acquisition to Blockbuster for $50 million and now it’s worth more than a hundred fifty billion dollars. What can we learn from it?  

Business modeling isn’t about just how you monetize

There is a misconception in the business world, that a business model is seen as a monetization strategy . A business model also embraces a monetization strategy but is way more than that. It is how you monetize your business.

It is about how you make your product or service available to an audience.

It is about the value you create not only for your business but also for several stakeholders. In fact, as I see it, the more a business model creates values for several players, the more it will be able to create an ecosystem that will help the organization part of its scale.

In the end, the organization and the scale are just the result of that ecosystem. This also applies to Netflix. Looking at the financials is a good starting point. Yet Netflix isn’t only a subscription-based media provider. Netflix is also based on the concept of on-demand. It is a media production company.

It is a brand that in the mind of its subscribers can mean several things. In fact, among the over a hundred thousand subscribers some tribes get assembled around the Netflix series which has become the symbol of our generation.

We like to call things “innovative.” What’s new isn’t the business model but the application of it

The first critical aspect of business models is that we like so much the word “innovative” which we tend to call anything we see as such. In reality, in most cases, it is just about taking an old business model and applying it to a new industry.

Just like the wheel , invented in Mesopotamia over five thousand years ago, it took us way more than a thousand years to put it on the bottom of the luggage. In fact, the first wheeled luggage might date back to the 1970s.

In other words, in business just like in any different life domain, what’s hard isn’t the discovery of a new business model but the application of a business model that has always existed to new industries.

The subscription business model has been used by traditional newspapers, magazines, and academic journals for decades.

As technology evolves old business models become viable to new industries

One interesting aspect that you’ll notice if you go on the Netflix blog is that the most critical editorial piece is the Netflix ISP Speed Index , a monthly report that provides  updates on which Internet Service Providers (ISPs) offer the best primetime Netflix streaming experience.

Companies like Netflix, or other tech giants like Google, Amazon, Facebook, and Microsoft’s successes are strictly tied to the technological advancements we’ve achieved as humanity. Imagine you had a poor internet connection.

Would you pay even a dollar for a Netflix subscription? Of course, you wouldn’t. Thus, as technology evolves, the business models of companies like Netflix depend on how fast technology has advanced. Had the internet not snowballed Netflix would still be a DVD rental company.

Why? The on-demand business model is possible thanks to the speed at which the internet infrastructure can travel today.

The power of the on-demand business model and the “Uberization” of the service economy

In the digital world, the on-demand economy is dominating the business arena. The “Uberization” of services means offering more options on how to consume something.

In the Netflix case, the subscriber is given more flexibility and optionality about what to watch. For years, TV has used us to rigid schedules. That worked in the years when large corporations with strict schedules were the norm.

Instead, with the rise of digital nomadism and the self-employed, freelancer our habits and the way we consume media has changed drastically. In this scenario, on-demand has become a dominant business model in the media industry.

Also in this case though what seems an innovative business model it’s not. In fact, once again what is innovative in its application. In fact, when Netflix back in 1997 started to rent DVDs from its website, it was already working on the premises of the on-demand business model.

However, as the web evolved and streaming became viable, they started to apply the on-demand model through their platform.

On-demand model plus the subscription business model

What makes a business model powerful is the mixture of several ingredients; in the Netflix case, the on-demand business model, with a simple subscription applied to the traditional media industry has made it incredibly effective.

The subscription business model can scale

Netflix proved that the subscription business model could scale. However, this doesn’t happen overnight. If we look at the international expansion of Netflix, we can see how it started to expand outside the US only in 2010.

And it was only in 2016 that it launched globally. This isn’t random. The subscription business model requires a lot of financial resources.

The subscription business model requires enormous investments

We acquire, license and produce content, including original programing, in order to offer our members unlimited viewing of TV shows and films.

This was specified in the Netflix Annual report for 2018. In fact, at this stage Netflix is as much a media production company as a service provider:

Content obligations represent one of the most important financial items of Netflix. In fact, based on the success of the content investments Netflix has made in the past years and will be making in the coming years, will determine the success of the overall business model.

No wonder, then, that content obligations also represent a risk factor for the company, which in its financial statements highlighted:

We have a substantial amount of indebtedness and other obligations, including streaming content obligations, which could adversely affect our financial position. As of December 31, 2021, content obligations were comprised of $4.3 billion included in “Current content liabilities” and $3.1 billion of “Non-current content liabilities” on the Consolidated Balance Sheets and $15.8 billion of obligations that are not reflected on the Consolidated Balance Sheets as they did not then meet the criteria for recognition. Content obligations include amounts related to the acquisition, licensing and production of content. An obligation for the production of content includes non-cancelable commitments under creative talent and employment agreements and other production related commitments. An obligation for the acquisition and licensing of content is incurred at the time we enter into an agreement to obtain future titles. Once a title becomes available, a content liability is recorded on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. Certain agreements include the obligation to license rights for unknown future titles, the ultimate quantity and/or fees for which are not yet determinable as of the reporting date. Traditional film output deals, or certain TV series license agreements where the number of seasons to be aired is unknown, are examples of these types of agreements. The contractual obligations table above does not include any estimated obligation for the unknown future titles, payment for which could range from less than one year to more than five years. However, these unknown obligations are expected to be significant and we believe could include approximately $1 billion to $4 billion over the next three years, with the payments for the vast majority of such amounts expected to occur after the next twelve months. The foregoing range is based on considerable management judgments and the actual amounts may differ. Once we know the title that we will receive and the license fees, we include the amount in the contractual obligations table above.

We all like the logic and the scalability of the subscription business model. You create a product or service have people enroll in it, and you make money each month, steadily. Yet this isn’t always the case. And also scaling a consumer subscription business model is not easy at all. And Netflix is among the few who have learned this playbook on the fly.

And yet, also a company like Netflix still runs substantial risks related to the investments made in content.

When you offer a subscription that will never come at a low price. Instead, you will need continuous support, development, new ideas, and ways to make sure your subscribers stick as long as possible.

In fact, only when you’re able to have a customer acquisition cost (CAC) that is way lower than your customer lifetime value (CLV) that is when your business gets viable.

However, this is easy said than done. In fact, a sales funnel of a subscription-based model is way longer than a company that sells a one-off product or service.

This is reflected in Netflix’s financial statement as in many other companies that operate with the logic of the subscription-based business model.

Netflix is a media company

Another line item that is interesting to look at to witness the transition of Netflix, from just a tech platform to a media company, is the proportion of investment into licensed vs. produced content.

Wherewith licensed content Netflix purchases the rights to distribute it across its platform. For produced content Netflix, de facto, invests in owning the content and distributing it according to its own rules.

Indeed, the licensing content presents its advantages. Some of them are:

• Netflix can expand its library, faster, making available titles that otherwise would cost too much to produce from scratch.
• Licensed content also is less expensive (at least in the short-term) compared to produced content.
• And it can help the company quickly change the kind of content it offers on the platform.

However, licensed content has its limitations:

• You don’t own it.
• Distribution rights change over time and can be subject to retaliation from competing platforms.
• Your service might be influenced by external factors you can’t control, like changing rights agreements, which can affect the whole business’s bottom line.

Indeed, the difference between licensed vs. produced content, for Netflix, doesn’t just mark the difference between tech and media companies. It also marks the difference between a company that distributes content and a company that is vertically integrated.

When Netflix invests in production, it has to learn a playbook of how to manufacture content from scratch, this gives the company the ability to create long-term competitive advantages, and really become a new Hollywood.

Therefore, while content production can be pretty expensive, and it needs to be amortized over time, making sure to have subscribers that are willing to pay more over time, and stick to the platform also presents important advantages:

• Control over distribution, as owned and produced content can be distributed at the company’s own wish, which gives it great flexibility to understand where it’s best suited, thus, creating more options to make it successful.
• Control over the long-term strategy of the company, as the owned content, won’t be subject to the volatility, intrinsic to licensed content.
• Differentiation, as the produced content, will represent the company’s ability to innovate and produce great series (think of the growing numbers of Netflix Originals becoming hits).
• Monetization, as while in the short-term content production is way more expensive, it’s also what keeps subscribers hooked to the platform over time (If I can find Netflix series everywhere else, why would I stick to the platform?).
• More distribution options, as the company can perhaps license its content to other platforms, thus creating more options over time.

Key takeaways

• Netflix has grown from a DVD rental site born in 1997 to an over a hundred fifty billion market cap company. Today Netflix has become a major player in the media industry, and it is investing billions of dollars in the production and development of TV Shows that have become a symbol for millions of people worldwide.
• At the same time, the international expansion is costing Netflix billion of dollars, and the subscription-based business model requires continuous investments to keep millions of people paying their monthly plans. As the SaaS industry has taken over the tech world, many give for granted that a subscription business model always makes sense.
• In reality, as we’ve seen in the Netflix case study, it took it thirteen years to start expanding outside the US. And only in 2016, after almost twenty years Netflix was able to reach Asia.
• Netflix runs a cash negative business model where it advances content development costs and amortizes them over time through paying subscriptions. Thus, it’s crucial that Netflix is able to make the platform sticky for subscribers.
• Netflix turned into a media company, as it started to invest more and more into content production, rather than content licensing.
• Netflix’s content model changed the industry, as it enabled members to have new options to consume content, it also generated whole new industries for series, based on binge-watching. What Netflix created in terms of a playbook for media platforms, in the course of the last decades has now become the standard playbook for anyone that wants to compete in the media industry!

Are we going toward an ad-supported Netflix?

For the first time, in 10 years, Netflix has lost subscribers.

As soon as Netflix announced its first-quarter results, on April 20th, 2022, the stock fell apart:

In a single session, the company lost 35%. And we’re not talking about a low-cap meme stock. That burned billions of dollars in a single stroke.

Not only this was unforeseen (clever investors like Bill Ackman had placed very large bets on Netflix) but it seems very hard to assess where the problem lies.

Indeed, it’s easy to point out all the issues Netflix has today. But there is another fundamental problem: where’s the attention going? 

Netflix explained how the COVID boost in revenues has ended, and numbers didn’t lie about that:

The executive team has identified a few core problems that caused this sudden loss in subscribers:

Uptake of connected TVs

As Netflix pointed out they do not control the hardware part, thus, the more streaming services are offered on smart TVs, and the more traditional TV services add their own on-demand services, the harder it gets for Netflix to keep the same level of attention.

In the past, I pointed out, how Netflix started to build its distribution on hardware, by placing its default button on the smart TV controller, before anyone else. Yet the remote controller is now, getting very busy!

100m additional households are watching but not paying for Netflix.

Over the years, Netflix has incentivized users to simply share their passwords. This is also what made Netflix cool in the first place.

Yet, when you reach saturation, you get, as a company, much less cool about users sharing their passwords.

Therefore, Netflix is working on new paid sharing features, where current members have the choice to pay for additional households, trying to monetize these users.

We can also foresee some crackdowns, where users will be prevented to access the platform if sharing the password on other devices (things might get ugly there!).

An ad-supported Netflix

In the last years, as we went through the pandemic, Netflix has been spiking up prices for its subscriptions, which worked pretty well in terms of revenue generation .

For one thing, it shows how much people love Netflix, as they kept the subscription, nonetheless these price spikes. Yet, this strategy doesn’t work well, especially when the macroeconomic scenario isn’t as good.

As Netflix CEO, Reed Hastings has highlighted, on arstechnica:

“Those who follow Netflix know I’ve been against the complexity of advertising and a big fan of the simplicity of subscription, but as much as I’m a fan of that, I’m a bigger fan of consumer choice, and allowing consumers who would like to have a lower price and are advertising-tolerant get what they want makes a lot of sense.”

And Hastings further highlighted, in relation to the ad-supported plan:

“I think it’s pretty clear that it’s working for Hulu. Disney’s doing it; HBO did it. I don’t think we have a lot of doubt that it works. You know that all those companies have figured it out. I’m sure we’ll just get in and figure it out as opposed to test it and maybe do it or not do it.”

How would this work?

Hastings explained: “it would be a plan layer like it is at Hulu so if you still want the ad-free option, you’ll be able to have that as a consumer. And if you’d rather pay a lower price and you’re ad-tolerant, we’re going to cater to you also.”  While the ad-supported service is tempting, is also worth highlighting that it might run at very tight margins for the company if the underlying content is primarily licensed content (just like for Spotify, the more you stream licensed content, the more content royalties costs go up).

Instead, such a model might work, if Netflix were to do it to offer its own content, but with the caveat of pacing that out.

In short, when a new series comes out, instead of enabling ad-supported subscribers to binge-watch it, content would be paced out. And if they want to watch it all, at once, they would need to pay for a full subscription plan.

New streaming services have also been launched

Macro factors

Including sluggish economic growth, increasing inflation, geopolitical events such as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and some continued disruption from COVID are likely having an impact as well.

Here there is not much control if not keep focusing on re-growing the subscriber base.

What do I think should Netflix do instead?

First, we need to reassess competition, and where it’s coming from., is the competition really between tv and streaming only , attention is not an asset, easy to control..

And while Netflix is assessing its competition, linearly, in reality, the threat might be coming from unexpected places.

The main mistake I believe Netflix is doing is on assuming that the main competitors are TV and streaming services. There is more to it!

Beyond streaming, attention is a fluid asset 

As Anand from CB Insights has highlighted  “Maybe TikTok is what is killing Netflix?”

“You get a show or a movie you’re really dying to watch, and you end up staying up late at night, so we actually compete with sleep, and we’re winning!” 

Yet, today most of the attention is moving to other platforms. And the interesting part, is that, while platforms like TikTok offer natively short-form content. Many people end up spending hours on the platform.

So below are some of the things, I believe Netflix should do:

Vertical integration

Netflix managed to build an incredible brand over the years. It’s still an app, either on a Smart TV or on a mobile marketplace. The main company’s asset is its content. Not even the licensed content (that can be taken away from it, anytime), but its own content (the Netflix original series and movies). Thus, in order to build a long-term advantage, Netflix should also focus on bringing to market a successful device for consuming content.

As the story goes, back in 2007, Netflix was looking into building its own hardware. Indeed, its set-top box (it would enable to stream movies from the Netflix catalog) was ready for launch! Yet, at the very last minute, CEO, Reed Hastings canceled the project.

As reported by The Verge ,  Hastings’ fear was that “if the company released its own hardware, it would be seen as a competitor to the very companies with which it hoped to partner.”

Hastings has been quoted as saying: “I want to be able to call Steve Jobs and talk to him about putting Netflix on Apple TV, but if I’m making my own hardware, Steve’s not going to take my call.” 

This shaped the company for years. Yet, what if Netflix got into the hardware game again? Instead of a Smart TV, Netflix could build a VR device to watch its series in high definition. Or perhaps a projector, smart theater device, to project Netflix anywhere in the house!

The company could sell it at cost while offering its subscription services within the device. In this way, if successful, over time, it can control the overall customer experience.

Reassess the content development strategy.

In the last years Netflix has produced great series, and important hits, yet, it shifted on quantity vs. quality.  The content development efforts instead should be more skewed toward coming up with new content formats, innovating those formats, and raising the bar again (just like Netflix did in 2013 with House of Cards).

A hybrid between binge-watching and scheduled releases.

Binge-watching has been a disruptive content format, which has helped define Netlfix as a brand. Yet, one thing was to enable binge-watching, back in 2013, and toward the pandemic. Another is to ask, whether binge-watching is still a competitive format today.

In fact, binge-watching worked as an incredible flywheel in the early years. The rhythm it demands might not be sustainable over time, from a business standpoint.

While in the past, as a Netflix subscriber, once you had binge-watched your way through a series, you could still wait for the next series. Now, you have way more choices and options. And the need to jump on another series might drive you out of the platform.

Paradoxically then, in this scenario, it might make sense to start testing out some hybrid forms of content consumption. For instance, why not give the ability to binge-watch only for higher-tier plans? In short, binge-watching has been a defining feature of Netflix, in the early days. Might become a feature to discern between basic to more advanced plans.

Content formats that go beyond series 

Netflix has been testing, for a few months, new short-form content formats, such as  Kids Clips and  Fast Laughs . Fast Laughs, in particular, is a TikTok-like platform where clips of popular shows on Netflix are hosted, and shown with a continuous scroll, and at full screen. In short, it tries to replicate TikTok’s successful formats.

Indeed, as Netflix highlighted:  Fast Laughs offers a full-screen feed of funny clips from our big comedy catalog including films (Murder Mystery), series (Big Mouth), sitcoms (The Crew), and stand-up from comedians like Kevin Hart and Ali Wong.

Of course, this can be a powerful strategy to attract young users from platforms like TikTok, and Netflix has the data to understand what content on Netlfix makes sense to translate into short-form clips.

Yet to make those sorts of platforms successful, Netlfix should plug in user-generated content. In short, it should enable mechanisms on its platform that enable users to cut the clips they find most interesting and interact with the content.

This new, user-generated content, can become new formats, that can also serve as a way for the company to create new types of content, that are able to attract future generations.

More on Netflix Business Model

• Netflix Business Model

Binge-Watching

Coopetition

Platform Expansion Theory

Netflix SWOT Analysis

Is Netflix Profitable

Who Owns Netflix?

Netflix Employees

Netflix Subscribers

Netflix Revenue

Netflix Yearly Average Revenue

Netflix Average Monthly Revenue Breakdown

Netflix Revenue By Country

Netflix Subscribers Per Region

Disney vs. Netflix

Read Also: Netflix Business Model , Netflix Content Strategy , Netflix SWOT Analysis , Coopetition , Is Netflix Profitable .

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• May 20, 2024

13 Best Business Documentaries to Watch on Netflix & Learn

There is so much content to consume but so little time, especially for entrepreneurs. Netflix has an abundance of business documentaries that are educational and lets you learn many things. Entrepreneurs are always on the watch out for learning new things. A good documentary is a great way to learn and entertain yourself at the same time. 

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13 Best Entrepreneurs Documentaries for Entrepreneurs – 

If you have time on hand, invest in a good business documentary rather than wasting that time. Here is a list of the 13 best business documentaries to watch on Netflix and learn that also motivates you and enhances your business acumen. 

1. Becoming Warren Buffett (2017)

This documentary is about the legendary investor, Warren Buffet . It chronicles the life of Buffet, his transformation from a boy who came from Nebraska with ambitions and an obsession with numbers to one of the most famous and richest men in the world . 

There are many helpful lessons entrepreneurs can learn from this documentary. His modesty, his ambition, and dedication are incredible, he still lives a modest life and drives himself to work every day. 

2. Generation Startup (2016) 

This start-up documentary is insightful and inspiring. Learn about the struggles and turmoils of launching a start-up. It revolves around six college graduates who are ambitious entrepreneurs for 17 months. They risk everything to start companies in Detroit. 

Generation Startup shows the highs and lows of millennial entrepreneurs. It documents their struggles, their fears or uncertainty, and their doubts. The documentary celebrates the go-getter spirit of millennials. It will inspire you to get out of your comfort zone much like these young talents from the documentary. Watch this documentary to draw inspiration and motivation. 

3. Inside Bill’s Brain: Decoding Bill Gates (2019)

This is one of the best business documentaries to watch to know what goes on in the mind of brilliant Bill Gates . The documentary follows this extraordinary man’s journey through little snippets from his childhood, education, experiences at Microsoft , and his family. 

As an audience, you get to see the real Bill Gates sans his larger-than-life persona. A simple man who tirelessly works on finding solutions to world problems and strives to bring about change in the world. 

4. Print the legend (2014)

This one is for people, especially from the printing background. It focuses on the 3D printing revolution in America . It explores how companies are swiftly pushing 3D printing into our lives and our desktops. This technology is here to stay and transform our lives, some may argue that it will have negative effects on us. 

More than anything else, it portrays the American ideal that encourages building your dream from zero and promoting newer ways of doing things. It does not just show what goes on behind the scenes of the 3D printing industry but also the larger-than-life personalities running the industry. These people and corporations aim to change the world with 3D printing but that comes with a lot of personal struggle. This documentary will motivate you to take that bold step towards building your dream. 

5. Burt’s Buzz (2013)

Burt’s Buzz pays tribute to the man behind Burt’s Bees, Burt Shavitz. It documents the journey of Burt Shavitz’s double life; a passionate beekeeper and reluctant co-owner of the world’s most famous brand Burt’s Bees. It tells you his life story, he enjoyed solitude and gave up almost all of the technology. He hated the comforts that he got from being middle class. 

The documentary also explores his strained relationship with the other co-owner Roxanne Quimby who eventually sold the brand to Clorox . 

6. Betting on Zero (2017)

Betting on Zero revolves around hedge fund titan Bill Ackman who is on a mission to expose Herbalife, a nutritional giant. He believes it is the largest pyramid scheme ever made. In response, Herbalife claims Ackman only wants to make them bankrupt and manipulate the market. 

This business documentary on Netflix will open your eyes to the complex world of pyramid schemes and how big companies deceive people with multi-level marketing schemes . They take advantage of poor and desperate people is what this documentary focuses on. 

7. The Creative Brain (2019)

Creativity is the key to any successful business. This documentary explores creativity through different people who have put their creative minds to use across different professions. David Eagleman , an author, neuroscientist, and successful entrepreneur decodes the creative process by meeting dynamic and creative professionals. It will motivate viewers to push their creative limits. This 52 minutes long documentary shows how the human brain works towards and against creativity. 

8. Jiro Dreams of Sushi (2011)

This documentary chronicles the life of revered sushi chef , Jiro Ono who runs a Michelin star restaurant in Tokyo . It shows his stubbornness and dedication to his craft. It takes the audience through his sheer perseverance to make the perfect sushi. 

This documentary also shows his relationship with his son who finds it difficult to live up to his father’s legacy. The brilliant documentation of Jiro Ono’s life struggles to become the best sushi chef in the world is cathartic to watch. The sacrifices he makes in the pursuit of perfection will motivate you to strive for perfection in whatever you do. The documentary is thought-provoking and fascinating. 

9. Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room (2005)

This cracking documentary tells the tale of Enron and other executives who ran the giant Enron Corporation. Documenting the fall of this company and shows the world the corporate corruption in America. These arrogant traders resort to unethical practices to make money and maintain their jobs.

The men behind the fraudulent company think they are the smartest guys in the room but after many magic tricks, the world learns the truth behind the crookedness of this business. This documentary is based on a best-selling book by the same name. The documentary unabashedly documents the rise and fall of Enron Corporation which was one of the seventh-largest American companies . Viewers can learn about the malpractices and underhand practices that such giants follow. The sheer greed and lavish lifestyles of the top executives land the company in trouble.

Many lessons to learn from this documentary, especially about greed, selfishness, and corruption in the corporate world . 

11. Food, Inc. (2008)

Food, Inc . will make you realize how much of our daily food is manipulated by big corporates. Filmmaker Robert Kenner studies the unflattering American companies that control the food industry. It gives you an insight into the food industry, how everything that comes to our plate from the farm to the processing units is all highly controlled for the benefit of these corporates. 

There are interviews with regular Americans regarding their diets and comments from experts. The unsettling imagery seen in this documentary about meat processing plants will leave you questioning your food choices. It will open your eyes to the somber world of monopolizing the food industry. There are many avenues regarding the food industry that this documentary tries to explore. Be ready to ask yourself ethical questions pertaining to food. Our fast-paced lives have made the narcissistic corporations enter the food industry and supply us with large quantities of produce. 

All entrepreneurs can learn and motivate themselves to work towards making society better rather than filling their own pockets. 

12. Tony Robbins: I Am Not Your Guru (2016)

Tony Robbins: I Am Not Your Guru gives viewers an insider look at everything that goes behind the scenes from Tony Robbins seminar ‘Date with Destiny’. It was attended by more than 4,500 people in Boca Raton Florida. This business documentary on Netflix perfectly captures Tony Robbins efforts to make the show and how he has a magical effect on his audience. 

If you are an entrepreneur and trying to improve your current situation and need some motivation, Tony Robbins is here to help. He has helped millions of people with his powerful approach to achieve success. He helps people take charge of their lives by evoking feelings of motivation. 

The documentary showcases his preparation and efforts behind making every show successful. His magnetic personality and intuitive genius will win you over. 

13. Freakonomics (2010)

Freakonomics is an adaptation of Stephen Levitt and Stephen Dubner’s best-selling book with the same title. The documentary aims at studying human behavior through interesting case studies. The documentary has segments exploring parenting, bribery, crime, race, and decent life. 

Four documentary filmmakers have worked on this documentary, putting together pieces of puzzles about human behavior. It explores the connection between science and economics that prompts our behavior. The combination of thoughtful analysis with humor works well throughout the movie.

The four segments of this documentary explore various aspects of behavior, Morgan Spurlock uses his style of comical satire to explore the unpleasant consequences of baby names and the disparity between whites and blacks. The corruption in the world of sumo wrestling is studied by Alex Gibney . Eugene Jarecki offers a shocking and controversial take on why the crime rate had dropped in the 1990s. Rachel Grady and Heidi Ewing experiment offering money to school students to motivate them to improve their grades. It is fun to watch for understanding human psychology. 

Conclusion 

These 13 best business documentaries that you can watch on Netflix are inspirational and provocative. These tantalizing documentaries are great for entrepreneurs who need motivation and wish to learn something new. There are many life lessons and business lessons that will make you think and push your boundaries. 

Netflix is a great place to watch such documentaries and invest your time and energy in promising documentaries. Take your mind off the daily struggles and invoke the passion for business through these fantastic documentaries.

Related posts you might like:

• 10 Netflix Documentaries every Entrepreneur should See
• 22 Best Entrepreneur Movies Every Entrepreneur Must Watch in 2024
• Top 5 Things You Should Know Before Hiring Online Printing Service for Your Business
• Choosing the Right Printing Equipment and Technology for Your Startup

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The Best Way for Netflix to Keep Growing

• Andrei Hagiu

Allowing third-party content could lead to new forms of revenue and new subscribers.

Netflix’s model has been undeniably successful to date. However, fighting the blockbuster content-acquisition and creation battle is becoming ever more expensive, and it involves an increasing number of combatants. Furthermore, the growth of Netflix’s subscriber base is slowing down. Netflix can and should become a platform. Why? Its big subscriber base (130 million worldwide) and content-delivery infrastructure are potentially very attractive to many third parties, including video content providers, developers of cloud gaming, and marketers. How would it become a platform? Simply by allowing these third parties to sell their products or services within Netflix’s service but outside Netflix’s subscription, on terms controlled by the third parties.

Netflix has a lot to gain by becoming a multisided platform.

• Andrei Hagiu is an associate professor of information systems at Boston University’s Questrom School of Business. theplatformguy

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Netflix - Explaining the Business Model and Revenue Streams

Uncover the inner workings of Netflix's business model and revenue streams in this in-depth article.

Netflix is one of the leading players in the streaming industry. With its vast content library and global subscriber base, the company has revolutionized the way we consume entertainment. In this article, we will delve into the intricacies of Netflix's business model and explore the various revenue streams that contribute to its success.

Understanding the Netflix Business Model

At the core of Netflix's business model is its subscription-based model , content production and acquisition , and data-driven personalization .

Netflix, the world's leading streaming service, has revolutionized the way people consume entertainment. With its vast library of movies, TV shows, and documentaries, Netflix offers a convenient and affordable way for subscribers to enjoy their favorite content anytime, anywhere.

The Subscription-Based Model

Netflix operates on a monthly subscription basis , offering unlimited access to a wide range of online streaming content for a fixed fee. This model allows subscribers to enjoy their favorite movies, TV shows, and documentaries without the hassle of commercials or strict airing schedules.

With a subscription, users can create individual profiles for each member of their household, ensuring a personalized viewing experience for everyone. This flexibility has made Netflix a popular choice for families and individuals alike.

By offering various subscription plans tailored to different needs and budgets, Netflix attracts a diverse customer base. From the basic plan that allows streaming on one device at a time to the premium plan that offers Ultra HD streaming on up to four devices simultaneously, there is an option for every type of viewer.

Furthermore, the company's user-friendly interface and personalized recommendations enhance the user experience, making it even more attractive for subscribers. Netflix's intuitive design allows for easy navigation and seamless content discovery, ensuring that users can find something they love with just a few clicks.

Subscription-Based Revenue

Netflix operates on a subscription-based model, where users pay a monthly fee for access to the platform's content. This steady stream of revenue allows Netflix to invest in original content and expand its library, keeping subscribers engaged and attracting new customers.

Key points:

• Monthly subscription fee
• Steady revenue stream
• Investment in original content

Content Licensing and Production

Netflix acquires content through licensing deals with production companies and also invests heavily in original programming. This dual approach allows the platform to offer a wide range of content while also differentiating itself from competitors.

• Licensing deals with production companies
• Heavy investment in original programming
• Differentiation from competitors

Content Production and Acquisition

Netflix invests heavily in content production and acquisition. By producing original series, movies, and documentaries, the company aims to create a unique and exclusive content library that sets it apart from its competitors. This strategy not only attracts new subscribers but also helps retain existing ones.

With an emphasis on quality storytelling and diverse representation, Netflix has become a major player in the entertainment industry. Its original content, such as the critically acclaimed series "Stranger Things" and the Oscar-winning film "Roma," has garnered widespread acclaim and a dedicated fan base.

In addition to producing original content, Netflix also acquires licensing rights for popular shows and movies from external production companies and studios. This ensures that its content library is constantly refreshed with a diverse range of high-quality content. From beloved classics to the latest blockbusters, Netflix offers a vast selection that caters to every taste.

Furthermore, Netflix's commitment to international content has made it a global powerhouse. By acquiring and producing shows and movies from around the world, Netflix has expanded its reach and gained a loyal international audience.

Data-Driven Personalization

Netflix leverages the power of data to provide personalized recommendations to its subscribers. Through sophisticated algorithms, the platform analyzes user behavior, viewing history, and preferences to curate a tailored selection of content for each individual.

By understanding what users watch, when they watch, and how they watch, Netflix is able to offer highly accurate recommendations that cater to individual tastes. Whether it's suggesting similar titles based on previous viewing habits or introducing users to new genres they might enjoy, Netflix's recommendation engine plays a crucial role in enhancing the overall viewing experience.

This data-driven approach not only enhances the user experience but also helps Netflix understand and anticipate customer preferences. By consistently improving its recommendation engine, Netflix maximizes customer satisfaction and engagement, which in turn drives subscriber retention.

Moreover, Netflix's data-driven insights also inform its content production and acquisition decisions. By analyzing viewer trends and preferences, the company can identify gaps in the market and develop content that resonates with its audience. This targeted approach to content creation ensures that Netflix continues to deliver compelling and relevant programming.

In conclusion, Netflix's success can be attributed to its subscription-based model, content production and acquisition, and data-driven personalization. By offering a wide range of content, tailored recommendations, and a seamless user experience, Netflix has become a dominant force in the entertainment industry, shaping the way we consume and enjoy media.

Revenue Streams of Netflix

Netflix, the leading streaming platform, has established multiple revenue streams that contribute to its financial success. While monthly subscription fees and content licensing are the primary sources of revenue, Netflix has also formed strategic partnerships with telecom and cable providers to expand its reach and accessibility.

Monthly Subscription Fees

One of the key revenue streams for Netflix is its monthly subscription fees. The platform offers a range of subscription plans to cater to different needs and preferences. Subscribers can choose from basic, standard, and premium plans, each offering various features such as streaming quality and simultaneous device usage.

These subscription fees play a significant role in Netflix's revenue generation. With millions of subscribers worldwide opting for the convenience and extensive content library offered by the platform, the subscription fees contribute substantially to Netflix's financial success.

Content Licensing

In addition to producing original content, Netflix also focuses on licensing popular shows and movies from external production companies and studios. By acquiring the rights to stream these licensed content, Netflix expands its library and attracts a wider audience.

Content licensing agreements require Netflix to pay royalties or licensing fees to the content owners. The amount of these fees varies depending on the popularity and exclusivity of the content. However, the revenue generated from licensing helps diversify Netflix's content offerings, making it more appealing to subscribers.

Partnership with Telecom and Cable Providers

Recognizing the importance of expanding its reach, Netflix has strategically partnered with telecom and cable providers. These partnerships allow Netflix to tap into a larger customer base and offer its services as part of bundled packages.

By teaming up with these providers, Netflix not only gains access to new markets but also attracts customers who may not have previously considered subscribing to the platform. This additional revenue stream strengthens Netflix's position in the industry and drives further growth.

Furthermore, these partnerships often involve revenue-sharing agreements , where Netflix receives a portion of the subscription fees from the bundled packages. This mutually beneficial arrangement allows both Netflix and the telecom/cable providers to leverage each other's strengths and expand their customer base.

In conclusion, Netflix's revenue streams are diverse and strategically designed to maximize its financial success. The combination of monthly subscription fees, content licensing, and partnerships with telecom and cable providers has enabled Netflix to become a dominant player in the streaming industry.

The Role of Original Content in Revenue Generation

Investing in original content has been a pivotal strategy for Netflix. By producing its own series, movies, and documentaries, the company not only differentiates itself from competitors but also creates additional revenue streams.

Netflix's commitment to original content goes beyond mere differentiation. The company understands that investing in high-quality, unique content is essential to attracting and retaining subscribers in today's highly competitive streaming landscape.

Investment in Original Content

Netflix allocates a significant portion of its budget to produce high-quality original content. This investment allows the company to attract top talent, produce critically acclaimed shows and movies, and build a loyal fan base.

With its substantial financial commitment, Netflix can afford to take risks and experiment with different genres and formats. This freedom allows the company to push creative boundaries and deliver innovative storytelling that captivates audiences around the world.

By owning the rights to its original content, Netflix can leverage revenue from licensing agreements with other platforms and broadcasters. This further monetizes its content library and increases overall profitability. The success of shows like "Stranger Things" and "The Crown" has led to lucrative licensing deals, allowing Netflix to expand its reach and generate additional income.

Impact on Subscriber Growth and Retention

Original content plays a crucial role in attracting new subscribers and retaining existing ones. Netflix's commitment to creating compelling and diverse original content has garnered a devoted following who eagerly anticipate each new release.

Exclusive shows such as "Stranger Things" and "The Crown" have become cultural phenomena, drawing in millions of viewers worldwide. These shows not only captivate audiences but also generate buzz and excitement, leading to increased word-of-mouth recommendations and social media discussions.

The popularity of Netflix's original content not only drives subscriber growth but also increases subscriber retention. Viewers are more likely to continue their subscriptions to stay updated on their favorite Netflix originals. The company's ability to consistently deliver high-quality content keeps subscribers engaged and satisfied, reducing churn rates.

Moreover, original content allows Netflix to personalize its offerings and cater to different audience segments. By producing a wide range of genres and formats, the company ensures that there is something for everyone, further enhancing subscriber satisfaction and loyalty.

In conclusion, investing in original content has proven to be a winning strategy for Netflix. It not only sets the company apart from its competitors but also creates multiple revenue streams and drives subscriber growth and retention. By continuing to prioritize original content, Netflix remains at the forefront of the streaming industry, captivating audiences worldwide.

Challenges and Risks in Netflix's Business Model

While Netflix's business model has been highly successful, it is not without its challenges and risks. These include the high cost of content production and acquisition, dependence on network neutrality, and competition in the streaming market.

High Cost of Content Production and Acquisition

Producing and acquiring high-quality content comes at a significant cost. Netflix's continued investment in original content and licensing agreements requires substantial financial resources. As the platform expands globally and increases its content library, the expenses associated with content creation and licensing may continue to rise.

Managing these costs while maintaining a competitive subscription price poses a challenge for Netflix. However, the company's strong revenue streams and commitment to creating compelling content help offset these expenses.

Dependence on Network Neutrality

Netflix's success relies heavily on network neutrality, which ensures that internet service providers treat all online traffic equally. The ability to stream content smoothly and without interruptions is crucial for Netflix's user experience.

However, changes in net neutrality regulations or the introduction of data caps by internet service providers could pose a risk to Netflix's streaming quality and user satisfaction. The company must monitor and adapt to any potential shifts in net neutrality policies to mitigate this risk effectively.

Competition in the Streaming Market

The streaming industry is highly competitive, with numerous players vying for subscribers' attention. Netflix faces competition from both established companies and new entrants in the market.

Rival streaming services such as Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, and Disney+ offer compelling content libraries and original productions that attract subscribers. Additionally, cable and satellite providers are launching their own streaming platforms, further intensifying the competition.

To stay ahead of the competition, Netflix must continue to produce high-quality original content, invest in technology to enhance user experience, and maintain a strong presence in both domestic and international markets.

In conclusion, Netflix's business model revolves around its subscription-based model, content production and acquisition, and data-driven personalization. The company generates revenue through monthly subscription fees, content licensing, and partnerships with telecom and cable providers. Investment in original content plays a crucial role in revenue generation, attracting and retaining subscribers. Despite facing challenges such as the high cost of content and competition in the streaming market, Netflix's solid business model and innovative strategies have propelled it to become a global leader in the entertainment industry .

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Business Model of Netflix – How Does Netflix Make Money?

June 9, 2023 | By Hitesh Bhasin | Filed Under: Business

The business model of Netflix is a subscription-based  model that makes money via basic, standard, and premium subscription plans while offering access to stream series, shows, and movies on the Netflix streaming platform. Its business model is quite innovative. A renowned OTT(Over The Top) content provider,  Netflix provides media through internet streaming.

Netflix is an American over-the-top content platform and production company . Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph founded Netflix in 1997 in Scotts Valley and it is now headquartered in Los Gatos, California. Netflix incorporates a subscription-based streaming service offering online streaming from a library of films and television series alongside those that Netflix produces itself.

Table of Contents

What is the Business Model of Netflix

As a streaming content provider that is specialized in entertainment has 209 million subscribers as of July 2021 of which 72 million users are from the United States and Canada. Netflix has its offices in Canada, India, Brazil, France, Netherlands, South Korea, Japan , and United Kingdom. It is also a member of the Motion Picture Association (MPA) that produces and distributes content from countries all over the globe.

To think of the company, it was founded in the year 1997 by Marc Rudolph and Reed Hastings. It was then known for providing the services which would be used by the people to rent some movies that they wanted to see on the DVD format. It would use the services of the Internet to make sure that happened without any trouble for sure. Netflix’s business model is profitable but it runs on negative cash flow because of the upfront cash paid for content licensing and original content production by Netflix.

The subscribers would be able to use the internet services and the services of the company to rent their movies as well as some of the online shows as well. The subscription base which is incorporated by the company is something which is considered to be very huge and it can be something that can be really helpful when it comes to the Netflix business model generating some money as well.

What does Netflix Business Model work?

To define Netflix, it can be said that it is a basic content provider which is used online and can be used properly to stream online movies and TV shows along with some of the other documentaries these days. This online streaming site has its own application and it can be accessible from some of the other connected devices as well. So, we can also say that it can provide all the services that people need to have.

Netflix defines its business model as-

Our business model is subscription based as opposed to a model generating revenues at a specific title level. Therefore, content assets, both licensed and produced, are reviewed in aggregate at the operating segment level when an event or change in circumstances indicates a change in the expected usefulness.

As an American Media Services Provider and Production Company, Netflix’s business model revolves around its subscription-based streaming service that comprises online streaming of a library of films and TV programs that also include those films that are also produced in-house.

The users will have to make sure that they are paying their monthly subscriptions to use the services which are provided to the people in the best way. Different types of content are provided on the online streaming sites and to access all of them, the users and the clients of Netflix will have to make sure that they can pay the money.

Also, there are the video formats that are available on Netflix such as HD and Ultra HD, and to access these video formats, some additional charges have to be paid to ensure that people can get the best options for Netflix.

Understand the Netflix Business Model Canvas

In the late 1900s, renting DVDs was a common business but was an expensive one too in the United States due to the high demands of the public.

It was in 1997 when software engineers Marc Rudolf and Reed Hastings realized that the charges demanded by the various companies for the DVD rental business were way too expensive. In 1998, they launched Netflix with the motive to deliver DVD by mail.

When only 2% of the Americans owned DVD players, the idea of delivering DVDs by mail became a game-changer in the business.

Netflix business model got expanded in 2007 with the introduction of streaming for binge-watching while retaining the DVD and Blu-ray rental business. The company expanded across the globe in 2010 with streaming available in Canada then Latin America and the Caribbean. In the year 2013, they entered into the content-production industry by debuting its first series House of Cards.

In the year 2020, they make US$25 billion in revenues. Let us now have a look at their business model canvas here-

1. Key Partners of Netflix Business Model

For channelizing its business model, Netflix depends upon different partners such as-

• Content Owners
• Internet Service Providers
• Filmmaker Guides and Individuals
• Cinemas and Theaters
• Prizes and Film Festivals
• Influencers
• TV Network Companies
• Google and Amazon
• Alliances with Smart TV Companies
• Alliances with the Gaming Industry

Netflix is one of the leading names when it comes to the platforms which provide online streaming services to people these days. To be honest , the company has managed to serve more than 190 countries in total.

The business model totally depends on the Target audience of the company. The more members are present in the company, the better it will be for the people for sure.

2. Value Propositions of Netflix Business Model

Having a huge customer base of over 195 million all over the world, Netflix’s business model idolizes some of the following points:

• The 24/7 streaming ability on the OTT platform with zero ads gives a superior edge.
• Unlimited access to HD and ultra-HD Tv shows, movies, and many other types of entertainment never fails to bore the users. Having a large number of partners allows the company to never fall short of content of any type.
• The contents can be accessed in any part of the world with the Internet. Though the membership is contract-oriented, it can be canceled at any point in time.
• Netflix has a very virtuous way of advertisements. It recommends content based on the ones the users have recently watched, which in a way compels them to view more movies and shows and eventually extend their plans too.
• Sharing of accounts is one of the rarest features provided by Netflix. The users share their accounts with anyone and entertain themselves simultaneously.

3. Customer Segments & Business Segments

Generally, the customer segments of Netflix include users who enjoy watching movies, TV Shows, and documentaries. Netflix also targets avid video content lovers who enjoy convenient delivery on their Smartphones and TVs .

Customer segmentation is done in three ways here-

• Micro-Segmentation- 2000 taste clusters
• User Segmentation (usage parameters)- Technology, Viewing behaviors, & browsing behaviors
• Macro-Segments/Ad Targeting (non-users)- Geodemographic, and other macros

More, the company has three business segments, which make them money in different ways. They are as follows:

1. Domestic Streaming

Having been found in the United States, this streaming plan is solely provided to the members of the States itself, and the revenues are collected from the monthly membership fees.

In 2015, the numbers went on to increase from 44,738 to 54,750. This indicated an increase in the costs too. The contribution margin, i.e., the variable costs subtracted from the total revenue, sky-scraped to 37%. Such a contribution margin was noted to be the most profitable plan as a short-term plan.

2. International Streaming

The revenues from this streaming plan are collected from the monthly membership provided to the patrons residing outside the United States.

As of 2017, the revenues were confirmed over $5 billion because of the international extension plan in 2015. The contribution margin was noted to be a positive 4%, which was negative in 2016.

3. Domestic DVD

Well, it is often said that we should never forget about the times when we started. The same has been done by Netflix.

Starting with renting DVDs, the OTT platform has not forgotten about its roots and still collects monthly revenues from DVDs by e-mail. Being the company’s oldest form of revenue, the rental DVDs still provide a considerable margin.

What’s more intriguing is that the platform has separated the movies, TV shows, and documentaries for kids and adults to promote a family-friendly environment.

We will discuss this in our next section while understanding the revenue stream that helps Netflix make good money-

4. How does Netflix Make Money? – Netflix Revenue Streams

The main revenue line of Netflix is its subscribed users who opt for different subscription programs for enjoying the streaming of Netflix shows.

In the year 2007 Netflix decided to convert its business structure from mail-in-system to streaming content based on subscriptions. Let us now understand how it has helped Netflix in making money-

1. Subscription-based Model

Netflix has more than 209 million subscribers from over 190 countries that have been one of the prime factors behind their revenue generation.

The three subscription plans that Netflix offers are-

In this plan, Netflix content can be enjoyed in the standard definition

Standard Plan

This Netflix plan lets users enjoy streaming in high definition

Premium Plan

By opting for this subscription plan, users can enjoy the streaming of videos in ultra-high definition

The pricing of these plans varies with the countries.

2. Important partnerships

Netflix also builds alliances with a wide range of movie producers, writers, filmmakers, and animators for receiving content and legally broadcasting the content. It also has partnerships with Internet Service providers and all of this helps it in making money.

In addition, owners of Netflix make money via licensing Netflix-owned content, product placement, DVD rental, etc.

5. Netflix’s Key Activities

Different activities that Netflix performs include hiring and retaining software and tech geeks, plus it is also involved in maintaining and optimizing its platform on the web, mobile applications, TV apps, etc.

• Netflix is also associated with producing, licensing, and acquiring its original content for expanding the Netflix video library. Netflix further develops a pricing business strategy for the Netflix subscription model to ensure cost-effectiveness and channelize new customer acquisition .
• It is involved in making a roadmap to enter into the new market and optimize user recommendations for retaining the existing customer base. Business model Netflix is additionally responsible for building local communities and economies to support the development of Netflix’s local original content.
• Building and securing a partnership with studios and content production houses, plus negotiating profitable deals with Studios, Movie production houses, and content providers are some other key activities that are not only considered as the value proposition of the brand but also understood as key resources to optimize revenue streams.

Finally, Netflix activities are also associated with complying with the laws as per the State or Region, or country to maintain compliance to censorship. Its business model is also involved in supporting disadvantaged communities and other ideological issues concerning their customers and society at large.

6. Building Unique Networks & Channels

Netflix has its own unique way of building and establishing long-term networks. Knowing about the desires of their customers, the company knows how to build an effective relationship with their patrons.

They provide customer support via e-mails, text, websites, and even through calls. It invigorates its networks with social media platforms like Instagram , Facebook , and LinkedIn to amplify its customer base and keep the target audience updated about the latest releases and promotions.

Besides these, Netflix also invests in online and offline advertising . The eulogization from their own customers attracts a lot of new ones as well and largens the numbers of users.

All in all, you can access Netflix from one or more of the following-

• Online streaming through the website
• Streaming through Mobile apps
• Streaming on TV Apps and Gaming consoles
• Mail delivery for DVDs

7. Customer Relationships of Netflix

Different factors upon which the customer relationships of Netflix is based are-

• Self-Setup Made Easy
• Exceptional Customer Experience
• Online Live Chat Services
• Social media
• Netflix Gift Cards
• Recommendation system
• Ensure transparency
• Guide through joining step

8. Netflix’s Cost Structure

Different elements that are integral to the cost structure of the Netflix business model are-

• Cost of purchasing rights establishment (TV shows and movies)
• Subscription maintenance cost
• Cost of producing movies
• Paid-Connection deal with Internet Service Provider (ISP) such as Comcast to stream Netflix data at high speed
• Cost for providing personalized recommendations, R&D, and artificial intelligence
• Infrastructure (data centers) cost of streaming content
• Employee salary distribution ( customer service , Engineers, etc.)
• DVDs and mail-related shipping costs, etc

9. Trends Driving the Exponential Growth

As of 2021, the number of Netflix users was 209 million, which is a rapid increase from 2015 (70.84 million users).

Nowadays, the craze of Netflix has increased in youth so much so that the ones not having an account of the same regret and become jealous of their friends.

Now, what are the trends that allow this OTT platform to grow so much? Following are some of the points: –

1. Technology

A wide variety of content is available to watch seamlessly on different devices concomitantly.

You can have a lavish time at your home watching any movie, web series, etc., sitting comfortably at your home with some popcorn and soft drinks. With Netflix, there is no need to go out and spend in theatres and cineplexes.

3. On-Demand

The feature of watch anytime/anywhere and cancel anytime provides the rostrum an upper edge over their rivals.

4. Low-Cost Subscription

The filmy geeks won’t deny that the subscription fee of Netflix is not a high one and a simple structure of payment. The company also looks after the privacy and security of the users.

5. Data-Driven

Netflix is not only used for recommendation purposes but is also used pro-actively to create content that fits personal preferences.

6. Uberization of the Service Economy

Uberization means benefitting more options on how to overwhelm the minds of the patrons. In the past years, especially in India, TV serials have fixed the schedule of the public on watching the same shows at the same time every day.

With Netflix, the case was reversed, having given the users to watch anything with great flexibility and optionality. The growth of digital nomadism and the self-employed/freelancer has transformed our habits and the way we consume media dramatically instead of the opposite. For media companies in this situation, on-demand has become a dominating economic strategy .

So, these are some of the important details that people need to know about Netflix. We hope that the business model can help you out in understanding how it can make money.

Netflix business has become the most prominent player in the media and video streaming industry which is also inspiring many other players around the world.

The innovative strategies of Netflix proved that just establishing a business model doesn’t help in monetizing those strategies too. It is more about the companies that allured their target audience with their content.

In fact, the more a company adds value to its business models, the more it creates an ecosystem for the organization to grow. Companies like Netflix create a user-friendly as well as a cost-friendly ecosystem with their business models paying attention to the fast growth of technology. The evolution of tech put to use in the right way has helped Netflix evolve in recent years in the most effective way.

What are your thoughts about the Netflix business model? Do you find the subscription business model the prime reason behind its success? Share your thoughts with us in the comments.

Liked this post? Check out the complete series on Business Models

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About Hitesh Bhasin

Hitesh Bhasin is the CEO of Marketing91 and has over a decade of experience in the marketing field. He is an accomplished author of thousands of insightful articles, including in-depth analyses of brands and companies. Holding an MBA in Marketing, Hitesh manages several offline ventures, where he applies all the concepts of Marketing that he writes about.

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Netflix hits 40 million users for ad-supported plan

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Reporting by Jaspreet Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Shounak Dasgupta and Shailesh Kuber

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Technology Chevron

Jabil CEO Kenneth Wilson will leave immediately, the company said on Monday, following the completion of a previously disclosed investigation related to "corporate policies" and will be succeeded by finance chief Michael Dastoor.

Netflix ad-supported tier has 40 million monthly users, nearly double previous count

Netflix ’s cheaper, ad-supported tier has amassed 40 million global monthly active users, the company said Wednesday.

That’s nearly double the 23 million figure the streaming giant shared in January.

Separately, Netflix announced it would launch its own advertising platform and no longer  partner with Microsoft  for that technology. The tech giant will remain a programmatic advertising partner.

Netflix introduced the ad-supported plan in November 2022 as part of a wider effort to drive revenue  amid slowing subscriber growth . That strategy included last year’s  password-sharing crackdown .

The company said Wednesday that 40% of all signups in countries that have the ad tier available are for that cheaper plan. Netflix now has 270 million total subscribers.

The monthly active ad-tier user figures come just a month after Netflix told investors it would no longer be providing quarterly subscriber number updates. The company said at the time that it was generating substantial profit and free cash flow and that its membership numbers were not the only factor in the company’s growth. It said the metric lost significance after it started to offer multiple price points for memberships.

The surge in ad-tier users comes as linear TV audiences shrink and traditional media companies seek to gain a foothold in the streaming realm. Netflix has established itself as the leader in the segment as many other companies struggle to make their streaming platforms profitable.

Key competitors have far fewer subscribers than Netflix does. In its first-quarter earnings report, Comcast said its streaming platform Peacock had 34 million subscribers.

More from CNBC:

• Here’s the inflation breakdown for April 2024 — in one chart
• S&P 500, Nasdaq rise to all-time highs after light consumer inflation report
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Whitten is a social media writer for CNBC.

Alex Sherman covers media for CNBC. 

Netflix inks a 3-year deal with the NFL to show football games

Peter Kafka , Chief Correspondent covering media and technology

• Netflix announced a three-season deal with the NFL.
• The streamer will show two NFL games on Christmas this year.
• There's a simple reason Netflix now wants to get into live sports programming.

No more wondering whether Netflix is going to show real live sports : The streamer now has a three-season deal with the most popular sports league in America — the NFL.

Netflix will show two NFL games on Christmas Day this year, plus "at least one" game on Christmas in 2025 and 2026, the company and the NFL announced Wednesday.

The deal will cost Netflix about $75 million per game, Bloomberg reported.

As we've discussed before, the logic for Netflix is simple here : While Netflix spent years insisting it didn't want to be in live sports, that was before it had an ad business, and live sports — particularly for the NFL — are considered the best way to aggregate an audience of ad watchers. Not coincidentally, Netflix is making its pitch to advertisers Wednesday in New York as part of the annual "upfront" pitch cycle.

And if you don't care about Netflix's ad sales and care only about watching NFL games, this simply means you need to have yet another network to watch games this fall. The league, which has become an expert at getting multiple media companies to pay it for games, already had deals with CBS, Fox, NBC, Disney/ESPN, and Amazon. Add another to the list.

Update: May 16, 2024 — Netflix will pay the NFL about $150 million to broadcast two NFL games this year, according to a Bloomberg report, not $150 million for each game.

Disclosure: Mathias Döpfner, CEO of Business Insider's parent company, Axel Springer, is a Netflix board member.

Watch: Why MassMutual is all in on the Boston Red Sox, according to CMO Jennifer Halloran

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