Global streaming giant Netflix added close to 19 million subscribers during the final three months of 2024, boosted by several live sports offerings.
The content heavyweight - which has been expanding more into live sports broadcasting in the last year - added 18.9 million subscribers across October, November, and December. Its complete global subscriber base is now up to 302 million.
Overall, this number marks a rise of 41 million year-on-year from the end of 2023.
The firm’s shares have now risen in value by 14% following these numbers being revealed.
Netflix, capitalizing on this surge in subscription numbers, has now unveiled that prices will rise for users in markets including the US and Canada. A monthly premium plan in the US will now cost $22.99.
The major Netflix sporting activity during the final months of 2024 came on Christmas Day, when it live-streamed two games from American football’s NFL exclusively to a worldwide audience. Globally, those two fixtures brought in almost 65 million live viewers for Netflix.
The platform’s recent coverage of the Jake Paul vs Mike Tyson bout (in mid-November) also drew over 60 million households of viewership.
January, meanwhile, has seen the firm begin showing live World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) action across multiple markets, through a long-term deal announced last January.
The streaming heavyweight is reportedly paying around $5 billion for the rights to WWE’s 'Monday Night Raw’ program, which at 31 years old is one of the longest-running weekly episodic sports TV shows in the world.
The debut of Raw on Netflix brought in 4.9 million viewers across markets such as the US, the UK, Canada, and Latin America.
Outside of the US, Netflix will also be the dedicated broadcaster of WWE’s Friday Night Smackdown and NXT weekly shows in the territories covered by the agreement, and will also broadcast WWE’s slate of premium live events, including the iconic WrestleMania.
In terms of future live sports coverage, meanwhile, late December saw Netflix unveil a major deal for exclusive US rights to the next two editions of soccer’s FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Other Netflix Q4 financials include net profit doubling (year-on-year) to $1.8 billion, with sales rising from $8.8 billion to $10.2 billion.
