18 Nov 2017

Netflix: inside the global entertainment network

From This Way Up, 12:50 pm on 18 November 2017

With over 100 million subscribers worldwide, the streaming service Netflix has revolutionised the way that we access and consume TV shows and films, and now it's a major player in the commissioning of content, too.

Netflix things logo (via Strangify.com)

Photo: makeitstranger.com

Since releasing its first series House of Cards in 2013, Netflix has commissioned hundreds of movies and acclaimed TV shows including Orange is the New Black, Stranger Things, Masters of None, Ozark and Narcos.

Last year alone Netflix made an estimated 126 original series or films - that's more than any other US network or cable channel.

Meanwhile 'Netflix' has become a verb, and 'Netflix and chill' a popular weekend and evening activity.

So what is behind its remarkable popularity, and what does the future hold for this global entertainment powerhouse? 

We ask Ashley Rodriguez, who is a media reporter at Quartz.