News Broadcasting
Netflix adds subscribers, but fewer than expected
MUMBAI: Netflix reported earnings Monday that beat expectations as it added streaming-video subscribers, though not as many as analysts had expected.
Netflix stock fell more than six per cent after the report.
“The company added 630,000 new subscribers to its US streaming service, bringing the total number of domestic subscribers to 29.8 million. The gain was in the middle of Netflix’s own forecast issued in April but fell short of the average expectation from Wall Street analysts of 700,000”, Sterne Agee analyst Arvind Bhatia said.
“It’s a mixed quarter, not good enough for the stock to move up a bit,” Bhatia said.
Internationally, Netflix gained 610,000 new streaming users, for a total of 7.75 million international subscribers.
The stock has soared 183 per cent this year, which set the bar high for second-quarter results.
“The stock was priced for perfection going into the quarter, hence the sell-off,” Evercore Partners analyst Alan Gould said.
The May release of comedy Arrested Development generated a “small but noticeable bump in membership,” chief executive Reed Hastings and chief financial officer David Wells said in a letter to shareholders.
The company generated buzz from last week’s Emmy nominations for “Arrested Development” and an original series, political thriller “House of Cards,” the first Internet series to garner Emmy nods in major categories.
Netflix, in its shareholder letter, forecast it will add up to 1.5 million U.S. streaming customers in the current quarter. That guidance “looks like a little light,” Gabelli & Co analyst Brett Harriss said.
“Netflix needs to add a substantial amount of subscribers to justify the current valuation,” Harriss said.
Net income rose to $29 million, or 49 cents a share, in the second quarter, from $6.2 million, or 11 cents a share, in the same period a year earlier, when the company was spending heavily to push into foreign countries.
Revenue increased to $1.07 billion from $889 million a year ago.
Analysts had expected the streaming-video company to report earnings excluding items of 40 cents a share on $1.07 billion in revenue, according to a consensus estimate from Thomson Reuters.
For the third quarter, the company expects earnings of 30 cents a share to 56 cents a share. The median of that guidance is 43 cents a share; analysts currently expect 45 cents a share.
News Broadcasting
News18 hosts Tamil Nadu town hall ahead of 2026 polls
MK Stalin headlines ‘Next Big Leap’ event from 10am on 23 February in Chennai with leaders and icons.
MUMBAI: Tamil Nadu’s political pot is simmering and News18’s town hall is stirring it up just in time for the 2026 assembly elections boilover. Set for 23 February from 10am onwards in Chennai, the News18 Network Town Hall gathers heavyweights under the banner ‘The Next Big Leap for Tamil Nadu’ to dissect the state’s political pulse, economic edge, and cultural clout. With the 234-seat assembly contest looming as a fiercely competitive showdown, the event spotlights how Tamil Nadu’s identity-driven politics and engaged voters continue to ripple across national debates.
Chief minister MK Stalin leads the charge with a keynote on the theme, sketching his government’s blueprint for governance, development, and staying power pre-polls. Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin chimes in on ‘Voices, Vision & Way Forward’, unpacking generational shifts and fresh narratives. From the opposition corner, AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami tackles ‘Baton Change at the Ballot?’, floating alternatives to the status quo.
Economic vibes get a nudge from industries minister TRB Rajaa on ‘Investment Story Intact?’, probing the state’s draw for big bucks. BJP’s K Annamalai dives into ‘People, Trust & Political Ideology’, positioning his party in the Dravidian-dominated turf. IT Minister Palanivel ThiagaRajan explores ‘Code, Capacity & Citizenship’, on tech’s role in citizen-focused services. TVK’s KG Arunraj questions if ‘Winds of Change are Possible’ in this pattern-prone state.
A panel on innovation features IIT Madras director Prof V Kamakoti, M&M’s Velusamy R, and Electronic Industries Association’s Dr Sasikumar Gendham, musing how AI and knowledge hubs are remaking opportunities. Culture gets its due with composer Anirudh Ravichander on ‘Tamil Music for the World’.
CNN-News18, editorial affairs director Rahul Shivshankar noted, “The News18 Network Tamil Nadu Town Hall… reflects our core editorial focus, to capture the political mood of the state and spotlight the ideas that will shape the next phase of governance and growth.”
Network18, CEO of English & business news Smriti Mehra added, “As Tamil Nadu moves closer to a defining electoral moment… we see it as our responsibility to drive informed and meaningful conversations.”
Network18 managing editor for South, Vivek Narayan said, “The News18 Network Townhall in Tamil Nadu is designed as a platform where policy, politics and public interest intersect.”
Backed by associate partners Tata Motors Commercial Vehicles and Reliance Industries, the live event streams on CNN-News18, News18 Tamil, CTV, and Youtube from 10am on 23 February perfect for catching the sparks, even if you’re not knee-deep in Dravidian drama.
