iWorld
Netflix soars higher and higher in Q4 2024; FY 2024
MUMBAI: It’s netted a financial performance like never before. Global streamer Netflix concluded 2024 on a high note, achieving significant financial milestones and operational growth. With a focus on re-accelerating revenue, expanding membership, and delivering record-breaking content, the company also outlined its strategic priorities for 2025.
2024 Financial Performance
1. Revenue Growth:
o Total revenue for 2024 reached $39 billion, a 16 per cent increase year-over-year.
o Growth was supported by strong membership additions and successful content.
2. Operating Metrics:
o Operating income surged to $10.4 billion, marking the first time the company surpassed this threshold.
o Operating margins improved by six points, closing at 27 per cent.
3. Membership Expansion:
o Global paid memberships rose to 302 million, with a record annual net addition of 41 million subscribers.
4. Content Success:
o Netflix dominated engagement metrics, achieving more viewing hours than its competitors combined.
o Top content included Squid Game Season 2, Carry-On, and the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson fight—the most streamed sporting event ever.
Q4 2024 Highlights
1. Quarterly Revenue:
o Revenue for Q4 increased 16 per cent year-over-year to $10.2 billion, or 19 per cent on a currency-neutral basis.
2. Net Membership Additions:
o Added 19 million net paid subscribers, marking the highest quarterly growth in Netflix’s history.
3. Profitability:
o Operating income rose by 52 per cent year-over-year to $2.3 billion.
o Earnings per share (EPS) doubled, reaching $4.27 compared to $2.11 in Q4 2023.
4. Content Performance:
o Blockbusters like Squid Game Season 2 and holiday NFL games drove record viewership.
2025 Strategic Outlook
Netflix is poised for continued growth, focusing on content innovation, monetization, and global expansion.
1. Revenue and Profitability:
o Projected revenue: $43.5-$44.5 billion, reflecting 12 per cent-14 per cent growth.
o Operating margin forecast: 29 per cent, up from 27 per cent in 2024.
2. Content Plans:
o Return of fan-favorites like Stranger Things, Wednesday, and Ginny & Georgia.
o New live programming, including FIFA Women’s World Cup rights and NFL Christmas Day games.
o Expansion of gaming, with the successful Squid Game: Unleashed and cloud gaming trials.
3. Advertising Strategy:
o The ad-supported tier accounted for 55 per cent of sign-ups in ad-available countries in Q4.
o Planned rollout of first-party ad-tech in the U.S. by Q2 2025 to enhance targeting and engagement for advertisers.
4. Free Cash Flow and Debt Management:
o Expected free cash flow: ~$8 billion.
o Reduction of $1.8 billion in bonds due in 2025 using proceeds from 2024 debt offerings.
Netflix Co-CEO Ted Sarandos revealed that the company is eyeing streaming of sports in the near future. (Do we expect some amount of cricket rights competition heating up going forward? Sarandos said; “Right now, we believe that the live events business is where we really want to be, and sports is a very important part of that, but it is a part of that expansion.”
The company also unearthed new price points with the standard monthly subscription without advertisements will costing $17.99, up from $15.49; the Standard monthly package with ads will rising from $6.99 to $7.99; 4K video quality subscriptions will be priced at $24.99 as compared to $22.99 now. This new price will first roll out in north America and will be followed by Europe and Apac later.
The hope is that the price increase will push customers towards the ad supported tier which will mean higher ARPUs for Netflix.
iWorld
Why Peaky Blinders is one of television’s biggest hits that still deserves more attention
Six seasons, multiple awards and the release of Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man bring the Shelby saga back into the spotlight
In the crowded universe of streaming content, only a handful of shows manage to leave a lasting cultural footprint. Peaky Blinders is overwhelmingly considered one of the biggest global hits of the past decade. Yet many viewers still haven’t fully explored the dark, gripping world of the Shelby family.
Originally produced for the UK’s BBC and later finding a massive global audience through Netflix, the series quietly grew from a British period drama into a worldwide streaming phenomenon.
Created by Steven Knight, the show follows the rise of the Shelby crime family in post-First World War Birmingham. What begins as a gritty street-gang story gradually expands into a sweeping narrative about ambition, politics, power and survival.
At the centre of the saga is Thomas Shelby, portrayed with extraordinary depth by Cillian Murphy. The casting of Murphy is widely regarded as perfect for the role. With piercing eyes, restrained dialogue and an almost hypnotic screen presence, he transforms Shelby into one of the most unforgettable characters in modern screen storytelling.
Murphy’s brilliance lies in his restraint. He rarely shouts or performs theatrically. Instead, a quiet stare, a calculated pause or a subtle shift in expression conveys the emotional storms within the character. Beneath the ruthless gang leader is a war veteran carrying trauma, guilt and loneliness. Murphy captures this complexity with remarkable precision, making Thomas Shelby both terrifying and deeply human.
Beyond its central performance, Peaky Blinders stands out for its unfiltered portrayal of reality. The show does not romanticise crime. Instead, it exposes the harsh social conditions of early 20th-century Britain, from poverty and class struggle to political extremism and the psychological scars left by war.
The series also presents powerful female characters who hold their own within the Shelby empire. Polly Gray, played by Helen McCrory, is the strategic backbone of the family and one of the most formidable figures in the story. Women in the series shape decisions, influence power structures and challenge the rigid social norms of the time.
Across six seasons, the narrative grows dramatically in scale. What begins in the smoky streets of Birmingham evolves into a story involving political conspiracies, fascism and international criminal networks.
The series has also earned significant critical acclaim. It won the BAFTA Television Award for Best Drama Series in 2018 and multiple National Television Awards for Best Drama, cementing its reputation as one of Britain’s most celebrated modern shows.
Another defining feature of the series is its iconic music. The show’s opening theme, Red Right Hand by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, became instantly recognisable and widely associated with the Shelby universe. Combined with a powerful soundtrack featuring artists such as Arctic Monkeys and Radiohead, the music helped shape the show’s dark, stylish identity and became hugely popular among fans.
And the Shelby story is not over yet.
In fact, its legacy is unfolding right now. The long-awaited feature-length continuation, Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man, was released on March 6, 2026, bringing the Shelby universe from streaming screens to cinemas and giving fans a new chapter in the saga.
For viewers who have not yet stepped into this world, the timing could not be better.
Six gripping seasons are ready to binge on Netflix. A new film has just arrived in theatres. And at the heart of it all stands one of the most magnetic performances in modern drama by Cillian Murphy.
So if Peaky Blinders has been sitting on your watchlist for years, this weekend is your moment.
So, by order of the Peaky fookin’ Blinders, consider this your cue to finally step into the ruthless world of Thomas Shelby. Pour yourself a drink, clear your schedule and press the play button. Because when the Peaky Blinders give an order, you listen.
