Beech Tree News Network

One of the most popular streaming services, especially during Covid, is Netflix.  Netflix was founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California.  Netflix’s initial business model included DVD sales and rental by mail but Hastings abandoned the sales about a year after the company’s founding to focus on the initial DVD rental business.  Today, Netflix streams movies and has more than 151 million paid subscribers in over 190 countries around the world.  It offers a wide range of television series, documentaries and feature films across a wide variety of genres and languages, including original productions.  Here’s a little background on the co-founders, courtesy ofwww.interestingengineering.com

Hastings was an entrepreneur who in 1991 had founded Pure Software, which made tools for software developers.  After a 1995 IPO and several acquisitions, Pure was acquired by Rational Software in 1997.  Randolph is a veteran Silicon Valley entrepreneur, advisor, and investor.  As co-founder and founding CEO of Netflix, he laid much of the groundwork pf their subscribers and fundamentally altered how the world experiences media.  He served on the Netflix board of directors, retiring in 2003. 

Some key milestones in Netflix history

1997: Hastings and Randolph co-found Netflix.

1998: Netflix launches its rental and DVD service

1999: Their subscriber-based business model is launched

2000: unveils subscriber personalization such as user ratings.

2002: Netflix goes public. 

2003: The company celebrates 1 million accounts.

2004: Netflix sees doubling in the number of accounts.

2005: Netflix doubles its subscriber base again.

2006: Company reaches 5 million subscribers

2007: Video streaming introduced

2008: Netflix teams up with various consumer electronic companies.  The year ends with 9.4 million subscribers

2009: Netflix is added to Playstation and smart-TVs.

2010: connects to Apple devices and expands into Canada.  In 2013, Netflix received 31 primetime Emmy nominations, becoming the first internet network to be nominated for a Primetime Emmy.  Netflix expanded to Europe(2014) and Australasia(2015).  In 2016, Netflix expanded to another 130 countries around the world. 

 In 2018, they won more Oscar’s for original content.  2019 saw more awards for Netflix.  My favorites to watch from Netflix are House of Cards, numerous stand-up specials, movies from my favorites and the occasional documentary.  Fear City was the latest documentary I watched on there.