It’s been 25 years since Reed Hastings and Mark Randolph started a DVD movie rental company called Netflix, a business that would eventually grow into a multi-billion dollar business.
To celebrate the Silver Jubilee, the streamer has released a short commemorative video (see below) detailing Netflix’s journey from a mail-order DVD company to the world’s first major streaming platform. The video, titled “The History of Netflix”, features old corporate advertisements that explain how DVD rentals work before showing how the rapid rise of the internet has made streaming possible.
“Binge became the new way we looked at things, and it gave everyone something to say,” the video’s narrator explains. The teaser then shows clips from some of Netflix’s biggest and most memorable shows, including Orange is the new black, Bridgerton, stranger thingsand squid game.
The video also talks about the connection viewers have with many Netflix shows and movies, highlighting stranger things cos-players, the funny (and dangerous) bird box challenge videos, and the sudden rise in popularity of chess after The Queen’s Bet. And, of course, he makes sure to mention the popular Internet slang term “Netflix and chill.”
“That’s the thing with Netflix; you never really know what’s coming next,” the narrator teases at the end of the video.
The OG streamer is looking forward to another 25 years of success, especially after this year saw a drop in subscriber numbers for the first time. With increased competition from other streaming platforms, such as Disney+, Apple TV+ and Prime Video, the once lonely streamer now finds himself in an intense battle for content and subscriptions.
Despite this, Netflix still remains the leader in the global streaming market, with 220 million subscribers, 20 million more than Amazon, 15 million more than Disney and 180 million more than Apple.
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