Netflix added a record 13 million new members in 2014, compared with 11.1 million the previous year, according to the company’s latest financial results.
Ending the year with 57.4 million global subscribers, Netflix expects to finish Q1 2015 with 61.4 million.
The results further demonstrates Netflix’s expanding international footprint, recording 2.43 million international subs in Q4 2014, compared with 1.74 million a year ago.
This quarter, Netflix is expected to roll out across Australia and New Zealand, with other major countries planned for later in the year. The company has said it believes it can complete its global expansion plans over the next two years, and intends to generate material global profits from 2017 onwards.
In 2015, 320 hours of original series, films, documentaries and stand-up comedy specials will be launched – triple the amount of programming Netflix released in 2014.
While HBO is set to launch a streaming service this year, Netflix has said that its biggest “competitor” is piracy – and as Internet TV goes mainstream and the size of the market grows, new rivals will continue to come along.
Netflix also made $83m in net income during the three-month period ending in December, compared to $48m a year ago.
Earlier this week, Amazon Studios, the video content production wing of the online retailer and maker of Golden Globe winner Transparent, announced plans to produce and acquire original movies for theatrical release and early distribution on Amazon Prime Instant Video.
Amazon Studios’ vice president, Roy Price, said the company’s goal is to create close to 12 movies a year with production starting later this year.
The move will be seen as an attempt to stall the growth of Netflix with the lure of quality content.
Amazon has also snapped up Woody Allen to write and direct his first ever TV series – a comedy to air exclusively on Instant Prime.
“I don’t know how I got into this,” Allen said. “I have no ideas and I’m not sure where to begin. My guess is that Roy Price will regret this.”
