It’s been 25 years since Reed Hastings and Mark Randolph launched a DVD movie rental company called Netflix, a business that would ultimately transform into a multi-billion dollar enterprise.
In celebration of the silver jubilee, the streamer has released a short commemorative video (watch below) detailing Netflix’s journey from a DVD-by-mail company to the world’s first major streaming platform. The video, titled “The Story of Netflix,” features old company commercials which explain how DVD rentals work before showing how the rapid rise of the internet made streaming possible.
“Binge became the new way we watched stuff, and it gave everyone something to talk about,” says the video’s narrator. The teaser then shows clips from some of Netflix’s biggest and most memorable shows, including Orange is the New Black, Bridgerton, Stranger Things, and Squid Game.
The video also talks up the connection viewers have with many of Netflix’s 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 Gambit. And, of course, it makes sure to mention the popular Internet slang term “Netflix and chill.”
“That’s the thing about Netflix; you never really know what’s next,” the narrator teases at the end of the video.
The O.G. streamer will be hoping for another successful 25 years, especially after this year has seen a downturn in subscribers for the first time ever. With increased competition from fellow streaming platforms, such as Disney+, Apple TV+, and Prime Video, the once lone streamer now finds itself in an intense battle for content and subscriptions.
Despite this, Netflix still remains the leader in the global streaming market, with 220 million subscribers — this is 20 million more than Amazon, 15 million more than Disney, and 180 million more than Apple.
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