Netflix hiking prices after adding record 19M quarterly subscribers

Core Insights - Netflix added 18.9 million subscribers in the holiday quarter, exceeding Wall Street forecasts, driven by live sports and the return of "Squid Game" [1] - The company plans to increase prices for most plans in the US, Canada, Portugal, and Argentina [1] Subscriber Growth - The basic service with ads will increase by $1 to$ 7.99, a 14% increase, while the premium package will rise to $24.99, a 9% increase [2] - Netflix reported a churn rate of 1.8% in December, the lowest among subscription streaming services [5] Programming Success - The fourth-quarter programming slate exceeded internal expectations, with the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson boxing match becoming the most-streamed sporting event [3][4] - The second season of "Squid Game" is on track to become one of Netflix's most-watched original series [4][6] Financial Performance - The company reported per-share earnings of$ 4.27, surpassing Wall Street's forecast of $4.20 [6] - Revenue rose 16% year-over-year to$ 10.2 billion, exceeding Wall Street's estimates of $10.1 billion [7][9] - Annual operating income exceeded$ 10 billion for the first time in the company's history [6] Future Outlook - Netflix revised its guidance, projecting revenue of $43.5 billion to$ 44.5 billion in 2025, an increase of $500 million over the prior forecast [8] - The company enters 2025 with strong momentum, having added a record 41 million subscribers in 2024 [7]