Skip to main content

Squid Game, Witcher lead Netflix to 222 million subscriptions

Netflix today reported its earnings for the fourth quarter of 2022, and the streaming giant said it ended the year with 221.84 million paid subscribers worldwide. That’s up 8.28 million from the third quarter, and 8.9 percent year over year.

Leading the way, the company said, was the return of original content like Season 2 of The Witcher, with 484 million hours viewed in the first 28 days, and You, with 468 million hours viewed. Squid Game, which premiered at the tail end of the third quarter, is now the biggest TV season on Netflix with a whopping 1.65 billion hours in the first four weeks. And Spanish import La Casa de Papel (which is known as Money Heist in the United States), entered its final season and is now at more than 6.7 billion hours viewed.

Lilly Collins and Samuel Arnold in Emily in Paris on Netflix.
Lilly Collins and Samuel Arnold in Emily in Paris on Netflix. Netflix

More on Netflix

And that’s just the traditional series side of things. On the movie front, the fourth quarter saw the premiere of Red Notice, with 364 million hours viewed in the first 28 days.

“Even in a world of uncertainty and increasing competition, we’re optimistic about our long-term growth prospects as streaming supplants linear entertainment around the world,” Netflix wrote in its letter to shareholders. “We’re continually improving Netflix so that we can please our members, grow our share of leisure time and lead in this transition.”

Netflix is anticipating a slowdown in paid additions in the first quarter of 2022, mostly because more content is landing in March versus January, with Season 2 of Bridgerton and The Adam Project leading the way. Netflix also noted that acquisition growth hasn’t returned to pre-COVID levels. “We think this may be due to several factors,” Netflix wrote, “including the ongoing COVID overhang and macroeconomic hardship in several parts of the world like [Latin America].”

On the financial side of things, Netflix finished the quarter with $6.02 billion cash on hand, and another $2 billion in other assets.

Editors' Recommendations

Phil Nickinson
Section Editor, Audio/Video
Phil spent the 2000s making newspapers with the Pensacola (Fla.) News Journal, the 2010s with Android Central and then the…
5 sci-fi movies on Netflix you need to watch in March
Godzilla stands above a city in terror.

Netflix continues to bolster its sci-fi library with a wide selection of films. Right now, one of the most popular sci-fi franchises on Netflix is Jurassic Park. Witnessing the moment when Dr. Grant watches the dinosaurs for the first time is still a breathtaking scene. Other sci-fi blockbusters making the rounds on Netflix include Meg 2: The Trench, Rebel Moon, and Ready Player One.

Below, we picked five sci-fi movies to watch in March. One of our picks is Spaceman, a new sci-fi drama starring Adam Sandler as a lonely astronaut who bonds with an extraterrestrial creature. Other films on our list include an underrated mystery from 2023, a visually appealing monster movie, and a fun sequel to an independent action film.
They Cloned Tyrone (2023)

Read more
5 Netflix movies to watch instead of the 2024 Oscars
A man points as another man sits in a tank in Fury.

It's March, which means there are two kinds of "madness" going on in popular culture: the "March Madness" in basketball, and the different kind of madness that is this year's Academy Awards ceremony. That's right, the 2024 Oscars is about to happen, and while it has its fair share of fans, not everyone wants to know who won Best Picture or who wore it best.

If you're one of those people, we have you covered. No, we won't do your taxes, but we can recommend five great Netflix movies to stream while the Oscars are being broadcast. From a 2024 fantasy that features a fire-spewing dragon to an underrated comic book movie starring 2024 Oscar nominee Emma Stone, these films are guaranteed to entertain you while you ignore the pomp and circumstance of Hollywood's biggest night.

Read more
5 great Netflix shows to watch instead of the 2024 Oscars
A boy lays down next to a girl siting in a field.

The long awards season is finally reaching its high point: the 2024 Oscars. The best actors, directors, screenwriters, and below-the-line talent will be honored on March 10. Netflix will be represented by several prestige films looking to bring home an Oscar, notably Maestro, Nyad, Rustin, and May December.

But not everyone is a fan of the Oscars, and that's quite OK. If you are not interested in watching the ceremony, fire up Netflix and stream a TV show. Four of our five suggestions are from 2024, including two TV adaptions of popular movies and one hit reality show. However, there is also a terrific drama from 2018 featuring a popular actor from Game of Thrones.

Read more