Netflix Puts on Earnings Clinic After Girthy 325 Million Subscriber Numbers (Haters Gonna Hate)

Net-flex and chill, anyone? 

So Netflix has once again reminded all of us plebs why it’s the The Don of the streaming cartel. After the close yesterday, and presumably after calling David Ellison a baby back b*tch, Netflix dropped an absolute clinic on its earnings with a beat (while also hinting at a girthy 325 million global paid subscribers.) 

Sorry, I don’t speak poor - Netflix probably. 

(Source: Imglfip) 

As for the numbers, they were Mr. Clean. Q4 revenue up 18% YoY, helped by membership growth, price hikes, and the ad tier… aka Netflix’s “pay less, suffer more” plan. Additionally, the ad business is quietly turning into a monster. Netflix said full-year ad revenue grew more than 2.5x from 2024 to over $1.5B. Translation: Netflix found a way to make more money off the same people who already pay them. Respect.

(Source: CNBC) 

Meaning, if you didn’t already know, Netflix is running the most bulletproof business model on earth (think: OnlyFans). People don’t cancel Netflix, they cancel other things so they can keep Netflix. Spotify is the exact same way. Everything else in life is optional. And now Netflix is turning the “poors-only” tier into a full-blown growth engine. You pay less, you get ads, Netflix gets paid twice, and everyone pretends this is progress.

That said, Netflix was down over 4% during after hours. Why? Because Wall Street is a stage-5 clinger who needs constant reassurance, that’s why. Netflix can post 325M subs and $1.5B+ in ad revenue, and the market still gave it the Nvidia treatment (read: it was good, but not good enough). Translation: This is what happens when you become the default. When you’re the king, you don’t get credit for winning… you only get punished for not winning harder.

(Source: Giphy) 

Still, the headline here is plain as day. Netflix is shifting from “subscription machine” to “subscription machine + ad casino.” That’s how you squeeze more juice out of the same lemon without even adding new lemons. And if ad revenue really doubles again in 2026 like they’re projecting?

Congrats. Your $12.99/month is now funding commercials for products you’ll never buy, during shows you’ll forget in two weeks, so Netflix can keep levitating the stock while you keep pretending you’re going to cancel “after this season.” Spoiler: You won’t. Until next time, friends… 

At the time of publishing, Stocks.News holds positions in Netflix and Spotify as mentioned in the article.