Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph had an idea to rent DVDs by mail. They tested the concept by mailing themselves a DVD. The DVD arrived intact, and the idea for Netflix was born.

1997

Netflix.com, the first DVD rental and sales site, is launched.

1998 Timeline-new

The Netflix subscription service debuts, offering members unlimited DVD rentals without due dates, late fees, or monthly rental limits.

1999

A personalized movie recommendation system is introduced, using members’ ratings on past titles to accurately predict future choices.

2000

Netflix makes its initial public offering (IPO), at a selling price of $1 a share under the NASDAQ ticker NFLX.

2002

Netflix is issued a patent by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office to cover its subscription rental services as membership surpasses 1 million.

2003

The Profiles feature launches, allowing members to create different lists for different users and/or different moods.

2005

2006

Streaming is introduced, allowing members to instantly watch series and films.

2007

Netflix partners with consumer electronics brands to allow streaming on Xbox 360, Blu-ray players and TV set-top boxes.

2008

After nearly three years and 40,000 submissions, the $1 million Netflix Prize is awarded to the team Bellkor's Pragmatic Chaos for improving the accuracy of recommendations by 10%. Streaming partnerships expand to internet connected TVs as membership surpasses 10 million. The Netflix Culture Deck is published.

2009

Netflix arrives in Canada and streaming launches on mobile devices. The first dedicated kids experience debuts on streaming.

2010

Netflix launches in Latin America and the Caribbean. The first Netflix button appears on remote controls. 

2011

Membership reaches 25 million members, and expands into the United Kingdom, Ireland and the Nordic Countries. Netflix ventures into stand-up specials with 'Bill Burr: You People Are All the Same.'



companytimeline-2012new

'House of Cards,' 'Hemlock Grove,' 'Arrested Development' and 'Orange Is the New Black' usher in the first slate of original series programming. 'House of Cards' goes on to win three Primetime Emmy awards - the first for an internet streaming service. The Profiles and My List features debut on streaming.

timeline-2013-new

Membership surpasses 50 million and extends to Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg and Switzerland. Netflix begins streaming in 4K Ultra HD.

timeline-2014-new

Our first original feature film ('Beasts of No Nation'), our first non-English original series ('Club de Cuervos') and our first Asian original ('Terrace House') debut. Membership extends to Australia, Cuba, Italy, Japan, Spain and New Zealand. Audio descriptions for the visually impaired launch with 'Daredevil.'

2015

Netflix expands to 130 new countries, bringing the service to members in more than 190 countries and 21 languages around the world. The Download feature is added for offline and on-the-go viewing.

Company Timeline-2016

Membership hits 100 million members globally. Netflix wins its first Academy Award, for 'The White Helmets.' The introduction of interactive storytelling and the Skip Intro button gives members more choices to tailor their viewing experience.

2017

Netflix is the most-nominated studio at the Emmys, winning 23 for series including 'GLOW,' 'Godless' and 'Queer Eye.' PIN protection is rolled out as part of several parental control enhancements.

timeline-2018-new

Netflix wins four Academy Awards, for 'ROMA' and 'Period. End of Sentence,' and  debuts its first original animated film with 'Klaus.' New production hubs open in London, Madrid, New York and Toronto. 'Bandersnatch' wins the first major Emmy for an interactive title.

2019

Top 10 lists debut, allowing members to see what’s popular for the first time. Netflix is the most-nominated studio at the Academy Awards and Emmys. The Hardship Fund launches to aid creative community workers impacted by COVID-19, and two percent of our cash holdings move to financial institutions supporting Black communities.

top 10

Membership surpasses 200 million. Netflix releases its first-ever film and series diversity study, in conjunction with the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, and announces plans to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by the end of 2022.

2021 Sustainability Initiative

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Our Voices, Our Stories: Amplifying Asian American and Pacific Islander Perspectives 

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‘Breaking Boundaries’: The Road to a Cleaner, Healthier and More Peaceful World 

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A robot apocalypse put the brakes on their cross-country road trip. Now it’s up to the Mitchells — the world’s weirdest family — to save the human race.

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A fatal turn of events at a brothel sends three women haunted by their pasts on a wild run from their pimp and his henchmen.

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Senior year of high school takes center stage as Lara Jean returns from a family trip to Korea and considers her college plans — with and without Peter.

To All The Boys: Always And Forever

Dark forces conspire against orphan mapmaker Alina Starkov when she unleashes an extraordinary power that could change the fate of her war-torn world.

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A peaceful boatman once known as the Black Samurai is pulled back into conflict when he takes a little girl with mysterious powers under his wing.

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Two childhood best friends reunite as an unlikely crime-fighting superhero duo when one invents a formula that gives ordinary people superpowers.

Thunder Force

Love — and lies — spiral when a DNA researcher helps discover a way to find the perfect partner, and creates a bold new matchmaking service.

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Stories move us.They make us feel more emotion, see new perspectives, and bring us closer to each other.

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A More Equitable Future

New on Netflix

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Stories move us.They make us feel more emotion, see new perspectives,
and bring us closer to each other.