CES 2016: Netflix Reveals Plan for World Domination
— -- People in nearly every country in the world can now enjoy a lazy Friday night watching Netflix.
At the annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings announced during his keynote address on Wednesday that the streaming service is expanding to 130 more countries, including India, Indonesia, Russia, South Korea and Saudi Arabia. By expanding its global footprint this week, Netflix now offers its content in nearly every country on Earth except for China.
“While you have been listening to me talk, the Netflix service has gone live in nearly every country of the world but China -- where we hope to also be in the future," Hastings said.
Netflix ended 2015 with a presence in 60 countries. The expansion was a welcome surprise to investors. Shares of Netflix jumped 2.24 percent this morning to $120.31.
"When we started Netflix nearly 20 years ago, we dreamed of the day when the Internet would enable us to deliver TV shows and movies to the billions of people with whom we share the planet," Hastings said. "Today, right now, you are witnessing the birth of a global TV network."
Hastings said Netflix subscribers enjoyed 42.5 billion hours of programming last year -- with a sharp spike of 50 percent year-over-year in the fourth quarter. That calculates to subscribers watching an average of 13 hours of programming per week.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
