Netflix added a record 13 million new members across 2014 — with 4.33 million coming aboard in Q4 — seeing its revenue and earnings per share (EPS) continue to rise in the process.
For comparison, in 2013, Netflix’s subscriber base had grown by 11.1 million. The streaming and DVD/Blu-ray company (5.8 million get the physical discs) now boasts 57.4 million global members, it said on Tuesday. Netflix forecasts that by the end of 2015 it will have 61.4 million global members.
In Q3, Netflix launched in France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium and Luxembourg, aiding its international growth.
“Internet TV is growing globally and Netflix is leading the charge,” the company touted, adding: “In late Q1, we’ll be launching Netflix in Australia and New Zealand.”
In the fourth quarter of 2014, Netflix hauled in $1.484 billion in reported revenue. It had diluted earnings per share of $1.35, and net income of $83 million.
Last year, for the same three-month period, the company reported revenue of $1.175 billion and EPS of $0.79. Net income for 2013’s Q4 was $48 million. So, everything is up.
Wall Street analysts forecasted about $0.45 per share in earnings. Therefore, even with an adjusted diluted profit — which was $0.72 this quarter due to the release of a tax accrual — Netflix crushed expectations. The consensus was that revenue would be $1.4 billion, which the company also bested.
In terms of growth, the story is the same year-over-year. For fiscal 2014, the company reported a rounded $5.505 billion in revenue, diluted EPS of $4.32, and net income of a rounded $267 million.
Over the course of fiscal 2013, Netflix had $4.375 billion in revenue, EPS on $1.85 and net income of $112 million.
As a result of the numbers, the stock is currently growing in after-hours markets. At the time of this writing, NFLX was trading up $11.46 per share, or a 3.40 percent increase.
Also in the financial release but beyond the financial figures, Netflix touted the strong performances of its relatively inexpensive originals, as well as its high ratings on Rotten Tomatoes: A 93 percent for “Marco Polo” and a 96 percent for “House of Cards.”
The second season for “Marco Polo” is expected to drop in 2016, Netflix said.
“This year, we are launching 320 hours of original series (new and returning), films, documentaries and stand-up comedy specials, triple the amount of original programming Netflix released in 2014,” the company promised.
In Q1 alone, it will premiere Season 3 of “House of Cards,” the new Tina Fey and Robert Carlock comedy “The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt,” and “Bloodline,” a family thriller from the creators of “Damages.”
Netflix also announced that it will offer exclusively “The Interview” to U.S. and Canadian members beginning on Saturday.