Netflix CEO Reed Hastings announced on Wednesday that his company passed HBO in subscription revenue for the last quarter, bringing in $1.146 billion to HBO’s $1.141 billion.
Of course, that doesn’t mean Netflix is more successful than the premium cable giant by every measure. “They still kick our ass in profits and Emmys, but we are making progress,” Hastings wrote on Facebook.
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“HBO rocks, and we are honored to be in the same league,” he added. Hastings concluded his post with a joke about one of HBO’s Emmy-nominated shows: “Yes, I loved ‘Silicon Valley’ and yes it hit a little close to home.”
Netflix launched in 1997 as an online DVD rental service. After crushing the competition on the web and putting brick-and-mortar stores out of business, it began streaming movies and TV series online in 2007.
The company entered the original programming game in 2011 with “House of Cards,” which handed Netflix its first Emmy nominations.
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This year, both “House of Cards” and “Orange Is the New Black” have received multiple Emmy nods.
Here’s Hastings’ post: