Netflix just picked up 5.2 million subscribers, but forgot to pick up a $10 microphone.
The streaming giant is having a banner day, blowing projections out of the water by nearly doubling the amount of new subscribers it forecasted to add in Q2. But when it came time to announce its latest victory, Netflix’s earnings call was stymied by a glitchy connection that would’ve been embarrassing in the late ’90s.
Doug Mitchelson of UBS was the lone analyst on the video call, and it sounded like he was calling from a walkie-talkie inside a hallow bunker — and that’s when his audio wasn’t cutting out completely.
“I’m afraid, Doug, I can’t hear you anymore,” Netflix CEO Reed Hastings sheepishly said as Mitchelson’s audio went out 12 minutes into the call.
The streaming didn’t get better for the world’s streaming leader as the call went on, either.
“Doug, I’m not sure I heard the first part of your question,” said Chief Financial Officer David Wells 12 minutes later.
For Netflix investors, it was the one blemish on an otherwise stellar day. Spurred on by impressive international growth and another 1 million subscribers in the US, the company saw its share price rocket up 10 percent after releasing its Q2 earnings report. I’m sure they’ll let the bad audio slide.
If you want to listen to the call, make sure you grab your Beats and punch the volume up to full blast before clicking here.