10-QPeriod: Q1 FY2011

NETFLIX INC Quarterly Report for Q1 Ended Mar 31, 2011

Filed April 27, 2011For Securities:NFLX

Summary

Netflix Inc. reported strong financial performance for the first quarter of 2011, demonstrating significant year-over-year growth in key metrics. Revenue surged by 45.6% to $718.6 million, driven by a robust increase in total subscribers, which grew by 69.0% to 23.6 million. This subscriber growth fueled substantial improvements in operating income and net income, which rose by 75.2% and 86.6%, respectively. The company's strategic focus on expanding its streaming service domestically and internationally is clearly paying off, evidenced by the significant revenue growth and improving profitability margins. While the company continues to invest heavily in content acquisition, particularly for its streaming library, and marketing to support subscriber growth, its operational efficiency is improving. Fulfillment expenses as a percentage of revenue decreased, and technology and development expenses, though increasing in absolute terms to support service improvements, remained a stable percentage of revenue. The company's strong operating cash flow and free cash flow generation underscore its healthy financial position and ability to fund its growth initiatives.

Financial Statements
Beta
Revenue$718.55M
Cost of Revenue$438.15M
Gross Profit$280.40M
R&D Expenses$50.91M
Operating Expenses$178.16M
Operating Income$102.24M
Interest Expense$4.87M
Net Income$60.23M
EPS (Basic)$0.02
EPS (Diluted)$0.02
Shares Outstanding (Basic)3.69B
Shares Outstanding (Diluted)3.80B

Key Highlights

  • 1Revenue increased by 45.6% year-over-year to $718.6 million, driven by strong subscriber growth.
  • 2Total subscribers grew by 69.0% to 23.6 million as of March 31, 2011.
  • 3Net income significantly increased by 86.6% to $60.2 million, with diluted EPS rising from $0.59 to $1.11.
  • 4Operating income saw substantial growth of 75.2% year-over-year, indicating improved profitability.
  • 5Streaming content library investment increased significantly, with streaming content library gross rising from $441.6 million to $605.4 million.
  • 6Marketing expenses increased to support subscriber acquisition, but subscriber acquisition cost decreased by 33.2% year-over-year.
  • 7International expansion has begun, with the International segment generating $12.3 million in revenue and incurring an operating loss of $10.7 million.

Frequently Asked Questions

Netflix's revenue growth is primarily driven by a significant increase in the number of total subscribers, which grew by 69.0% year-over-year to 23.6 million. This subscriber expansion is a result of the company's focus on improving its customer experience, expanding its streaming content library, and strategic marketing efforts that have led to a decrease in subscriber acquisition cost.

Netflix is making substantial investments in its future growth, particularly in expanding its streaming content library, which saw a significant increase in investment. The company is also increasing spending on technology and development to improve its service offering and is continuing its international expansion, having launched operations in Canada and planning for further expansion in the second half of 2011.

Netflix has initiated its international segment by offering streaming services in Canada. For the first quarter of 2011, the International segment generated $12.3 million in revenue but incurred an operating loss of $10.7 million. The company expects to manage its business with distinct Domestic and International segments moving forward.

Netflix is significantly increasing its investment in streaming content, as evidenced by the growth in its streaming content library asset. The company is actively licensing content for its streaming service while also managing its DVD content library. The amortization of content is a key component of the cost of revenues.