Netflix reports tripled game engagement in 2023, adds 13.1mn subscribers
What's the story
Netflix had a massive increase in gaming engagement on its platform, with numbers tripling in 2023, as stated in its recent earnings report.
Although gaming is still a small portion of the business compared to movies and TV shows, Netflix is pleased with the progress.
The streaming giant pointed to the addition of the Grand Theft Auto trilogy as a prime example of its gaming success.
Popularity
Grand Theft Auto becomes the most successful launch
The Grand Theft Auto series has become Netflix's "most successful launch to date" in terms of installation and engagement, according to the company.
While Netflix didn't share the exact number of downloads since the trilogy's release, they did mention that some users joined the service specifically to play these games.
This is a huge change from 2022 when fewer than 1% of Netflix users were playing games.
Catalog
Netflix is expanding its gaming library
Netflix continues to expand its gaming library, featuring popular titles such as Hades, Katana Zero, Dead Cells, Braid, and Death's Door.
The company has even developed its own games, such as Oxenfree II: Lost Signal, after acquiring indie developer Night School.
Games based on original shows such as Money Heist and The Dragon Prince have also been created.
Earnings
Netflix adds 13.1 million subscribers
Netflix has also reported an impressive growth in subscribers, adding 13.1 million in the last quarter of 2023.
This is the company's biggest subscriber growth ever in the fourth quarter, exceeding estimated gains of 8.97 million.
This brings its total global subscriber count to 260 million.
The firm's revenue climbed to $8.8 billion, beating estimates. It now expects double-digit revenue growth for the 2024 calendar year.