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Below are key drivers of Netflix's value that present opportunities for upside or downside to the current Trefis price estimate for Netflix:
Netflix's U.S. Streaming Subscribers: Currently, we forecast Netflix's U.S. streaming subscriber base to increase from around 80 million in 2023 to about 89 million by the end of our forecast period. There could be more than a 5% downside to our price estimate if this figure remains flat going forward. This could happen if the market growth for streaming slows down and competition weighs heavily in the future. On the other hand, there could be around a 10% upside to our price estimate if Netflix blows past expectations and captures well over 100 million U.S. subscribers.
Netflix Contribution Margin: We forecast this figure to rise from about 36% in 2023 to close to 40% by the end of our forecast period. However, there could be a downside of about 10% to our price estimate if the margin were to decline to 32%. On the other hand, there could be an upside of about 10% if this figure increased to over 45%.
For additional details, select a driver above or a division from the interactive Trefis split for Netflix at the top of the page.
Netflix offers online video streaming services to U.S. and international customers, with services available in over 190 countries. Netflix's content is available for streaming through various devices such as PCs, video game consoles, TVs, and smartphones. The company has over 260 million paying subscribers globally. The company also offers DVD rentals via mail, although the revenues for the segment have been on the decline.
The majority of Netflix's value is currently hinged on its International Streaming services for the following reasons:
While streaming subscriber growth in the U.S. is expected to moderate, Netflix should see growth in international markets, driven by increasing global broadband and mobile device penetration. The company has also been increasing its investments in regional content to attract audiences. For perspective, we project that Netflix's subscriber base in international markets will grow from around 156 million in 2022 to over 230 million by 2029. On the other hand, we expect its U.S. subscriber base to rise from 74 million to just about 80 million over the same period.
Netflix's international growth has been solid as it has rolled out its service to many markets. Netflix has been targeting the Asia-Pacific in a big way, and the market holds a lot of promise for Netflix. Netflix's international subscriber base has grown to nearly 180 million at the end of 2023. Taking a long-term perspective, we believe that Netflix can come close to 260 million international subscribers by the end of our forecast period.
Netflix has been facing increasing competition in the streaming space from the likes of Amazon, Disney, Comcast, Paramount, and Apple, who have doubled down on content investments as they look to add new subscribers. The competition could impact Netflix's growth.
Netflix's original content has improved the perception of the overall brand. The company's original programming has garnered critical acclaim by scoring many award nominations in recent years, including House of Cards, Orange is the New Black, The Crown, and the Stranger Things series, to name a few. Netflix has effectively marketed these exclusive shows to maintain its subscriber momentum.
