(Sherwood News)

Netflix added 18.9 million subscribers, the company’s best-ever quarter

After building a huge subscriber lead over competitors like Disney, this is the last time Netflix will break out its user figures.

Tom Jones

1/22/25 9:39AM

Well, after more than 12 years, ~50 quarters, and dozens of Chartr charts using the data, Netflix just broke out its final batch of quarterly subscription figures, as the streamer looks to shift its focus to other metrics (mostly financial ones).

Yes, we are still watching

Reed Hastings’ company has gone out with a bang in the subscriber department, though, reporting a record-breaking quarter where it added almost 19 million subscribers to cross the 300 million paid memberships threshold, buoyed by its forays into live sports streaming.

Netflix is up more than 13% in early trading, with plenty besides the subscriber numbers for investors to enjoy, like the $10.25 billion in revenue and $1.9 billion of net profit that the streamer hauled in.

It turns out that pitting a Paul brother (either one, realistically) against Mike Tyson and streaming the full bout, even with significant technical outages, is a recipe for racking up new subscribers. Spending $150 million to throw in two Christmas football games helped the streamer to its most-watched Christmas Day on record, while drama fans signed up to catch the Boxing Day “Squid Game” season-two drop.

Streamers sub count chart — Sherwood News

Though we’ll miss updating our streaming wars chart, Netflix’s decision to stop breaking out just how many subscribers it’s adding may please the likes of Disney, Warner Bros. Discovery, and Paramount — competitors who have never been able to match its astounding growth rate.

The decision may also be prescient for another reason: Netflix can’t keep growing like this forever, and, with another set of price rises also announced in the past 24 hours — the standard plan is going up to $18 — user complaints about the Netflix bang they get for their buck may only get louder.

Max Knoblauch2h

Electronic Arts launches a platform to put more ads in its games

Video game publishing giant EA launched a new platform on Monday designed to make the process of selling immersive ad space in its popular games easier.

The company says the platform, called EA Advertising, allows brands to “integrate directly into gameplay through dynamic, real-time placements, from stadium signage to custom in-game content.”

More so than other studios, EA has incorporated advertising into its most popular titles. As Kotaku points out, the company’s ad efforts stretch as far back as 2006. Several of its sports franchises already feature partnerships with brands like Visa, Lowe’s, Red Bull, and PepsiCo.

In-game advertising hasn’t exactly been embraced by fans, but industry experts expect it to ramp up as companies seek more revenue to offset higher games budgets and surging memory costs. EA rival Take-Two has taken a different approach, with CEO Strauss Zelnick recently saying the company was “not at risk of doing brand partnerships” in the forthcoming “Grand Theft Auto VI,” and that ads in full-price games seems “unfair.”

The $55 billion deal to take EA private, led by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, is set to close at the end of this month. Being the largest leveraged buyout in history, EA will likely look for more ways to boost revenue to cover interest payments.

Electronic Arts Makes Push for Ad Dollars Tied to Sports

Millie Giles6/11/26

JM Smucker says it sold $1 billion worth of Uncrustables in FY2026

After years of booming sandwich sales, JM Smucker has finally earned a billion-dollar crust.

On Tuesday, the company reported results for fiscal year 2026, highlighting better-than-expected profits driven by higher prices for coffee and sweet baked goods. However, at another point on the earnings call, CEO Mark Smucker pointed to one particularly jammy figure: in line with previous forecasts, the company sold $1 billion worth of its (almost always) crustless sandwiches, Uncrustables, in the last year alone.

Max Knoblauch6/8/26

Paramount reportedly offers concessions to resolve multistate antitrust investigation

Paramount has reportedly offered up some concessions in an effort to prevent an antitrust lawsuit by California and about 10 other states, according to Bloomberg reporting on Monday.

Reuters first reported on the potential suit from a group of unnamed states last week, which could throw a wrench in Paramount’s plans to buy rival Warner Bros. Discovery in a Hollywood megamerger.

The list of concessions is unknown, though Bloomberg previously reported that Paramount is open to divesting some of its kids TV assets to appease EU regulators.

Late last month, reports said US regulators appeared likely to approve the $110 billion merger, following a meeting between Paramount CEO David Ellison and DOJ antitrust staffers.

Paramount Offers Concessions to Head Off State Antitrust Lawsuit

The list of concessions is unknown, though Bloomberg previously reported that Paramount is open to divesting some of its kids TV assets to appease EU regulators.

Late last month, reports said US regulators appeared likely to approve the $110 billion merger, following a meeting between Paramount CEO David Ellison and DOJ antitrust staffers.

$98B ⛽

Max Knoblauch6/8/26

The IATA released its latest financial outlook for the airline industry over the weekend, forecasting a $98 billion jump in the sector’s collective fuel bill. The world’s largest trade group representing airlines expects the oil spike to halve profits by 49% from last year to $23 billion.

The group also expects profit margins to halve year over year, falling from 2025’s 4.2% to 2%. Still, revenue is expected to climb to $1.17 trillion from $1.07 trillion.

A surge in the cost of jet fuel has rocked US and global airlines this year, leading Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, American Airlines, Southwest Airlines, JetBlue, and others to raise fares and ancillary charges like bag fees. Low-cost carriers, which operate on smaller margins, have been squeezed the hardest, resulting in Spirit’s shutdown.

“It’s a tough year for all airlines, especially those whose balance sheets had not yet recovered from COVID. And, of course, for those operating in the Gulf,” said IATA Director General Willie Walsh, who added that demand is holding up and about half of passengers expect to spend more on travel this year. “That bodes well for a strong northern summer peak season. The big unknown is how long travelers and shippers can tolerate the higher costs of connectivity.”

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