Jan. 23 (UPI) — Netflix added a record number of subscribers at the end of 2017, the company announced in its quarterly report Monday.
The streaming service added a total of 8.3 million subscribers during its fourth quarter, the highest net adds in its history and an increase of 18 percent from the previous record set last year.
“This exceeded our 6.3 million forecast due primarily to stronger than expected acquisition fueled by our original content slate and the ongoing global adoption of internet entertainment,” Netflix said.
Netflix added 2 million subscribers in the United States and another 6.3 million internationally as the service continues to expand into new markets.
The historic surge in subscribers came after Netflix raised the prices of its streaming plans by as much as $2 per month.
Original series such as “13 Reasons Why” and “Stranger Things,” as well as the original film “Bright” were highlighted as some of the strongest performers on the service.
Netflix said it plans to spend between $7.5 billion and $8 billion on content in 2018.
The company also addressed potential competition following Disney’s $52 billion deal to buy 21st Century Fox’s television and film studios, with plans to launch its own streaming service.
“The market for entertainment time is vast and can support many successful services,” Netflix said. “In addition, entertainment services are often complementary given their unique content offerings.”
