Go back a few decades and if you wanted to watch a TV show, you only had a few channels to choose from. Plus, if you missed a show, that was it; you had to wait until it aired again if you wanted to see it. These days, the world of TV has changed dramatically. Not only are there way more channels to choose from, the way we watch TV has changed as well. On-demand viewing is the big thing right now, with viewers able to watch show at their own convenience. We’re no longer bound by set schedules and if we happen to miss something, we can simply view it later in our own time. No doubt the biggest player in the new wave of TV shows has been Netflix. The streaming service giant is synonymous with on-demand viewing and binge watching whole box sets to your heart’s content. It’s very much the market leader right now and in the years to come, it’s likely to continue getting even bigger and bigger. Here are some baffling statistics and facts to show just how big and important Netflix has become.
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Its total worldwide subscriber numbers currently stands at over 128 million, with nearly half of them (56 million) living in the US
2. In 2016, it produced more original films and TV shows than any other mainstream TV channel, with around 126 ‘Netflix Originals’ released
3. It should therefore come as no surprise that Netflix is outspending all other major TV companies, with upwards of $8 billion dedicated to original content in 2018
4. Its 2017 revenue was estimated at a huge $11.6 billion
5. It’s currently the 9th most trafficked website in the US and the 30th most trafficked site in the world
6. It’s had a huge effect on viewing habits, with four out of five Americans regularly watching TV shows in their own time and nearly two-thirds regularly binge watching their favourite shows
7. It’s been said that the streaming service can account for up to a third of all internet traffic at peak times
8. Netflix recently became a more valuable media company than the juggernaut that is Disney
