Stranger Things Helps Netflix Exorcise Subscriber Demons [Infographic]

Retro sci-fi hit Stranger Things has helped Netflix exorcise some of its subscriber demons. After years of unchecked growth, the streaming giant suffered a slump in the second quarter of 2019, losing 130,000 U.S. subscribers while its international additions fell far short of expectations. The company has now released its Q3 results, showing a noticeable increase in international subscribers, though growth in the U.S. remained disappointing. Despite the situation in its home market, international gains will help ease concerns that Netflix's subscriber growth has peaked.

In its letter to shareholders, Netflix said that 64 million member households watched Stranger Things 3 in its first four weeks on the platform and that has helped boost its subscriber count. It added approximately 520,000 new paid subscribers in the U.S. in Q3 while international paid memberships went up by 6.26 million. Altogether, Netflix now has 158.3 million paying subscribers - 60.6 million in the U.S. and another 97.7 million overseas.

The renewed growth in subscribers comes at a crucial time for Netflix. Disney+, HBO Max and Apple+ are all set to enter to streaming market and they could prove formidable competitors due to their immense brand recognition. Netflix seems to be relishing that challenge and remaining positive, however, even going so far as to say that increased competition will have major benefits. It expects the launch of the new services to accelerate the shift from linear TV to on demand streaming platforms which will create big, new opportunities for many players.