Final ‘Squid Game' season lifts Netflix above earnings forecasts
The final season of global phenomenon 'Squid Game' helped Netflix top Wall Street earnings targets for the second quarter, the streaming service said on Thursday as it raised revenue guidance for the year.
Shares of the company, which had risen nearly 44 per cent this year ahead of the earnings report, dropped nearly two per cent to US$1,252.94 in after-hours trading. The company said its higher revenue forecast 'primarily reflects the weakening of the U.S. dollar.'
For April through June, Netflix posted diluted earnings per share of US$7.19. That topped the US$7.08 consensus estimate of analysts polled by LSEG.
The company raised revenue guidance for 2025 to US$44.8 billion to US$45.2 billion, citing the weakening of the U.S. dollar plus 'healthy member growth and ad sales.' Its previous guidance was up to US$44.5 billion.
For the just-ended quarter, net income came in at US$3.1 billion, edging forecasts of US$3.06 billion. Revenue totalled US$11.08 billion, above the US$11.07 billion analyst projection.
Netflix released the third and final season of dystopian Korean drama 'Squid Game' a few days before the second quarter ended in June. The show is the most popular non-English Netflix show in the streaming service's history. Season three racked up 122 million views, Netflix said.
Other releases during the quarter included 'Sirens,' 'The Four Seasons' and a third season of 'Ginny & Georgia.'
The streaming video pioneer stopped disclosing quarterly subscriber numbers this year, instead urging investors to focus on profit as a measure of its success. It said member growth was ahead of its forecast but occurred late in the quarter, which limited the impact on second-quarter revenue.
Netflix has been building an ad-supported service to increase revenue and reel in price-sensitive viewers. It also has added live events such as WWE wrestling to draw advertisers and viewers.
Looking ahead, Netflix forecast revenue of US$11.5 billion and net income of nearly US$3 billion. Analysts had projected US$11.3 billion and US$2.9 billion.
The company also has new seasons of two of its biggest shows coming later this year. 'Wednesday' returns in August, and the final episodes of 'Stranger Things' will be released in November and December.
Netflix previously said it does not expect advertising to be a primary driver of revenue growth in 2025.
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Reporting by Lisa Richwine and Dawn Chmielewski in Los Angeles. Additional reporting by Akash Sriram and Kritika Lamba in Bengaluru. Editing by Matthew Lewis
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