How Netflix grew from DVD service to a Hollywood disruptor with over 200 million subscribers — that is now losing customers

Netflix gained 239,000 subscribers in its first year, according to Inc. It still offers a DVD service.

"As you get older, if you're lucky, you realize two things: what you like, but also what you're good at," Randolph told Forbes in 2019 on why he left Netflix. "The answer to both of them [for me] is early-stage companies. I like the chaos. I like the fact that you're working on hundreds of things at once."

"This was the first time we streamed a show across multiple countries and languages … and it worked," Netflix's current coCEO Ted Sarandos wrote in a blog post in February.

"It worked because it was a deeply local story that we could share with the world," Sarandos added.

Chappelle said in the special that "gender is a fact" and defended "Harry Potter" author JK Rowling, who came under fire for past transphobic comments.

Sarandos defended Chappelle in a memo to employees, saying in part: "Chappelle is one of the most popular stand-up comedians today, and we have a long standing deal with him. His last special, 'Sticks & Stones,' also controversial, is our most watched, stickiest, and most award winning stand-up special to date."

Netflix trans employees planned a walkout in response to the special and Sarandos' comments.

Aside from the economic strains of the coronavirus pandemic, Netflix blamed the subscriber loss partly on password sharing. It said that it estimated that an additional 100 million people on top of its 220 million subscribers use Netflix with a shared password.

It also acknowledged increased competition. Over the last few years, new streaming services like Disney+, HBO Max, Paramount+, and more entered the space on top of already existing rivals like Hulu and Prime Video.

Hastings confirmed at Cannes Lions this month that Netflix plans to roll out an ad-supported plan, something it has pushed back against in the past, as the company faces slowing revenue growth and loses subscribers. It's something that other streamers have embraced, like HBO Max and Paramount+. Disney+, its biggest rival, is also planning to launch an ad-supported option.

"We've left a big customer segment off the table, which is people who say: 'Hey, Netflix is too expensive for me and I don't mind advertising,'" Hastings said.

Netflix's standard HD plan (its most popular plan) is $15.49 per month after the company recently raised prices. It makes it the most expensive streaming service, topping HBO Max's $14.99 ad-free plan.

The New York Times reported last month that the ad-supported plan could roll out as early as the end of this year.