Netflix falls short of 210 million subscriber target

By Neil Wilkes, Editor-in-chief | 20 April 2021

Netflix blames coronavirus as it falls 2 million subscribers short of its 210 million target by the end of March.

Netflix has revealed that it fell 2 million subscribers short of its target of 210 million by the end of March.

Announcing its Q1 2021 results, the streaming service blamed coronavirus for missing the target, arguing that production delays had affected the release dates of multiple major shows.

Overall, Netflix added around 4 million subscribers worldwide in the first three months of the year - down significantly on the 15.8 million additions in Q1 2020 as the coronavirus pandemic began to take hold.

"We believe paid membership growth slowed due to the big COVID-19 pull forward in 2020 and a lighter content slate in the first half of this year, due to COVID-19 production delays," Netflix told shareholders.

"We continue to anticipate a strong second half with the return of new seasons of some of our biggest hits and an exciting film lineup."

Upcoming releases on Netflix include the third season of Sex Education, the final season of After Life, Bridgerton season two and a new run of Too Hot To Handle.

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