The Netflix Effect

Ted Sarandos

co-CEO

Ten years ago, Netflix went from entertaining audiences in about 60 countries to more than 190 in a single day. We said we were "looking forward to bringing great stories from all over the world to people all over the world."

At the time, there were plenty of headlines about how Netflix was going global. But we knew, even back then, that the best way to be global was to start off intensely local.

In 2015, we produced our first original series outside of the U.S., Club De Cuervos in Mexico. We produce our shows and movies in more than 4,500 cities and towns in more than 50 countries around the world. Every Netflix production is a local production, creating jobs and growing businesses wherever it's made. And they're having an impact far beyond the screen.

Today we're launching the Netflix Effect - a comprehensive look at the economic, cultural and social impact of our films and series, and how it ripples out across economies, industries and everyday life, day after day, week after week.

Growing the global economy. Our series and films have an impact far beyond the screen. We create jobs, support the entertainment industry and strengthen economies all over the world. $325+ billion. Over the last decade, Netflix has contributed $325+ billion in gross value added to the global economy.

Of course there are the big numbers. Over the past decade, Netflix has invested more than $135B in films and series, contributing over $325B to the global economy. We've created more than 425,000 jobs on our productions alone.

But what really matters are the people behind those numbers - the writers, directors, carpenters and electricians, the small business owners and community members and of course, the fans who make everything possible.

In the US, the four seasons of The Lincoln Lawyer have contributed over $425M to the Californian economy, employed over 4,300 cast and crew, and filmed at over 50 different locations across Los Angeles - including Dodger Stadium and Grand Central Market. And five seasons of Stranger Things created more than 8,000 production jobs - including over 200 stunt performers who worked on the final season alone. Over 3,800 vendors from nearly every state helped bring the show to life.

Or take Frontera Verde, a Colombian thriller we filmed deep in the Amazon. Before we rolled a single camera, Walter Morales - a member of the local community - led a blessing ritual for our crew. His family worked on the production as makeup assistants, production assistants and actors. And 30 of the 150 crew members came from the local Amazonian community.

Then there's Strängnäs, a tiny city outside of Stockholm where we've filmed seven different European versions of Love is Blind. For 40 weeks a year, it transforms into a bustling set, employing lighting and audio crews, set designers, makeup artists and caterers. They fill local hotels, eat in local restaurants and keep local drivers busy.

Our partners are the ones who make Netflix Netflix. And when they create amazing stories, our members don't just want to watch them. They want to live them.

When KPop Demon Hunters came out, for example, it became our most-popular original film of all time. But it also created a cultural wave. "Golden" earned the first-ever Grammy for a K-pop track, and the film took home two Academy Awards(R). Duolingo reported a 22 percent rise in Americans studying Korean and flight bookings to South Korea spiked by 25 percent.

Over the last decade, Netflix shows and movies have consistently shaped what people read, buy, listen to, eat, wear and play. We've pushed old songs back up the musical charts, helped niche sports go mainstream, and boosted sales of everything from chess sets, to Halloween costumes, to home storage.

Now we have a responsibility to keep that flywheel going. That's why, while other entertainment companies pull back, we're leaning in - spending tens of billions of dollars on content every year, investing in production facilities from Spain to New Jersey, and growing the entertainment industry through training programs that have reached over 90,000 people across more than 75 countries.

We've also restored historic theaters like The Egyptian in Los Angeles and the Cinema Europa in Rome, and helped develop technology designed to benefit creators and studios around the world.

These days, the entertainment business is changing even faster than when we started - which is why, as we look ahead to the next decade, we'll keep investing in the relationships we've built with the creators we work with, the communities we depend on and the fans who love to watch.

To me, that's what the Netflix Effect is all about. And while I'm proud of everything we've done together, I'm even more excited about what comes next.