Netflix Clocks 25: Celebrates With Blast From The Past Video

With a video retrospective, Netflix commemorates 25 years of telling a story, from the popularity of Stranger Things to vintage DVD envelopes.

With a look back to see how far its financial model has advanced, Netflix commemorated its 25th anniversary, with a film upload to YouTube. The video traces the development of the streaming service since Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph launched it in 1997.

“When Netflix arrived 25 years ago, the net looked a lot like this and the flix looked a lot like that,” the video states, looking back on the design of early internet and VHS players where early Netflix — a DVD rental-by-mail service — got its start. After revisiting old Netflix commercials promoting the original red DVD return envelopes, the voiceover admits, “But at a certain point, DVDs just couldn’t keep up. Luckily by that time, the internet could.”

The documentary also covered the younger days of streaming and well-known programmes like Orange is the New Black, Bojack Horseman, and Stranger Things. As it hinted at much more to come in the future, Netflix also talked about the impact of fandoms on the durability of its brand. It recognised the viewers who found something uncommon to adore and made it into something extraordinary.

The Netflix lineup for 2022 now includes new projects including The Lincoln Lawyer, The Cuphead Show, and a live-action rendition of Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman in addition to ongoing series like Stranger Things, Sex Education, and The Witcher. The sci-fi time-travel film The Adam Project by Ryan Reynolds was removed from the service in March, followed by The Grey Man in July, and most recently, the vampire-action flick Day Shift. Before the end of 2022, noteworthy projects include Blonde, a psychological drama starring Marilyn Monroe, and Mike Flannigan’s horror series The Midnight Club.

Netflix has lately been challenged with its membership base despite its wealth of titles. Within the first quarter of 2022, the corporation lost 200,000 subscribers, according to a report from April, and viewership fell everywhere in the world. This did not include the Pacific market, which grew significantly. Netflix actually lost around one million subscribers in the second quarter, contrary to reports that it would lose over two million, which Hastings ascribed to the popularity of Stranger Things Season 4.

Disney+, a streaming service that competes with Netflix, has amassed 221.1 million users globally as of the last month, surpassing its 220.7 million subscriber mark. Another rival, HBO Max, oversaw a significant, contentious reorganisation of its programming lineup that resulted in the cancellation of numerous streaming-only TV programmes and movies, including The Amazing World of Gumball Movie and Batgirl.
Watch the anniversary video here.