Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Lifestyle
Shahana Yasmin

Netflix adds 8m subscribers in June as Bridgerton becomes most-watched show

Netflix and Shondaland

Support truly
independent journalism

Our mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.

Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.

Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.

Louise Thomas

Louise Thomas

Editor

Bridgerton became the most-watched show of any month after seeing a massive surge in viewership in June and helping Netflix gain eight million subscribers in the last few months.

By amassing 9.3bn viewing minutes in June, the period romance set the record as the most-watched show across all streaming platforms for the second consecutive month.

Netflix announced on Thursday it added eight million subscribers over the April-June period, a 37 per cent increase over the same period in 2022.

Original Netflix shows like Bridgerton and limited series Baby Reindeer topped the most-watched charts, according to Nielsen data, likely adding to the subscriber boom.

In 2022, the streaming giant started blocking the widespread practice of password sharing with friends and family in other households, and instead, introduced a lower tier subscription with commercials.

Richard Gadd and Jessica Gunning in Baby Reindeer
Richard Gadd and Jessica Gunning in Baby Reindeer (Ed Miller/Netflix)

The impact of the crackdown on password-sharing has led to almost 55m more subscribers, with the number touching 278m globally in June.

However, these gains are likely to taper off soon, the company announced, adding that it would focus more on ads for the lower-tier subscription.

While Netflix didn’t specify how many subscribers it has for the ad-based tier, it did say that June ended with a 34 per cent increase in subscribers from March.

Even with a growing number of subscribers opting for the ad-based tier, Netflix said advertising will not be a major source of revenue until at least 2026.

Apple TV+ logo

Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days

New subscribers only. £8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled

Try for free
Apple TV+ logo

Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days

New subscribers only. £8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled

Try for free

“Ads are going to be a bigger piece of the puzzle, but it won’t be in 2024 or 2025,” Spencer Neumann, Netflix’s chief financial officer, told analysts during a conference call on Thursday.

To expand its lead, Netflix said it would look into areas like sports, live events, and gaming.

In development is a multi-player video game scheduled for later this year, connected to the second season of popular South Korean dystopian series Squid Game, as well as content related to shows likeEmily in Paris.

The Netflix subscription with ads costs £4.99 in the UK and $6.99 in the US.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.