Netflix leans on ads and live content

Netflix reported $12.25 billion in first-quarter revenue on April 16 and told investors advertising and live programming are becoming bigger parts of the business. (ir.netflix.net) The earnings release covered the quarter ended March 31, 2026, and Netflix filed the results in an April 16 Form 8-K with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Reed Hastings also told the company on April 10 that he would not stand for re-election at Netflix’s 2026 annual meeting. (sec.gov) Netflix said advertising clients rose more than 70% from a year earlier, a sign that its ad-supported tier is pulling in marketers as well as subscribers. The company has spent the past two years building an ad business to supplement monthly subscription fees. (fool.com) Live programming is the other bet. Netflix now describes itself to investors as an entertainment service offering series, films, games and live programming, and its newsroom said MLB Opening Night on Netflix drew 3 million U.S. viewers on April 1. (ir.netflix.net) (about.netflix.com) That marks a broader shift from the years when Netflix sold itself almost entirely on on-demand shows and movies. The company is now trying to make money from three levers at once: subscriptions, ads and events that can pull viewers in at a specific time. (ir.netflix.net 1) (ir.netflix.net 2) The leadership change lands in the middle of that push. Hastings co-founded Netflix in 1997, served as chief executive for years, moved to executive chairman in 2023, and is set to leave the board when his term ends at the annual meeting in June 2026. (sec.gov) (bloomberg.com) Wall Street got a mixed update alongside the strategy shift. Bloomberg reported that Netflix’s second-quarter forecast came in below analysts’ expectations, and the shares fell in extended trading after the April 16 report. (bloomberg.com) Netflix’s next test is whether those new businesses can keep growing fast enough to offset a maturing streaming market. The company’s April filings show it is still reporting from a position of scale, but the story investors are now watching is how much ads and live events can add to the subscription engine. (sec.gov) (ir.netflix.net)