Netflix to Surpass 147 Million Viewers in US by End of Year, Study Finds

From eMarketer's The Global Media Intelligence Report, 2018

Netflix may have ended the third quarter with 58.4 million subscribers, but, according to a study from eMarketer, 147.5 million U.S. consumers will have used the platform in 2018.

The reason the number — which accounts for 52.8 percent of all U.S. internet users — is so large is because it takes into account Netflix users who don’t have their own subscription, such as those that use a family member or friend’s account.

The study shows that Netflix is still growing in the U.S. and is typically the first subscription service that new cord cutters try.

“Netflix reported more than 5.5 million paid membership additions for Q3 2018 vs. Q3 last year, and that doesn’t even count the new viewers coming from multiple log-ins and shared passwords,” said Chris Bendtsen, senior forecasting analyst at eMarketer, in the study’s announcement.

Also Read: 'Haunting of Hill House': Oliver Jackson-Cohen Points to Red Room Clue That Hints Crains Never Made It Out

Following behind Netflix is Amazon and Hulu, which are expected to attract 31.7 percent (88.7 million) and 19.7 percent (55 million) of all U.S. internet users, respectively.

Falling in line with most analysts, Bendsen attributes a large portion of this growth to the production of original content. Netflix, for example, which has experienced the most success among U.S. subscription video on-demand (SVOD) platforms, is expected to spend as much as $13 billion on programming this year, with a large portion of that sum going toward the production and acquisition of more than 700 original projects.

Also Read: BritBox Named Exclusive Streaming Partner in North America for BAFTA Britannia Awards

Hulu too is expected to kick up its production of original content according to Bob Iger, CEO of Disney, which will soon own 60 percent of the streaming company as part of its acquisition of 21st Century Fox’s assets.

“Given the success of Hulu so far in terms of subscriber growth and the relative brand strength and other things like demographics, we think there’s an opportunity to increase investment in Hulu notably on the programming side,” Iger said during the conglomerate’s fourth-quarter earnings call last week.

Overall, the number of U.S. internet users expected to use an SVOD service (an on-demand streaming service that charges a monthly fee) this year, per eMarketer, is 170.1 million or 60.8 percent of said group.

eMarketer’s study — TheGlobal Media Intelligence Report — was created in collaboration with Starcom Worldwide and GlobalWebIndex. GlobalWebIndex runs a quarterly research program, asking internet users aged 16 to 64 in more than 40 countries a wide range of questions about their digital lives and lifestyles. The minimum sample size per quarter, per country is 1,250; while bigger markets have larger quarterly sample sizes, with the maximum being 15,000 in China and the US. Respondents can only participate in GlobalWebIndex’s research once per year.

13 Hottest Sundance Movies for Sale: From Ax Murderers to Notorious 'RBG' (Photos)

Park City, Utah, is about to be flush with cash -- and we're not talking about buying apres-ski gear. Here are the most promising sales titles of the 2018 Sundance Film Festival.
"Tyrel"

After his stunning performance in "Mudbound," Jason Mitchell is back in this drama alongside Caleb Landry Jones, Michael Cera and Ann Dowd. Buyers should go crazy for the film about a guy who goes on a weekend birthday trip to a cabin -- but he's the only black guy on the retreat.

Sundance
"Lizzie"

There's much interest in "Lizzie," which chronicles the life of Lizzie Borden, who was tried and acquitted for the 1892 ax murders of her father and stepmother. Chloe Sevigny, Kristen Stewart and Denis O'Hare star.
Sundance
"Burden"

Garrett Hedlund also gave a stellar performance in "Mudbound," playing the son of a man associated with the Ku Klux Klan. In "Burden," Hedlund is a repo man rising through the ranks of the KKK, but everything changes when he falls for a woman (Andrea Riseborough). The additional cast of Forest Whitaker and Usher should entice buyers.
Sundance
"The Miseducation of Cameron Post"

Chloe Grace Moretz stars as a high school teenager who gets caught in the backseat of her car with another girl. She's quickly shipped off for conversion therapy, where she for the first time feels like she can find her place among fellow outcasts. The strong themes of pain and loss while finding yourself and your identity should make it a hot title -- after all, it's based on Emily Danforth's acclaimed novel as well.
Sundance
"Juliet, Naked"

Perhaps one of the most anticipated films on the Sundance schedule, "Juliet, Naked" is an adaptation of Nick Hornby's best-selling novel. Rose Byrne, Ethan Hawke and Chris O'Dowd star in this comedic drama about a woman who is in a transatlantic romance with a once-revered musician.
Sundance
"RBG"

What better time to release a documentary about Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg?
Sundance
"Piercing"

Based on Ryu Murakami's critically acclaimed novel, this steamy yet bloody thriller will get Midnight audiences' --- and buyers' -- heart rate up.
Sundance
"A Kid Like Jake"

Director Silas Howard is debuting his film "A Kid Like Jake," featuring an ensemble that includes Claire Danes, Jim Parsons, Octavia Spencer, Priyanka Chopra, Ann Dowd and Amy Landecker. Howard, who's directed boundary-pushing TV series like "This Is Us" and "Transparent," here focuses on parents whose young son prefers princesses to action figures.
Sundance
"The Happy Prince"

Rupert Everett's directorial debut details the final three years of Oscar Wilde's life. Colin Firth and Emily Watson round out the cast of this period film.
Sundance
"American Animals"

There will never be enough heist films in the world, and the cast of "American Animals," which includes Evan Peters, Barry Keoghan and Blake Jenner, promises to pull off one of the biggest art thefts in recent history. Plus, it's a true story.
Sundance
"Ophelia"

"Ophelia" retells Shakespeare's "Hamlet" from the point of view of the melancholy Danish prince's presumed future wife -- played by Daisy Ridley, hot off "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" and "Murder on the Orient Express." Naomi Watts and Clive Owen round out the cast.
Sundance
"Sorry to Bother You"

This film boasts one of the most impressive casts of any film heading to the festival, and that won't be lost on buyers: Lakeith Stanfield, Tessa Thompson, Steven Yeun and Armie Hammer star in the original comedy.
Sundance
"Wildlife"

Jake Gyllenhaal and Carey Mulligan star in Paul Dano's directorial debut, about a couple in a foundering marriage in small-town Montana in the 1960s.
Sundance

1 of 14

Sundance 2018: Streaming companies and indie distributors will battle it out for these movies

Park City, Utah, is about to be flush with cash -- and we're not talking about buying apres-ski gear. Here are the most promising sales titles of the 2018 Sundance Film Festival.

View In Gallery