Netflix now has nearly 270 million subscribers after another strong showing to begin 2024

Netflix gained another 9.3 million subscribers to start the year while its profit soared with the help of a still-emerging expansion into advertising, but caught investors off guard with a change that will make it more difficult to track the video streaming service’s future growth. The performance demonstrated that Netflix is still building on its momentum of last year. That was when it began a crackdown on free-loading viewers relying on shared passwords and the rollout of a low-priced option including commercials revived its growth following a post-pandemic lull. But Netflix's stock price dipped after management disclosed plans to by phase out quarterly updates on its total subscribers.