Netflix
Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple languages.[6]
This article is about the streaming service. For the company, see Netflix, Inc. For other uses, see Netflix (disambiguation).
Type of site
45 languages
Los Gatos, California, U.S.
United States
- Film production
- film distribution
- television production
- television distribution
Yes
Required
260.28 million (as of January 23, 2024)[5]
January 16, 2007
Active
Launched on January 16, 2007, nearly a decade after Netflix, Inc. began its pioneering DVD‑by‑mail movie rental service, Netflix is the most-subscribed video on demand streaming media service, with 260.28 million paid memberships in more than 190 countries as of January 2024.[5][7] By 2022, "Netflix Original" productions accounted for half of its library in the United States and the namesake company had ventured into other categories, such as video game publishing of mobile games via its flagship service. As of October 2023, Netflix is the 24th most-visited website in the world with 23.66% of its traffic coming from the United States, followed by the United Kingdom at 5.84% and Brazil at 5.64%.[8][9]
Technology
Content delivery
Netflix freely peers with Internet service providers (ISPs) directly and at common Internet exchange points. In June 2012, a custom content delivery network, Open Connect, was announced.[411] For larger ISPs with over 100,000 subscribers, Netflix offers free Netflix Open Connect Computer appliances that cache their content within the ISPs' data centers or networks to further reduce Internet transit costs.[412][413] By August 2016, Netflix closed its last physical data center, but continued to develop its Open Connect technology.[414] A 2016 study at the University of London detected 233 individual Open Connect locations on over six continents, with the largest amount of traffic in the US, followed by Mexico.[415][416]
As of July 2017, Netflix series and movies accounted for more than a third of all prime-time download Internet traffic in North America.[417]
API
On October 1, 2008, Netflix offered access to its service via a public application programming interface (API).[418] It allowed access to data for all Netflix titles, and allows users to manage their movie queues. The API was free and allowed commercial use.[419] In June 2012, Netflix began to restrict the availability of its public API.[420] Netflix instead focused on a small number of known partners using private interfaces, since most traffic came from those private interfaces.[421] In June 2014, Netflix announced it would be retiring the public API; it became effective November 14, 2014.[422] Netflix then partnered with the developers of eight services deemed the most valuable, including Instant Watcher, Fanhattan, Yidio and Nextguide.[423]
Recommendations and thumbnails
Netflix presents viewers with recommendations based on previous viewing history and ratings of viewed content. These are often grouped into genres and formats, or feature the platform's highest-rated content. Each title is presented with a thumbnail. Before around 2015, these were the same key art for everyone, but since then has been customized. Netflix may select a specific actor for a thumbnail based on viewing history,[424] or an actor or scene type based on genre preferences.[425] Some thumbnails are generated from video stills.[426]
The Netflix recommendation system is a vital part of the streaming platform's success, enabling personalized content suggestions for over 220 million subscribers worldwide.[427] Using advanced machine learning algorithms, Netflix analyzes user interactions, including viewing history, searches, and ratings, to deliver personalized recommendations for movies and TV shows.
The recommendation system considers individual user preferences, similarities with other users with comparable tastes, specific title attributes (genre, release year), device usage patterns, and viewing time. As users interact with the platform and provide feedback with their viewing habits, the recommendation system is able to adapt and refine its suggestions over time. Netflix uses a two-tiered ranking system, using the presentation of titles on the homepage for easy navigation to maximize user engagement. This is done by organizing content into rows and ranking the titles within each row based on how much the user would be interested in it.[427] Netflix also uses A/B testing to determine what causes the biggest interest and engagement related to options concerning movie suggestions and how titles are organized.
Tags like "bittersweet", "sitcom", or "intimate" are assigned to each title by Netflix employees.[428] Netflix also uses the tags to create recommendation micro-genres like "Goofy TV Shows" or "Girls Night In".[428]
Privacy policy
Netflix's privacy policy[466] outlines how the streaming platform collects, uses, and protects user data. It covers various aspects of privacy such as the type of information collected (like account details, viewing history, and device data), the purposes for which it's used (including personalization, account management, and content recommendations), and how it's shared (with service providers, for legal reasons, or with user consent). The policy also addresses user controls, providing options for managing data preferences and settings.[466] Additionally, it highlights security measures to safeguard user information from unauthorized access or misuse.
For California citizens, Netflix follows the California Consumer Privacy Act, which "is a state statute that aims to enhance privacy rights and consumer protection".
