Cover
Cover - USD ($) | 12 Months Ended | |
Dec. 31, 2023 | Jun. 30, 2023 | |
Cover [Abstract] | ||
Document Type | 10-K | |
Document Annual Report | true | |
Document Period End Date | Dec. 31, 2023 | |
Current Fiscal Year End Date | --12-31 | |
Document Transition Report | false | |
Entity File Number | 001-35727 | |
Entity Registrant Name | Netflix, Inc. | |
Entity Incorporation, State or Country Code | DE | |
Entity Tax Identification Number | 77-0467272 | |
Entity Address, Address Line One | 121 Albright Way | |
Entity Address, City or Town | Los Gatos | |
Entity Address, State or Province | CA | |
Entity Address, Postal Zip Code | 95032 | |
City Area Code | 408 | |
Local Phone Number | 540-3700 | |
Title of 12(b) Security | Common stock, par value $0.001 per share | |
Trading Symbol | NFLX | |
Security Exchange Name | NASDAQ | |
Entity Well-known Seasoned Issuer | Yes | |
Entity Voluntary Filers | No | |
Entity Current Reporting Status | Yes | |
Entity Interactive Data Current | Yes | |
Entity Filer Category | Large Accelerated Filer | |
Entity Small Business | false | |
Entity Emerging Growth Company | false | |
ICFR Auditor Attestation Flag | true | |
Document Financial Statement Error Correction [Flag] | false | |
Entity Shell Company | false | |
Entity Public Float | $ 192,301,932,760 | |
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding | 432,759,584 | |
Documents Incorporated by Reference | Parts of the registrant’s Proxy Statement for the registrant’s 2024 Annual Meeting of Stockholders are incorporated by reference into Part III of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. | |
Entity Central Index Key | 0001065280 | |
Document Fiscal Year Focus | 2023 | |
Document Fiscal Period Focus | FY | |
Amendment Flag | false |
Audit Information
Audit Information | 12 Months Ended |
Dec. 31, 2023 | |
Audit Information [Abstract] | |
Auditor Firm ID | 42 |
Auditor Name | Ernst & Young LLP |
Auditor Location | San Jose, California |
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPER
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS - USD ($) shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands | 12 Months Ended | ||
Dec. 31, 2023 | Dec. 31, 2022 | Dec. 31, 2021 | |
Income Statement [Abstract] | |||
Revenues | $ 33,723,297 | $ 31,615,550 | $ 29,697,844 |
Cost of revenues | 19,715,368 | 19,168,285 | 17,332,683 |
Marketing | 2,657,883 | 2,530,502 | 2,545,146 |
Technology and development | 2,675,758 | 2,711,041 | 2,273,885 |
General and administrative | 1,720,285 | 1,572,891 | 1,351,621 |
Operating income | 6,954,003 | 5,632,831 | 6,194,509 |
Other income (expense): | |||
Interest expense | (699,826) | (706,212) | (765,620) |
Interest and other income (expense) | (48,772) | 337,310 | 411,214 |
Income before income taxes | 6,205,405 | 5,263,929 | 5,840,103 |
Provision for income taxes | (797,415) | (772,005) | (723,875) |
Net income | $ 5,407,990 | $ 4,491,924 | $ 5,116,228 |
Earnings per share: | |||
Basic (in USD per share) | $ 12.25 | $ 10.10 | $ 11.55 |
Diluted (in USD per share) | $ 12.03 | $ 9.95 | $ 11.24 |
Weighted-average shares of common stock outstanding: | |||
Basic (in shares) | 441,571 | 444,698 | 443,155 |
Diluted (in shares) | 449,498 | 451,290 | 455,372 |
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMP
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME - USD ($) $ in Thousands | 12 Months Ended | ||
Dec. 31, 2023 | Dec. 31, 2022 | Dec. 31, 2021 | |
Statement of Comprehensive Income [Abstract] | |||
Net income | $ 5,407,990 | $ 4,491,924 | $ 5,116,228 |
Other comprehensive income (loss): | |||
Foreign currency translation adjustments | 113,384 | (176,811) | (84,893) |
Cash flow hedges: | |||
Net unrealized gains (losses), net of tax benefit (expense) of $36 million, $0, and $0, respectively | (120,023) | 0 | 0 |
Total other comprehensive loss | (6,639) | (176,811) | (84,893) |
Comprehensive income | $ 5,401,351 | $ 4,315,113 | $ 5,031,335 |
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CO_2
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (Parenthetical) - USD ($) $ in Thousands | 12 Months Ended | ||
Dec. 31, 2023 | Dec. 31, 2022 | Dec. 31, 2021 | |
Statement of Comprehensive Income [Abstract] | |||
Net unrealized gains (losses), tax benefit (expense) | $ 36,000 | $ 0 | $ 0 |
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS - USD ($) $ in Thousands | 12 Months Ended | ||
Dec. 31, 2023 | Dec. 31, 2022 | Dec. 31, 2021 | |
Cash flows from operating activities: | |||
Net income | $ 5,407,990 | $ 4,491,924 | $ 5,116,228 |
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities: | |||
Additions to content assets | (12,554,703) | (16,839,038) | (17,702,202) |
Change in content liabilities | (585,602) | 179,310 | 232,898 |
Amortization of content assets | 14,197,437 | 14,026,132 | 12,230,367 |
Depreciation and amortization of property, equipment and intangibles | 356,947 | 336,682 | 208,412 |
Stock-based compensation expense | 339,368 | 575,452 | 403,220 |
Foreign currency remeasurement loss (gain) on debt | 176,296 | (353,111) | (430,661) |
Other non-cash items | 512,075 | 533,543 | 376,777 |
Deferred income taxes | (459,359) | (166,550) | 199,548 |
Changes in operating assets and liabilities: | |||
Other current assets | (181,003) | (353,834) | (369,681) |
Accounts payable | 93,502 | (158,543) | 145,115 |
Accrued expenses and other liabilities | 103,565 | (55,513) | 180,338 |
Deferred revenue | 178,708 | 27,356 | 91,350 |
Other non-current assets and liabilities | (310,920) | (217,553) | (289,099) |
Net cash provided by operating activities | 7,274,301 | 2,026,257 | 392,610 |
Cash flows from investing activities: | |||
Purchases of property and equipment | (348,552) | (407,729) | (524,585) |
Change in other assets | 0 | 0 | (26,919) |
Acquisitions | 0 | (757,387) | (788,349) |
Purchases of short-term investments | (504,862) | (911,276) | 0 |
Proceeds from maturities of short-term investments | 1,395,165 | 0 | 0 |
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities | 541,751 | (2,076,392) | (1,339,853) |
Cash flows from financing activities: | |||
Repayments of debt | 0 | (700,000) | (500,000) |
Proceeds from issuance of common stock | 169,990 | 35,746 | 174,414 |
Repurchases of common stock | (6,045,347) | 0 | (600,022) |
Taxes paid related to net share settlement of equity awards | 0 | 0 | (224,168) |
Other financing activities | (75,446) | 0 | 0 |
Net cash used in financing activities | (5,950,803) | (664,254) | (1,149,776) |
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash | 82,684 | (170,140) | (86,740) |
Net increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash | 1,947,933 | (884,529) | (2,183,759) |
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, beginning of year | 5,170,582 | 6,055,111 | 8,238,870 |
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, end of year | 7,118,515 | 5,170,582 | 6,055,111 |
Supplemental disclosure: | |||
Income taxes paid | 1,154,973 | 811,720 | 509,265 |
Interest paid | $ 684,504 | $ 701,693 | $ 763,432 |
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS - USD ($) $ in Thousands | Dec. 31, 2023 | Dec. 31, 2022 |
Current assets: | ||
Cash and cash equivalents | $ 7,116,913 | $ 5,147,176 |
Short-term investments | 20,973 | 911,276 |
Other current assets | 2,780,247 | 3,208,021 |
Total current assets | 9,918,133 | 9,266,473 |
Content assets, net | 31,658,056 | 32,736,713 |
Property and equipment, net | 1,491,444 | 1,398,257 |
Other non-current assets | 5,664,359 | 5,193,325 |
Total assets | 48,731,992 | 48,594,768 |
Current liabilities: | ||
Current content liabilities | 4,466,470 | 4,480,150 |
Accounts payable | 747,412 | 671,513 |
Accrued expenses and other liabilities | 1,803,960 | 1,514,650 |
Deferred revenue | 1,442,969 | 1,264,661 |
Short-term debt | 399,844 | 0 |
Total current liabilities | 8,860,655 | 7,930,974 |
Non-current content liabilities | 2,578,173 | 3,081,277 |
Long-term debt | 14,143,417 | 14,353,076 |
Other non-current liabilities | 2,561,434 | 2,452,040 |
Total liabilities | 28,143,679 | 27,817,367 |
Commitments and contingencies (Note 8) | ||
Stockholders’ equity: | ||
Preferred stock, $0.001 par value; 10,000,000 shares authorized at December 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022; no shares issued and outstanding at December 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022 | 0 | 0 |
Common stock, $0.001 par value; 4,990,000,000 shares authorized at December 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022; 432,759,584 and 445,346,776 issued and outstanding at December 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, respectively | 5,145,172 | 4,637,601 |
Treasury stock at cost (16,078,268 and 1,564,478 shares at December 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022) | (6,922,200) | (824,190) |
Accumulated other comprehensive loss | (223,945) | (217,306) |
Retained earnings | 22,589,286 | 17,181,296 |
Total stockholders’ equity | 20,588,313 | 20,777,401 |
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity | $ 48,731,992 | $ 48,594,768 |
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (Pa
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (Parenthetical) - $ / shares | Dec. 31, 2023 | Dec. 31, 2022 |
Statement of Financial Position [Abstract] | ||
Preferred stock, par value (in USD per share) | $ 0.001 | $ 0.001 |
Preferred stock, shares authorized (in shares) | 10,000,000 | 10,000,000 |
Preferred stock, shares issued (in shares) | 0 | 0 |
Preferred stock, shares outstanding (in shares) | 0 | 0 |
Common stock, par value (in USD per share) | $ 0.001 | $ 0.001 |
Common stock, shares authorized (in shares) | 4,990,000,000 | 4,990,000,000 |
Common stock, shares issued (in shares) | 432,759,584 | 445,346,776 |
Common stock, shares outstanding (in shares) | 432,759,584 | 445,346,776 |
Treasury stock (in shares) | 16,078,268 | 1,564,478 |
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOC
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY - USD ($) $ in Thousands | Total | Common Stock and Additional Paid-in Capital | Treasury Stock | Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) | Retained Earnings |
Beginning balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2020 | 442,895,261 | ||||
Beginning balance at Dec. 31, 2020 | $ 11,065,240 | $ 3,447,698 | $ 0 | $ 44,398 | $ 7,573,144 |
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward] | |||||
Net income | 5,116,228 | 5,116,228 | |||
Other comprehensive loss | $ (84,893) | (84,893) | |||
Issuance of common stock upon exercise of options (in shares) | 2,632,324 | 2,632,324 | |||
Issuance of common stock upon exercise of options | $ 173,643 | $ 173,643 | |||
Repurchases of common stock (in shares) | (1,182,410) | ||||
Repurchases of common stock | (600,022) | (600,022) | |||
Shares withheld related to net share settlement (in shares) | (382,068) | ||||
Shares withheld related to net share settlement | (224,168) | (224,168) | |||
Stock-based compensation expense | 403,220 | $ 403,220 | |||
Ending balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2021 | 443,963,107 | ||||
Ending balance at Dec. 31, 2021 | 15,849,248 | $ 4,024,561 | (824,190) | (40,495) | 12,689,372 |
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward] | |||||
Net income | 4,491,924 | 4,491,924 | |||
Other comprehensive loss | $ (176,811) | (176,811) | |||
Issuance of common stock upon exercise of options (in shares) | 1,383,669 | 1,383,669 | |||
Issuance of common stock upon exercise of options | $ 37,588 | $ 37,588 | |||
Stock-based compensation expense | $ 575,452 | $ 575,452 | |||
Ending balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2022 | 445,346,776 | 445,346,776 | |||
Ending balance at Dec. 31, 2022 | $ 20,777,401 | $ 4,637,601 | (824,190) | (217,306) | 17,181,296 |
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward] | |||||
Net income | 5,407,990 | 5,407,990 | |||
Other comprehensive loss | $ (6,639) | (6,639) | |||
Issuance of common stock upon exercise of options (in shares) | 1,926,598 | 1,926,598 | |||
Issuance of common stock upon exercise of options | $ 168,203 | $ 168,203 | |||
Repurchases of common stock (in shares) | (14,513,790) | (14,513,790) | |||
Repurchases of common stock | $ (6,098,010) | (6,098,010) | |||
Stock-based compensation expense | $ 339,368 | $ 339,368 | |||
Ending balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2023 | 432,759,584 | 432,759,584 | |||
Ending balance at Dec. 31, 2023 | $ 20,588,313 | $ 5,145,172 | $ (6,922,200) | $ (223,945) | $ 22,589,286 |
Organization and Summary of Sig
Organization and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies | 12 Months Ended |
Dec. 31, 2023 | |
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract] | |
Organization and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies | Organization and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies Description of Business Netflix, Inc. (the “Company”) was incorporated on August 29, 1997 and began operations on April 14, 1998. The Company is one of the world’s leading entertainment services with over 260 million paid memberships in over 190 countries enjoying TV series, films and games across a wide variety of genres and languages. Members can play, pause and resume watching as much as they want, anytime, anywhere, and can change their plans at any time. Basis of Presentation The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its wholly-owned subsidiaries. Intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated. Use of Estimates The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP") in the United States of America requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting periods. Significant items subject to such estimates and assumptions include the content asset amortization policy and the recognition and measurement of income tax assets and liabilities. The Company bases its estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions that the Company believes to be reasonable under the circumstances. On an ongoing basis, the Company evaluates these assumptions, judgments and estimates. Actual results may differ from these estimates Recently issued accounting pronouncements not yet adopted In November 2023, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2023-07, Segment Reporting (Topic 280): Improvements to Reportable Segment Disclosures , which requires public entities to disclose information about their reportable segments’ significant expenses and other segment items on an interim and annual basis. Public entities with a single reportable segment are required to apply the disclosure requirements in ASU 2023-07, as well as all existing segment disclosures and reconciliation requirements in ASC 280 on an interim and annual basis. ASU 2023-07 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2023, and for interim periods within fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2024, with early adoption permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of adopting ASU 2023-07. In December 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-09, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures , which requires public entities, on an annual basis, to provide disclosure of specific categories in the rate reconciliation, as well as disclosure of income taxes paid disaggregated by jurisdiction. ASU 2023-09 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2024, with early adoption permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of adopting ASU 2023-09. Cash Equivalents and Short-term Investments The Company considers investments in instruments purchased with an original maturity of 90 days or less to be cash equivalents. The Company also classifies amounts in transit from payment processors for customer credit card and debit card transactions that it expects to settle within several days as cash equivalents. The Company classifies short-term investments, which consist of marketable securities with original maturities in excess of 90 days as available-for-sale. Short-term investments are reported at fair value, with allowances for credit losses included in “Interest and other income (expense)” in the Consolidated Statements of Operations and unrealized gains and losses included in “Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)” within Stockholders’ equity in the Consolidated Balance Sheets. The Company uses the specific identification method to determine cost in calculating realized gains and losses upon the sale of short-term investments. Short-term investments are reviewed periodically for allowances for credit losses and impairment. When evaluating the investments, the Company reviews factors such as the extent to which the fair value of the security is less than the amortized cost basis, adverse conditions specifically related to the security, the financial condition of the issuer, the Company’s intent to sell, and whether it would be more likely than not that the Company would be required to sell the investments before the recovery of their amortized cost basis. Content The Company acquires, licenses and produces content, including original programming, in order to offer members unlimited viewing of video entertainment. The content licenses are for a fixed fee and specific windows of availability. Payment terms for certain content licenses and the production of content require more upfront cash payments relative to the amortization expense. Payments for content, including additions to content assets and the changes in related liabilities, are classified within "Net cash provided by operating activities" on the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows. The Company recognizes content assets (licensed and produced) as “Content assets, net” on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. For licensed content, the Company capitalizes the fee per title and records a corresponding liability at the gross amount of the liability when the license period begins, the cost of the title is known and the title is accepted and available for streaming. For produced content, the Company capitalizes costs associated with the production, including development costs, direct costs and production overhead. Participations and residuals are expensed in line with the amortization of production costs. Based on factors including historical and estimated viewing patterns, the Company amortizes the content assets (licensed and produced) in “Cost of revenues” on the Consolidated Statements of Operations over the shorter of each title's contractual window of availability or estimated period of use or ten years, beginning with the month of first availability. The amortization is on an accelerated basis, as the Company typically expects more upfront viewing, and film amortization is more accelerated than TV series amortization. On average, over 90% of a licensed or produced content asset is expected to be amortized within four years after its month of first availability. The Company reviews factors impacting the amortization of the content assets on a regular basis. The Company's estimates related to these factors require considerable management judgment. In the normal course of business, the Company, or a third-party producing content on the Company's behalf, may qualify for tax incentives through eligible spend on productions. The accounting for tax incentives is dependent on the particular type of incentive, including the nature of the benefit and the location the incentive is earned. In general, tax incentives are realized as cash receipts and may be received prior to or after a title launches on the Company’s service. Upon a title’s launch, any amounts the Company is eligible for through qualified production spend but has not received, are recognized in “Other current assets” or “Other non-current assets” on the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheets as receivables. Tax incentives are generally accounted for as a reduction to the cost basis of the Company’s content assets (presented in “Content assets, net”) and reduce content amortization over the life of the title (as presented in “Cost of revenues”) on the Consolidated Statements of Operations. The Company's business model is subscription based as opposed to a model generating revenues at a specific title level. Content assets (licensed and produced) are predominantly monetized as a group and therefore are reviewed in aggregate at a group level when an event or change in circumstances indicates a change in the expected usefulness of the content or that the fair value may be less than unamortized cost. To date, the Company has not identified any such event or changes in circumstances. If such changes are identified in the future, these aggregated content assets will be stated at the lower of unamortized cost or fair value. In addition, unamortized costs for assets that have been, or are expected to be, abandoned are written off. Acquisitions The Company uses its best estimates and assumptions to assign fair value to the tangible and intangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed at the acquisition date. In addition, uncertain tax positions, tax-related valuation allowances and pre-acquisition contingencies are initially recorded in connection with a business combination as of the acquisition date. Property and Equipment Property and equipment are carried at cost less accumulated depreciation. Depreciation is calculated using the straight-line method over the shorter of the estimated useful lives of the respective assets, generally up to 30 years, or the expected lease term for leasehold improvements, if applicable. Trade Receivables Trade receivables consist primarily of amounts related to members and payment partners that collect membership fees on the Company's behalf. The Company evaluates the need for an allowance for credit losses based on historical collection trends, the financial condition of its payment partners, and external market factors. The Company's allowance for credit losses was not material as of December 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022. Revenue Recognition The Company's primary source of revenues is from monthly membership fees. Members are billed in advance of the start of their monthly membership and revenues are recognized ratably over each monthly membership period. Revenues are presented net of the taxes that are collected from members and remitted to governmental authorities. The Company is the principal in all its relationships where partners, including consumer electronics ("CE") manufacturers, multichannel video programming distributors ("MVPDs"), mobile operators and internet service providers ("ISPs"), provide access to the service as the Company retains control over service delivery to its members. In circumstances in which the price that the member pays is established by a partner and there is no standalone price for the Netflix service (for instance, in a bundle), the net amount collected from the partner is recognized as revenue. The Company also earns revenue from advertisements presented on its streaming service, consumer products and various other sources. Revenues earned from sources other than monthly membership fees were not material for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021. See Note 2 Revenue Recognition to the consolidated financial statements for further information regarding revenues. Marketing Marketing expenses consist primarily of advertising expenses and certain payments made to the Company’s partners, including CE manufacturers, MVPDs, mobile operators and ISPs. Marketing expenses also include payroll, stock-based compensation, facilities, and other related expenses for personnel that support the Company's sales and marketing activities. Advertising expenses include promotional activities such as digital and television advertising. Advertising costs are expensed as incurred. Advertising expenses were $1,732 million, $1,586 million and $1,669 million for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively. Income Taxes The Company records a provision for income taxes for the anticipated tax consequences of the reported results of operations using the asset and liability method. Deferred income taxes are recognized by applying enacted statutory tax rates applicable to future years to differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases as well as net operating loss and tax credit carryforwards. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in income in the period that includes the enactment date. The measurement of deferred tax assets is reduced, if necessary, by a valuation allowance for any tax benefits for which future realization is uncertain. We account for the tax effects of global intangible low tax income as a current period expense. The Company does not recognize certain tax benefits from uncertain tax positions within the provision for income taxes. The Company may recognize a tax benefit only if it is more likely than not the tax position will be sustained on examination by the taxing authorities, based on the technical merits of the position. The tax benefits recognized in the financial statements from such positions are then measured based on the largest benefit that has a greater than 50% likelihood of being realized upon settlement. The Company recognizes interest and penalties related to uncertain tax positions in income tax expense. See Note 10 Income Taxes to the consolidated financial statements for further information regarding income taxes. Foreign Currency The functional currency for the Company's subsidiaries is determined based on the primary economic environment in which the subsidiary operates. The Company translates the assets and liabilities of its non-U.S. dollar functional currency subsidiaries into U.S. dollars using exchange rates in effect at the end of each period. Revenues and expenses for these subsidiaries are translated using rates that approximate those in effect during the period. Gains and losses from these translations are recognized in cumulative translation adjustment included in "Accumulated other comprehensive income" in Stockholders’ equity on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. The Company remeasures monetary assets and liabilities that are not denominated in the functional currency at exchange rates in effect at the end of each period. Gains and losses from these remeasurements are recognized in "Interest and other income (expense)" in the Consolidated Statements of Operations. Foreign currency transactions resulted in a loss of $293 million, a gain of $282 million, and a gain of $403 million for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021, respectively. These gains and losses were primarily due to the non-cash remeasurement of our Senior Notes denominated in euros and the remeasurement of cash and content liability positions denominated in currencies other than functional currencies. Derivative Financial Instruments The Company uses derivative instruments to manage foreign exchange risk related to its ongoing business operations with the primary objective of reducing operating income and cash flow volatility associated with fluctuations in foreign exchange rates. The Company enters into forward contracts to manage the foreign exchange risk on forecasted revenue transactions denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar, as well as the foreign exchange risk on forecasted transactions and firm commitments related to the licensing and production of foreign currency-denominated content assets. These forward contracts are designated as cash flow hedges of foreign currency firm commitments and forecasted transactions and generally have maturities of 24 months or less. The hedging contracts may reduce, but do not entirely eliminate, the effect of foreign currency exchange movements, and the Company may choose not to hedge certain exposures. The Company recognizes derivative instruments at fair value as either assets (presented in “Other current assets” and “Other non-current assets”) or liabilities (presented in “Accrued expenses and other liabilities'' and “Other non-current liabilities”) on the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheets. The Company classifies derivative instruments in the Level 2 category within the fair value hierarchy. The gain or loss on derivative instruments designated as cash flow hedges of forecasted foreign currency revenue is initially reported as a component of accumulated other comprehensive income (“AOCI") and reclassified into “Revenues” on the Consolidated Statements of Operations in the same period the forecasted transaction affects earnings. The gain or loss on derivative instruments designated as cash flow hedges of firmly committed or forecasted transactions related to the licensing and production of content assets is initially reported as a component of AOCI and reclassified into “Cost of Revenues” on the Consolidated Statements of Operations in the same period the hedged transaction affects earnings, which occurs as the underlying hedged content assets are amortized. Cash flows from hedging activities are classified in the same category as the cash flows for the underlying item being hedged within "Net cash provided by operating activities" on the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows. In the event that the likelihood of occurrence of the underlying forecasted transactions is determined to be probable not to occur, the gains or losses on the related cash flow hedges are reclassified from AOCI to “Interest and other income (expense)” in the Consolidated Statements of Operations in the period of dedesignation. See Note 7 Derivative Financial Instruments to the consolidated financial statements for further information regarding the Company’s derivative financial instruments. Stock-Based Compensation The Company grants non-qualified stock options to its employees on a monthly basis. Stock-based compensation expense is based on the fair value of the options at the grant date and is recognized, net of forfeitures, over the requisite service period. See Note 9 Stockholders' Equity to the consolidated financial statements for further information regarding stock-based compensation. |
Revenue Recognition
Revenue Recognition | 12 Months Ended |
Dec. 31, 2023 | |
Revenue from Contract with Customer [Abstract] | |
Revenue Recognition | Revenue Recognition The following tables summarize streaming revenues, paid net membership additions (losses), and ending paid memberships by region for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively: United States and Canada (UCAN) As of/Year Ended December 31, 2023 2022 2021 (in thousands) Revenues $ 14,873,783 $ 14,084,643 $ 12,972,100 Paid net membership additions (losses) 5,832 (919) 1,279 Paid memberships at end of period (1) 80,128 74,296 75,215 Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) As of/Year Ended December 31, 2023 2022 2021 (in thousands) Revenues $ 10,556,487 $ 9,745,015 $ 9,699,819 Paid net membership additions 12,084 2,693 7,338 Paid memberships at end of period (1) 88,813 76,729 74,036 Latin America (LATAM) As of/Year Ended December 31, 2023 2022 2021 (in thousands) Revenues $ 4,446,461 $ 4,069,973 $ 3,576,976 Paid net membership additions 4,298 1,738 2,424 Paid memberships at end of period (1) 45,997 41,699 39,961 Asia-Pacific (APAC) As of/Year Ended December 31, 2023 2022 2021 (in thousands) Revenues $ 3,763,727 $ 3,570,221 $ 3,266,601 Paid net membership additions 7,315 5,391 7,140 Paid memberships at end of period (1) 45,338 38,023 32,632 (1) A paid membership (also referred to as a paid subscription) is defined as a membership that has the right to receive Netflix service following sign-up and a method of payment being provided, and that is not part of a free trial or certain other promotions that may be offered by the Company to new or rejoining members. Certain members have the option to add extra member sub accounts. These extra member sub accounts are not included in paid memberships. A membership is canceled and ceases to be reflected in the above metrics as of the effective cancellation date. Voluntary cancellations generally become effective at the end of the prepaid membership period. Involuntary cancellations, as a result of a failed method of payment, become effective immediately. Memberships are assigned to territories based on the geographic location used at time of sign-up as determined by the Company’s internal systems, which utilize industry standard geo-location technology. Deferred revenue consists of membership fees billed that have not been recognized, as well as gift and other prepaid memberships that have not been fully redeemed. As of December 31, 2023, total deferred revenue was $1,443 million, the vast majority of which was related to membership fees billed that are expected to be recognized as revenue within the next month. The remaining deferred revenue balance, which is related to gift cards and other prepaid memberships, will be recognized as revenue over the period of service after redemption, which is expected to occur over the next 12 months. The $178 million increase in deferred revenue as compared to the balance of $1,265 million for the year ended December 31, 2022, is a result of the increase in membership fees billed due to increased memberships. |
Earnings Per Share
Earnings Per Share | 12 Months Ended |
Dec. 31, 2023 | |
Earnings Per Share [Abstract] | |
Earnings Per Share | Earnings per Share Basic earnings per share is computed using the weighted-average number of outstanding shares of common stock during the period. Diluted earnings per share is computed using the weighted-average number of outstanding shares of common stock and, when dilutive, potential common shares outstanding during the period. Potential common shares consist of incremental shares issuable upon the assumed exercise of stock options. The computation of earnings per share is as follows: Year Ended December 31, 2023 2022 2021 (in thousands, except per share data) Basic earnings per share: Net income $ 5,407,990 $ 4,491,924 $ 5,116,228 Shares used in computation: Weighted-average shares of common stock outstanding 441,571 444,698 443,155 Basic earnings per share $ 12.25 $ 10.10 $ 11.55 Diluted earnings per share: Net income $ 5,407,990 $ 4,491,924 $ 5,116,228 Shares used in computation: Weighted-average shares of common stock outstanding 441,571 444,698 443,155 Employee stock options 7,927 6,592 12,217 Weighted-average number of shares 449,498 451,290 455,372 Diluted earnings per share $ 12.03 $ 9.95 $ 11.24 Employee stock options with exercise prices greater than the average market price of the common stock were excluded from the diluted calculation as their inclusion would have been anti-dilutive. The following table summarizes the potential common shares excluded from the diluted calculation: Year Ended December 31, 2023 2022 2021 (in thousands) Employee stock options 4,109 6,790 348 |
Cash, Cash Equivalents, Restric
Cash, Cash Equivalents, Restricted Cash, and Short-term Investments | 12 Months Ended |
Dec. 31, 2023 | |
Short-Term Investments And Fair Value Measurement [Abstract] | |
Cash, Cash Equivalents, Restricted Cash, and Short-term Investments | Cash, Cash Equivalents, Restricted Cash, and Short-term Investments The Company classifies short-term investments, which consist of marketable securities with original maturities in excess of 90 days as available-for-sale. The Company does not buy and hold securities principally for the purpose of selling them in the near future. The Company’s policy is focused on the preservation of capital, liquidity and return. From time to time, the Company may sell certain securities but the objectives are generally not to generate profits on short-term differences in price. The following tables summarize the Company's cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash and short-term investments as of December 31, 2023 and 2022: As of December 31, 2023 Cash and cash equivalents Short-term investments Other Current Assets Non-current Assets Total (in thousands) Cash $ 5,986,629 $ — $ 1,466 $ 81 $ 5,988,176 Level 1 securities: Money market funds 925,652 — — 55 925,707 Level 2 securities: Time Deposits (1) 204,632 20,973 — — 225,605 $ 7,116,913 $ 20,973 $ 1,466 $ 136 $ 7,139,488 (1) The majority of the Company's time deposits are international deposits, which mature within one year. As of December 31, 2022 Cash and cash equivalents Short-term investments Other Current Assets Non-current Assets Total (in thousands) Cash $ 4,071,584 $ — $ 3,410 $ 19,874 $ 4,094,868 Level 1 securities: Money market funds 569,826 — — 122 569,948 Level 2 securities: Time Deposits (2) 505,766 911,276 — — 1,417,042 $ 5,147,176 $ 911,276 $ 3,410 $ 19,996 $ 6,081,858 (2) The majority of the Company's time deposits are domestic deposits, which mature within one year. Other current assets include restricted cash for deposits related to self-insurance and letter of credit agreements. Non-current assets include restricted cash related to letter of credit agreements. The fair value of cash equivalents and short-term investments included in the Level 2 category is based on observable inputs, such as quoted prices for similar assets at the measurement date; quoted prices in markets that are not active; or other inputs that are observable, either directly or indirectly. See Note 6 Debt to the consolidated financial statements for further information regarding the fair value of the Company’s senior notes. There were no material gross realized gains or losses for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022. |
Balance Sheet Components
Balance Sheet Components | 12 Months Ended |
Dec. 31, 2023 | |
Balance Sheet Related Disclosures [Abstract] | |
Balance Sheet Components | Balance Sheet Components Content Assets, Net Content assets consisted of the following: As of December 31, 2023 2022 (in thousands) Licensed content, net $ 12,722,701 $ 12,732,549 Produced content, net Released, less amortization 9,843,150 9,110,518 In production 8,247,578 10,255,940 In development and pre-production 844,627 637,706 18,935,355 20,004,164 Content assets, net $ 31,658,056 $ 32,736,713 As of December 31, 2023, approximately $5,777 million, $2,860 million, and $1,842 million of the $12,723 million unamortized cost of the licensed content is expected to be amortized in each of the next three years. As of December 31, 2023, approximately $3,766 million, $2,622 million, and $1,793 million of the $9,843 million unamortized cost of the produced content that has been released is expected to be amortized in each of the next three years. As of December 31, 2023, the amount of accrued participations and residuals was not material. The following table represents the amortization of content assets: Year Ended December 31, 2023 2022 2021 (in thousands) Licensed content $ 7,145,446 $ 7,681,978 $ 8,055,811 Produced content (1) 7,051,991 6,344,154 4,174,556 Total $ 14,197,437 $ 14,026,132 $ 12,230,367 (1) Tax incentives earned on qualified production spend generally reduce the cost-basis of content assets and result in lower content amortization over the life of the title. For the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, tax incentives resulted in lower content amortization on produced content of approximately $835 million and $719 million, respectively. Property and Equipment, Net Property and equipment and accumulated depreciation consisted of the following: As of December 31, Estimated Useful Lives (in Years) 2023 2022 (in thousands) Land $ 88,429 $ 85,005 Buildings 150,736 52,106 30 years Leasehold improvements 1,032,492 1,040,570 Over life of lease Furniture and fixtures 144,737 153,682 3 years Information technology 414,092 442,681 3 years Corporate aircraft 99,175 115,578 8-10 years Machinery and equipment 10,334 26,821 3-5 years Capital work-in-progress 406,492 235,555 Property and equipment, gross 2,346,487 2,151,998 Less: Accumulated depreciation (855,043) (753,741) Property and equipment, net $ 1,491,444 $ 1,398,257 Leases The Company has entered into operating leases primarily for real estate. These leases generally have terms which range from 1 year to 15 years, and often include one or more options to renew. These renewal terms can extend the lease term from 1 year to 20 years, and are included in the lease term when it is reasonably certain that the Company will exercise the option. These operating leases are included in "Other non-current assets" on the Company's Consolidated Balance Sheets, and represent the Company’s right to use the underlying asset for the lease term. The Company’s obligations to make lease payments are included in "Accrued expenses and other liabilities" and "Other non-current liabilities" on the Company's Consolidated Balance Sheets. Operating lease right-of-use assets and liabilities are recognized at the commencement date based on the present value of lease payments over the lease term. The Company has entered into various short-term operating leases with an initial term of twelve months or less. These leases are not recorded on the Company's Consolidated Balance Sheets. All operating lease expense is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term. Because the rate implicit in each lease is not readily determinable, the Company uses its incremental borrowing rate to determine the present value of the lease payments. The Company has certain contracts for real estate which may contain lease and non-lease components which it has elected to treat as a single lease component. The components of lease costs for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021 were as follows: Year ended December 31, 2023 2022 2021 (in thousands) Operating lease cost $ 430,856 $ 413,664 $ 389,805 Short-term lease cost 207,822 194,764 152,765 Total lease cost $ 638,678 $ 608,428 $ 542,570 Information related to the Company's operating right-of-use assets and related operating lease liabilities were as follows: Year ended December 31, 2023 2022 2021 (in thousands) Cash paid for operating lease liabilities $ 451,525 $ 413,034 $ 349,586 Right-of-use assets obtained in exchange for new operating lease obligations 196,639 252,393 764,142 As of December 31, 2023 2022 (in thousands, except lease term and discount rate) Operating lease right-of-use assets, net $ 2,076,899 $ 2,227,122 Current operating lease liabilities $ 383,312 $ 355,985 Non-current operating lease liabilities 2,046,801 2,222,503 Total operating lease liabilities $ 2,430,113 $ 2,578,488 Weighted-average remaining lease term 7.5 years 8.3 years Weighted-average discount rate 3.3 % 3.2 % Maturities of operating lease liabilities as of December 31, 2023 were as follows (in thousands): Due in 12 month period ended December 31, 2024 $ 460,353 2025 424,897 2026 401,306 2027 340,245 2028 282,465 Thereafter 827,117 2,736,383 Less imputed interest (306,270) Total operating lease liabilities $ 2,430,113 The Company has additional operating leases for real estate of $343 million which have not commenced as of December 31, 2023, and as such, have not been recognized on the Company's Consolidated Balance Sheets. These operating leases are expected to commence in 2024 with lease terms between 2 and 11 years. Other Current Assets Other current assets consisted of the following: As of December 31, December 31, (in thousands) Trade receivables $ 1,287,054 $ 988,898 Prepaid expenses 408,936 392,735 Other (1) 1,084,257 1,826,388 Total other current assets $ 2,780,247 $ 3,208,021 (1) $555 million and $598 million of receivables related to tax incentives earned on production spend are included in Other as of December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. |
Debt
Debt | 12 Months Ended |
Dec. 31, 2023 | |
Debt Disclosure [Abstract] | |
Debt | Debt As of December 31, 2023, the Company had aggregate outstanding notes of $14,543 million, net of $65 million of issuance costs, with varying maturities (the "Notes"). Of the outstanding balance, $400 million, net of issuance costs, is classified as short-term debt on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. As of December 31, 2022, the Company had aggregate outstanding long-term notes of $14,353 million, net of $79 million of issuance costs. Each of the Notes were issued at par and are senior unsecured obligations of the Company. Interest is payable semi-annually at fixed rates. A portion of the outstanding Notes is denominated in foreign currency (comprised of €5,170 million) and is remeasured into U.S. dollars at each balance sheet date (with remeasurement loss totaling $176 million for the year ended December 31, 2023). The following table provides a summary of the Company's outstanding debt and the fair values based on quoted market prices in less active markets as of December 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022: Principal Amount at Par Level 2 Fair Value as of December 31, December 31, Issuance Date Maturity December 31, December 31, (in millions) (in millions) 5.750% Senior Notes $ 400 $ 400 February 2014 March 2024 $ 400 $ 404 5.875% Senior Notes 800 800 February 2015 February 2025 807 811 3.000% Senior Notes (1) 519 503 April 2020 June 2025 516 495 3.625% Senior Notes 500 500 April 2020 June 2025 491 479 4.375% Senior Notes 1,000 1,000 October 2016 November 2026 996 980 3.625% Senior Notes (1) 1,434 1,391 May 2017 May 2027 1,454 1,338 4.875% Senior Notes 1,600 1,600 October 2017 April 2028 1,621 1,557 5.875% Senior Notes 1,900 1,900 April 2018 November 2028 2,009 1,930 4.625% Senior Notes (1) 1,215 1,177 October 2018 May 2029 1,300 1,151 6.375% Senior Notes 800 800 October 2018 May 2029 872 830 3.875% Senior Notes (1) 1,325 1,284 April 2019 November 2029 1,372 1,201 5.375% Senior Notes 900 900 April 2019 November 2029 931 885 3.625% Senior Notes (1) 1,215 1,177 October 2019 June 2030 1,237 1,078 4.875% Senior Notes 1,000 1,000 October 2019 June 2030 1,012 944 $ 14,608 $ 14,432 $ 15,018 $ 14,083 (1) The following Senior Notes have a principal amount denominated in euro: 3.000% Senior Notes for €470 million, 3.625% Senior Notes for €1,300 million, 4.625% Senior Notes for €1,100 million, 3.875% Senior Notes for €1,200 million, and 3.625% Senior Notes for €1,100 million. Each of the Notes are repayable in whole or in part upon the occurrence of a change of control, at the option of the holders, at a purchase price in cash equal to 101% of the principal plus accrued interest. The Company may redeem the Notes prior to maturity in whole or in part at an amount equal to the principal amount thereof plus accrued and unpaid interest and an applicable premium. The Notes include, among other terms and conditions, limitations on the Company's ability to create, incur or allow certain liens; enter into sale and lease-back transactions; create, assume, incur or guarantee additional indebtedness of certain of the Company's subsidiaries; and consolidate or merge with, or convey, transfer or lease all or substantially all of the Company's and its subsidiaries assets, to another person. As of December 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, the Company was in compliance with all related covenants. Revolving Credit Facility On March 6, 2023, the Company amended its $1 billion unsecured revolving credit facility ("Revolving Credit Agreement") to replace the London interbank offered rate to a variable secured overnight financing rate (the “Term SOFR Rate”) as the rate to which interest payments are indexed, among other things. The Revolving Credit Agreement matures on June 17, 2026. Revolving loans may be borrowed, repaid and reborrowed until June 17, 2026, at which time all amounts borrowed must be repaid. The Company may use the proceeds of future borrowings under the Revolving Credit Agreement for working capital and general corporate purposes. As of December 31, 2023, no amounts have been borrowed under the Revolving Credit Agreement. The borrowings under the Revolving Credit Agreement bear interest, at the Company’s option, of either (i) a floating rate equal to a base rate (the “Alternate Base Rate”) or (ii) a rate equal to the Term SOFR Rate (or the applicable benchmark replacement), plus a margin of 0.75%. The Alternate Base Rate is defined as the greatest of (A) the rate of interest published by the Wall Street Journal, from time to time, as the prime rate, (B) the federal funds rate, plus 0.50% and (C) the Term SOFR Rate for a one-month tenor, plus 1.00%. The Term SOFR Rate is the forward-looking secured overnight financing rate administered by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York or a successor administrator, for the relevant interest period, but in no event shall the Term SOFR Rate be less than 0.00% per annum. The Company is also obligated to pay a commitment fee on the undrawn amounts of the Revolving Credit Agreement at an annual rate of 0.10%. The Revolving Credit Agreement requires the Company to comply with certain covenants, including covenants that limit or restrict the ability of the Company’s subsidiaries to incur debt and limit or restrict the ability of the Company and its subsidiaries to grant liens and enter into sale and leaseback transactions; and, in the case of the Company or a guarantor, merge, consolidate, liquidate, dissolve or sell, transfer, lease or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole. As of December 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, the Company was in compliance with all related covenants. |
Derivative Financial Instrument
Derivative Financial Instruments | 12 Months Ended |
Dec. 31, 2023 | |
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract] | |
Derivative Financial Instruments | Derivative Financial Instruments In the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, the Company entered into derivative financial instruments to manage foreign exchange risk related to its ongoing business operations with the primary objective of reducing operating income and cash flow volatility associated with fluctuations in foreign exchange rates. The Company did not use any derivative instruments prior to the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023. Notional Amount of Derivative Contracts The net notional amounts of the Company’s outstanding derivative instruments were as follows: As of December 31, 2023 2022 (in thousands) Derivatives designated as hedging instruments: Foreign exchange contracts Cash flow hedges $ 8,783,273 $ — Total $ 8,783,273 $ — Fair Value of Derivative Contracts The fair value of the Company’s outstanding derivative instruments were as follows: As of December 31, 2023 Derivative Assets Derivative Liabilities Other current assets Other non-current assets Accrued expenses and other liabilities Other non-current liabilities (in thousands) Derivatives designated as hedging instruments: Foreign exchange contracts $ 26,416 $ 4,518 $ 140,089 $ 46,575 Total $ 26,416 $ 4,518 $ 140,089 $ 46,575 The Company classifies derivative instruments in the Level 2 category within the fair value hierarchy. These instruments are valued using industry standard valuation models that use observable inputs such as interest rate yield curves, and forward and spot prices for currencies. As of December 31, 2023, the pre-tax net accumulated loss on our foreign currency cash flow hedges included in AOCI on the Consolidated Balance Sheets expected to be recognized in earnings within the next 12 months is $128 million. Master Netting Agreements In order to mitigate counterparty credit risk, the Company enters into master netting agreements with its counterparties for its foreign currency exchange contracts, which permit the parties to settle amounts on a net basis under certain conditions. The Company has elected to present its derivative assets and liabilities on a gross basis on its Consolidated Balance Sheets. The Company also enters into collateral security arrangements with its counterparties that require the parties to post cash collateral when certain contractual thresholds are met. No cash collateral was received or posted by the Company as of December 31, 2023. The potential offsetting effect to the Company’s derivative assets and liabilities under its master netting agreements and collateral security agreements were as follows: As of December 31, 2023 Gross Amount Not Offset in the Consolidated Balance Sheets Gross Amount Recognized in the Consolidated Balance Sheets Gross Amount Offset in the Consolidated Balance Sheets Net Amount Presented in the Consolidated Balance Sheets Financial Instruments Collateral Received and Posted Net Amount (in thousands) Derivative assets $ 30,934 $ — $ 30,934 $ (27,246) $ — $ 3,688 Derivative liabilities 186,664 — 186,664 (27,246) — 159,418 Effect of Derivative Instruments on Consolidated Financial Statements The pre-tax gains (losses) on the Company’s cash flow hedges recognized in AOCI were as follows: Year Ended December 31, 2023 2022 2021 (in thousands) Cash flow hedges: Foreign exchange contracts (1) Amount included in the assessment of effectiveness $ (155,730) $ — $ — Total $ (155,730) $ — $ — (1) No amounts were excluded from the assessment of effectiveness. No gains or losses on derivative instruments were reclassified from AOCI into the Consolidated Statements of Operations in the year ended December 31, 2023. |
Commitments and Contingencies
Commitments and Contingencies | 12 Months Ended |
Dec. 31, 2023 | |
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract] | |
Commitments and Contingencies | Commitments and Contingencies Content At December 31, 2023, the Company had $21.7 billion of obligations comprised of $4.5 billion included in "Current content liabilities" and $2.6 billion of "Non-current content liabilities" on the Consolidated Balance Sheets and $14.6 billion of obligations that are not reflected on the Consolidated Balance Sheets as they did not yet meet the criteria for recognition. At December 31, 2022, the Company had $21.8 billion of obligations comprised of $4.5 billion included in "Current content liabilities" and $3.1 billion of "Non-current content liabilities" on the Consolidated Balance Sheets and $14.2 billion of obligations that are not reflected on the Consolidated Balance Sheets as they did not yet meet the criteria for recognition. The expected timing of payments for these content obligations is as follows: As of December 31, 2023 2022 (in thousands) Less than one year $ 10,328,923 $ 10,038,483 Due after one year and through 3 years 8,784,302 9,425,551 Due after 3 years and through 5 years 2,016,358 2,124,307 Due after 5 years 583,766 243,606 Total content obligations $ 21,713,349 $ 21,831,947 Content obligations include amounts related to the acquisition, licensing and production of content. Obligations that are in non-U.S. dollar currencies are translated to the U.S. dollar at period end rates. An obligation for the production of content includes non-cancelable commitments under creative talent and employment agreements as well as other production related commitments. An obligation for the acquisition and licensing of content is incurred at the time the Company enters into an agreement to obtain future titles. Once a title becomes available, a content liability is recorded on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. Certain agreements include the obligation to license rights for unknown future titles, the ultimate quantity and/or fees for which are not yet determinable as of the reporting date. Traditional film output deals, or certain TV series license agreements where the number of seasons to be aired is unknown, are examples of such license agreements. The Company does not include any estimated obligation for these future titles beyond the known minimum amount. However, the unknown obligations are expected to be significant. Legal Proceedings From time to time, in the normal course of its operations, the Company is subject to litigation matters and claims, including claims relating to employee relations, business practices and patent infringement. Litigation can be expensive and disruptive to normal business operations. Moreover, the results of complex legal proceedings are difficult to predict and the Company's view of these matters may change in the future as the litigation and events related thereto unfold. The Company expenses legal fees as incurred. The Company records a provision for contingent losses when it is both probable that a liability has been incurred and the amount of the loss can be reasonably estimated. An unfavorable outcome to any legal matter, if material, could have an adverse effect on the Company's operations or its financial position, liquidity or results of operations. The Company is involved in litigation matters not listed herein but does not consider the matters to be material either individually or in the aggregate at this time. The Company's view of the matters not listed may change in the future as the litigation and events related thereto unfold. Non-Income Taxes The Company is routinely under audit by various tax authorities with regard to non-income tax matters. The subject matter of non-income tax audits primarily arises from disputes on the tax treatment and tax rate applied to our revenue in certain jurisdictions. We accrue non-income taxes that may result from examinations by, or any negotiated agreements with, these tax authorities when a loss is probable and reasonably estimable. Similar to other U.S. companies doing business in Brazil, the Company is involved in a number of matters with Brazilian tax authorities regarding non-income tax assessments. Although the Company believes it has meritorious defenses to these matters, there is inherent complexity and uncertainty with respect to these matters, and the final outcome may be materially different from our expectations. The current potential exposure with respect to the various issues with Brazilian tax authorities regarding non-income tax assessments is estimated to be approximately $300 million, which is expected to increase over time. Guarantees—Indemnification Obligations In the ordinary course of business, the Company has entered into contractual arrangements under which it has agreed to provide indemnification of varying scope and terms to business partners and other parties with respect to certain matters, including, but not limited to, losses arising out of the Company’s breach of such agreements and out of intellectual property infringement claims made by third parties. In these circumstances, payment may be conditional on the other party making a claim pursuant to the procedures specified in the particular contract. The Company’s obligations under these agreements may be limited in terms of time or amount, and in some instances, the Company may have recourse against third parties for certain payments. In addition, the Company has entered into indemnification agreements with its directors and certain of its officers that will require it, among other things, to indemnify them against certain liabilities that may arise by reason of their status or service as directors or officers. The terms of such obligations vary. It is not possible to make a reasonable estimate of the maximum potential amount of future payments under these or similar agreements due to the conditional nature of the Company’s obligations and the unique facts and circumstances involved in each particular agreement. No amount has been accrued in the accompanying consolidated financial statements with respect to these indemnification guarantees. |
Stockholders' Equity
Stockholders' Equity | 12 Months Ended |
Dec. 31, 2023 | |
Stockholders' Equity Note [Abstract] | |
Stockholders' Equity | Stockholders’ Equity Voting Rights The holders of each share of common stock shall be entitled to one vote per share on all matters to be voted upon by the Company’s stockholders. Stock Option Plan In June 2020, the Company's stockholders approved the 2020 Stock Plan, which was adopted by the Company's Board of Directors in March 2020 subject to stockholder approval. The 2020 Stock Plan provides for the grant of incentive stock options to employees and for the grant of non-statutory stock options, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock and restricted stock units to employees, directors and consultants. A summary of the activities related to the Company’s stock option plans is as follows: Shares Options Outstanding Number of Weighted- Average Exercise Price Weighted- Average Remaining Contractual Term (in years) Aggregate Balances as of December 31, 2020 21,702,085 18,676,810 $ 170.23 Granted (1,556,725) 1,556,725 554.11 Exercised — (2,632,324) 65.97 Expired — (5,360) 34.63 Balances as of December 31, 2021 20,145,360 17,595,851 $ 219.83 Granted (3,691,257) 3,691,257 267.94 Exercised — (1,383,669) 27.19 Expired — (6,578) 11.10 Balances as of December 31, 2022 16,454,103 19,896,861 $ 242.22 Granted (1,729,218) 1,729,218 372.49 Exercised — (1,926,598) 87.30 Expired — (4,372) 36.39 Balances as of December 31, 2023 14,724,885 19,695,109 $ 268.86 5.35 $ 4,429,404 Vested and expected to vest as of December 31, 2023 19,695,109 $ 268.86 5.35 $ 4,429,404 Exercisable as of December 31, 2023 19,447,739 $ 267.37 5.30 $ 4,404,586 The aggregate intrinsic value in the table above represents the total pretax intrinsic value (the difference between the Company’s closing stock price on the last trading day of 2023 and the exercise price, multiplied by the number of in-the-money options) that would have been received by the option holders had all option holders exercised their options on the last trading day of 2023. This amount changes based on the fair market value of the Company’s common stock. A summary of the amounts related to option exercises, is as follows: Year Ended December 31, 2023 2022 2021 (in thousands) Total intrinsic value of options exercised $ 610,594 $ 345,839 $ 1,362,599 Cash received from options exercised 169,990 35,746 174,414 Stock-Based Compensation Stock options are generally vested in full upon grant date and exercisable for the full ten year contractual term regardless of employment status. Stock options granted to certain named executive officers vest on the one-year anniversary of the grant date, subject to the employee’s continuous employment or service with the Company through the vesting date. The following table summarizes the assumptions used to value option grants using the lattice-binomial model and the valuation data: Year Ended December 31, 2023 2022 2021 Dividend yield — % — % — % Expected volatility 40% - 46% 38% - 52% 34% - 41% Risk-free interest rate 3.57% - 4.56% 1.71% - 3.79% 1.08% - 1.62% Suboptimal exercise factor 4.22 - 4.30 4.71 - 4.82 3.81 - 3.98 Valuation data: Weighted-average fair value (per share) $ 211.27 $ 155.88 $ 259.01 Total stock-based compensation expense (in thousands) 339,368 575,452 403,220 Total income tax impact on provision (in thousands) 61,588 127,289 89,642 The Company considers several factors in determining the suboptimal exercise factor, including the historical and estimated option exercise behavior. The Company calculates expected volatility based solely on implied volatility. The Company believes that implied volatility of publicly traded options in its common stock is more reflective of market conditions, and given consistently high trade volumes of the options, can reasonably be expected to be a better indicator of expected volatility than historical volatility of its common stock. In valuing shares issued under the Company’s employee stock option plans, the Company bases the risk-free interest rate on U.S. Treasury zero-coupon issues with terms similar to the contractual term of the options. The Company does not anticipate paying any cash dividends in the foreseeable future and therefore uses an expected dividend yield of zero in the option valuation model. The Company does not use a post-vesting termination rate as options are generally fully vested upon grant date. The total fair value of stock options that vested during the year ended December 31, 2023 was $311 million. The Company did not grant any stock options subject to vesting conditions in the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021. As of December 31, 2023, $26 million of total unrecognized compensation cost related to nonvested stock options is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 0.45 years. Stock Repurchases In March 2021, the Company’s Board of Directors authorized the repurchase of up to $5 billion of its common stock, with no expiration date, and in September 2023, the Board of Directors increased the share repurchase authorization by an additional $10 billion, also with no expiration date. Stock repurchases may be effected through open market repurchases in compliance with Rule 10b-18 under the Exchange Act, including through the use of trading plans intended to qualify under Rule 10b5-1 under the Exchange Act, privately-negotiated transactions, accelerated stock repurchase plans, block purchases, or other similar purchase techniques and in such amounts as management deems appropriate. The Company is not obligated to repurchase any specific number of shares, and the timing and actual number of shares repurchased will depend on a variety of factors, including the Company’s stock price, general economic, business and market conditions, and alternative investment opportunities. The Company may discontinue any repurchases of its common stock at any time without prior notice. During the year ended December 31, 2023, the Company repurchased 14,513,790 shares for an aggregate amount of $6,045 million. As of December 31, 2023, $8.4 billion remains available for repurchases. Shares repurchased by the Company are accounted for when the transaction is settled. Direct costs incurred to acquire the shares are included in the total cost of the shares. Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) The following table summarizes the changes in accumulated balances of other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax: Foreign Currency Translation Change in Unrealized Gains (Losses) on Cash Flow Hedges Total (in thousands) Balances as of December 31, 2020 $ 44,398 $ — $ 44,398 Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications (84,893) — (84,893) Balances as of December 31, 2021 (40,495) — (40,495) Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications (176,811) — (176,811) Balances as of December 31, 2022 (217,306) — (217,306) Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications 113,384 (120,023) (6,639) Balances as of December 31, 2023 $ (103,922) $ (120,023) $ (223,945) |
Income Taxes
Income Taxes | 12 Months Ended |
Dec. 31, 2023 | |
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract] | |
Income Taxes | Income Taxes Income before provision for income taxes was as follows: Year Ended December 31, 2023 2022 2021 (in thousands) United States $ 5,602,762 $ 4,623,218 $ 5,349,749 Foreign 602,643 640,711 490,354 Income before income taxes $ 6,205,405 $ 5,263,929 $ 5,840,103 The components of provision for income taxes for all periods presented were as follows: Year Ended December 31, 2023 2022 2021 (in thousands) Current tax provision: Federal $ 854,170 $ 109,910 $ 57,526 State 181,684 119,795 109,641 Foreign 304,539 676,827 357,189 Total current 1,340,393 906,532 524,356 Deferred tax provision: Federal (412,760) (52,434) 188,937 State (55,475) (30,691) (2,700) Foreign (74,743) (51,402) 13,282 Total deferred (542,978) (134,527) 199,519 Provision for income taxes $ 797,415 $ 772,005 $ 723,875 A reconciliation of the provision for income taxes to the amount computed by applying the 21% statutory Federal income tax rate to income before income taxes is as follows: Year Ended December 31, 2023 2022 2021 (in thousands) Expected tax expense at U.S. Federal statutory tax rate $ 1,303,123 $ 1,105,428 $ 1,226,422 State income taxes, net of Federal income tax effect 104,717 92,084 111,400 Foreign earnings at other than U.S. rates (32,292) 104,665 (86,489) Research and development tax credit (87,036) (146,615) (82,909) Excess tax benefits on stock-based compensation (119,043) (75,211) (290,899) Foreign-derived intangible income deduction (426,597) (361,013) (192,238) Nontaxable and nondeductible items 41,782 44,046 37,144 Other 12,761 8,621 1,444 Provision for income taxes $ 797,415 $ 772,005 $ 723,875 Effective Tax Rate 13 % 15 % 12 % The components of deferred tax assets and liabilities were as follows: As of December 31, 2023 2022 (in thousands) Deferred tax assets: Stock-based compensation $ 486,876 $ 443,456 Tax credits and net operating loss carryforwards 544,431 409,411 Capitalized research expenses 593,439 323,998 Accruals and reserves 137,251 119,732 Operating lease liabilities 516,574 551,418 Unrealized losses 62,213 — Other 11,615 2,234 Total deferred tax assets 2,352,399 1,850,249 Valuation allowance (442,293) (343,342) Net deferred tax assets 1,910,106 1,506,907 Deferred tax liabilities: Depreciation & amortization (357,477) (456,717) Operating right-of-use lease assets (435,216) (473,928) Unrealized gains — (47,283) Acquired intangibles (233,433) (267,438) Other (9,430) — Total deferred tax liabilities (1,035,556) (1,245,366) Net deferred tax assets $ 874,550 $ 261,541 The following table shows the deferred tax assets and liabilities within our Consolidated Balance Sheets: As of December 31, 2023 2022 (in thousands) Total deferred tax assets: Other non-current assets $ 1,000,760 $ 261,541 Total deferred tax liabilities: Other non-current liabilities (126,210) — Net deferred tax assets $ 874,550 $ 261,541 As of December 31, 2023, for tax return purposes, the Company had $582 million of California R&D tax credit carryforwards which can be carried forward indefinitely, $838 million of state net operating loss carryforwards which will begin to expire in 2026, $19 million of foreign tax credit carryforwards which will begin to expire in 2033, and $421 million of foreign net operating loss carryforwards which will begin to expire in 2024. In evaluating its ability to realize the net deferred tax assets, the Company considered all available positive and negative evidence, including its past operating results and the forecast of future market growth, forecasted earnings, future taxable income, and prudent and feasible tax planning strategies. As of December 31, 2023, the valuation allowance of $442 million was primarily related to California R&D tax credits, state net operating loss carryforwards, and foreign tax credits that the Company does not expect to realize. At December 31, 2023, we have not provided for applicable U.S. income and foreign withholding taxes on approximately $52 million of our foreign undistributed earnings because such earnings are intended to be indefinitely reinvested. At December 31, 2023, we provided taxes and recorded a deferred tax liability on our undistributed foreign earnings for which we are not indefinitely reinvested. The unrecognized tax benefits that are not expected to result in payment or receipt of cash within one year are classified as “Other non-current liabilities” and a reduction of deferred tax assets which is classified as "Other non-current assets" in the Consolidated Balance Sheets. As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, the total amount of gross unrecognized tax benefits was $327 million and $227 million, respectively, of which $188 million and $155 million, respectively, if recognized, would favorably impact the Company’s effective tax rate. The aggregate changes in the Company’s total gross amount of unrecognized tax benefits are summarized as follows: As of December 31, 2023 2022 2021 (in thousands) Balance at the beginning of the year $ 226,977 $ 202,557 $ 140,124 Increases related to tax positions taken during the current period 65,630 26,865 35,317 Increases related to tax positions taken during prior periods 76,794 — 27,116 Decreases related to tax positions taken during prior periods (10,117) (2,445) — Decreases related to settlements with taxing authorities (32,179) — — Decreases related to expiration of statute of limitations — — — Balance at the end of the year $ 327,105 $ 226,977 $ 202,557 The Company includes interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits within the provision for income taxes and in “Other non-current liabilities” in the Consolidated Balance Sheets. During the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, the Company recorded $25 million, $2 million, and less than $1 million, respectively, of interest and penalties in the provision for income taxes. The amount of interest and penalties accrued at December 31, 2023 and 2022 was $28 million and $3 million, respectively. The Company files U.S. Federal, state and foreign tax returns. The Company is currently under examination by the IRS for years 2016 through 2018 and is subject to examination for 2019 through 2022. The foreign and state tax returns for years 2016 through 2022 are subject to examination by various state and foreign jurisdictions. While the Company is in various stages of inquiry and examination with certain taxing authorities and we believe that our tax positions will more likely than not be sustained, it is nonetheless possible that future obligations related to these matters could arise. We believe that adequate amounts have been reserved for any adjustments that may ultimately result from an examination. Given the potential outcome of current examinations, it is reasonably possible that the balance of unrecognized tax benefits could significantly change within the next twelve months. However, an estimate of the range of reasonably possible adjustments cannot be made at this time. |
Employee Benefit Plan
Employee Benefit Plan | 12 Months Ended |
Dec. 31, 2023 | |
Retirement Benefits [Abstract] | |
Employee Benefit Plan | Employee Benefit Plan The Company maintains a 401(k) savings plan covering substantially all of its employees. Eligible employees may contribute up to 80% of their annual salary through payroll deductions, but not more than the statutory limits set by the Internal Revenue Service. The Company matches employee contributions at the discretion of the Board. During the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, the Company’s matching contributions totaled $114 million, $102 million and $85 million, respectively. Multiemployer Benefit Plans The Company contributes to various multiemployer defined pension plans under the terms of collective bargaining agreements that cover our union-represented employees. The risks of participating in multiemployer pension plans are different from single-employer plans such that (i) contributions made by the Company to the multiemployer pension plans may be used to provide benefits to employees of other participating employers; (ii) if the Company chooses to stop participating in the multiemployer pension plans, it may be required to pay those plans an amount based on the underfunded status of the plan; and (iii) if a company stops contributing to the multiemployer pension plan, the unfunded obligations of the plan may become the obligation of the remaining participating employers. The Company also contributes to various other multiemployer benefit plans that provide health and welfare benefits to both active and retired participants. The Company does not participate in any multiemployer benefit plans that are individually significant to the Company. The following table summarizes the Company's contributions to multiemployer pension and health plans for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively: Year Ended December 31, 2023 2022 2021 (in thousands) Pension benefits $ 57,285 $ 127,885 $ 111,133 Health benefits 85,157 96,285 83,153 Total contributions $ 142,442 $ 224,170 $ 194,286 |
Segment and Geographic Informat
Segment and Geographic Information | 12 Months Ended |
Dec. 31, 2023 | |
Segment Reporting [Abstract] | |
Segment and Geographic Information | Segment and Geographic Information The Company operates as one operating segment. The Company's chief operating decision maker ("CODM") is its co-chief executive officers, who review financial information presented on a consolidated basis for purposes of making operating decisions, assessing financial performance and allocating resources. Total U.S. revenues were $13.8 billion, $13.0 billion and $12.1 billion for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively. See Note 2 Revenue Recognition for additional information about streaming revenue by region. The Company's long-lived tangible assets, as well as the Company's operating lease right-of-use assets recognized on the Consolidated Balance Sheets were located as follows: As of December 31, 2023 2022 (in thousands) United States $ 2,724,710 $ 2,745,071 International 843,633 880,308 |
Pay vs Performance Disclosure
Pay vs Performance Disclosure - USD ($) $ in Thousands | 12 Months Ended | ||
Dec. 31, 2023 | Dec. 31, 2022 | Dec. 31, 2021 | |
Pay vs Performance Disclosure | |||
Net Income (Loss) | $ 5,407,990 | $ 4,491,924 | $ 5,116,228 |
Insider Trading Arrangements
Insider Trading Arrangements | 3 Months Ended | 12 Months Ended |
Dec. 31, 2023 shares | Dec. 31, 2023 shares | |
Trading Arrangements, by Individual | ||
Material Terms of Trading Arrangement | The adoption or termination of contracts, instructions or written plans for the purchase or sale of our securities by our Section 16 officers and directors for the three months ended December 31, 2023, each of which is intended to satisfy the affirmative defense conditions of Rule 10b5-1(c) under the Exchange Act (“Rule 10b5-1 Plan”), were as follows: Name Title Action Date Adopted Expiration Date Aggregate # of Securities to be Purchased/Sold Ted Sarandos (1) Co-CEO and Director Adoption 11/10/2023 2/7/2025 68,957 (1) Ted Sarandos, co-CEO and a member of the Board of Directors, entered into a pre-arranged stock trading plan pursuant to Rule 10b5-1 on November 10, 2023. Mr. Sarandos' plan provides for the potential exercise of vested stock options and the associated sale of up to 68,957 shares of Netflix common stock. The plan expires on February 7, 2025, or upon the earlier completion of all authorized transactions under the plan. Other than those disclosed above, none of our directors or officers adopted or terminated a "non-Rule 10b5-1 trading arrangement" as defined in Item 408 of Regulation S-K. | |
Non-Rule 10b5-1 Arrangement Adopted | false | |
Non-Rule 10b5-1 Arrangement Terminated | false | |
Ted Sarandos [Member] | ||
Trading Arrangements, by Individual | ||
Name | Ted Sarandos (1) | |
Title | Co-CEO and Director | |
Rule 10b5-1 Arrangement Adopted | true | |
Adoption Date | 11/10/2023 | |
Aggregate Available | 68,957 | 68,957 |
Officers and Directors Trading Arrangement [Member] | Ted Sarandos [Member] | ||
Trading Arrangements, by Individual | ||
Arrangement Duration | 455 days |
Organization and Summary of S_2
Organization and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policy) | 12 Months Ended |
Dec. 31, 2023 | |
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract] | |
Basis of Presentation | Basis of Presentation |
Use of Estimates | Use of Estimates The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP") in the United States of America requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting periods. Significant items subject to such estimates and assumptions include the content asset amortization policy and the recognition and measurement of income tax assets and liabilities. The Company bases its estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions that the Company believes to be reasonable under the circumstances. On an ongoing basis, the Company evaluates these assumptions, judgments and estimates. Actual results may differ from these estimates |
Recently issued accounting pronouncements not yet adopted | Recently issued accounting pronouncements not yet adopted In November 2023, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2023-07, Segment Reporting (Topic 280): Improvements to Reportable Segment Disclosures , which requires public entities to disclose information about their reportable segments’ significant expenses and other segment items on an interim and annual basis. Public entities with a single reportable segment are required to apply the disclosure requirements in ASU 2023-07, as well as all existing segment disclosures and reconciliation requirements in ASC 280 on an interim and annual basis. ASU 2023-07 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2023, and for interim periods within fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2024, with early adoption permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of adopting ASU 2023-07. In December 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-09, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures , which requires public entities, on an annual basis, to provide disclosure of specific categories in the rate reconciliation, as well as disclosure of income taxes paid disaggregated by jurisdiction. ASU 2023-09 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2024, with early adoption permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of adopting ASU 2023-09. |
Cash Equivalents and Short-term Investments | Cash Equivalents and Short-term Investments The Company considers investments in instruments purchased with an original maturity of 90 days or less to be cash equivalents. The Company also classifies amounts in transit from payment processors for customer credit card and debit card transactions that it expects to settle within several days as cash equivalents. The Company classifies short-term investments, which consist of marketable securities with original maturities in excess of 90 days as available-for-sale. Short-term investments are reported at fair value, with allowances for credit losses included in “Interest and other income (expense)” in the Consolidated Statements of Operations and unrealized gains and losses included in “Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)” within Stockholders’ equity in the Consolidated Balance Sheets. The Company uses the specific identification method to determine cost in calculating realized gains and losses upon the sale of short-term investments. Short-term investments are reviewed periodically for allowances for credit losses and impairment. When evaluating the investments, the Company reviews factors such as the extent to which the fair value of the security is less than the amortized cost basis, adverse conditions specifically related to the security, the financial condition of the issuer, the Company’s intent to sell, and whether it would be more likely than not that the Company would be required to sell the investments before the recovery of their amortized cost basis. |
Content | Content The Company acquires, licenses and produces content, including original programming, in order to offer members unlimited viewing of video entertainment. The content licenses are for a fixed fee and specific windows of availability. Payment terms for certain content licenses and the production of content require more upfront cash payments relative to the amortization expense. Payments for content, including additions to content assets and the changes in related liabilities, are classified within "Net cash provided by operating activities" on the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows. The Company recognizes content assets (licensed and produced) as “Content assets, net” on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. For licensed content, the Company capitalizes the fee per title and records a corresponding liability at the gross amount of the liability when the license period begins, the cost of the title is known and the title is accepted and available for streaming. For produced content, the Company capitalizes costs associated with the production, including development costs, direct costs and production overhead. Participations and residuals are expensed in line with the amortization of production costs. Based on factors including historical and estimated viewing patterns, the Company amortizes the content assets (licensed and produced) in “Cost of revenues” on the Consolidated Statements of Operations over the shorter of each title's contractual window of availability or estimated period of use or ten years, beginning with the month of first availability. The amortization is on an accelerated basis, as the Company typically expects more upfront viewing, and film amortization is more accelerated than TV series amortization. On average, over 90% of a licensed or produced content asset is expected to be amortized within four years after its month of first availability. The Company reviews factors impacting the amortization of the content assets on a regular basis. The Company's estimates related to these factors require considerable management judgment. In the normal course of business, the Company, or a third-party producing content on the Company's behalf, may qualify for tax incentives through eligible spend on productions. The accounting for tax incentives is dependent on the particular type of incentive, including the nature of the benefit and the location the incentive is earned. In general, tax incentives are realized as cash receipts and may be received prior to or after a title launches on the Company’s service. Upon a title’s launch, any amounts the Company is eligible for through qualified production spend but has not received, are recognized in “Other current assets” or “Other non-current assets” on the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheets as receivables. Tax incentives are generally accounted for as a reduction to the cost basis of the Company’s content assets (presented in “Content assets, net”) and reduce content amortization over the life of the title (as presented in “Cost of revenues”) on the Consolidated Statements of Operations. The Company's business model is subscription based as opposed to a model generating revenues at a specific title level. Content assets (licensed and produced) are predominantly monetized as a group and therefore are reviewed in aggregate at a group level when an event or change in circumstances indicates a change in the expected usefulness of the content or that the fair value may be less than unamortized cost. To date, the Company has not identified any such event or changes in circumstances. If such changes are identified in the future, these aggregated content assets will be stated at the lower of unamortized cost or fair value. In addition, unamortized costs for assets that have been, or are expected to be, abandoned are written off. |
Acquisitions | Acquisitions The Company uses its best estimates and assumptions to assign fair value to the tangible and intangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed at the acquisition date. In addition, uncertain tax positions, tax-related valuation allowances and pre-acquisition contingencies are initially recorded in connection with a business combination as of the acquisition date. |
Property and Equipment | Property and Equipment |
Trade Receivables | Trade Receivables |
Revenue Recognition | Revenue Recognition The Company's primary source of revenues is from monthly membership fees. Members are billed in advance of the start of their monthly membership and revenues are recognized ratably over each monthly membership period. Revenues are presented net of the taxes that are collected from members and remitted to governmental authorities. The Company is the principal in all its relationships where partners, including consumer electronics ("CE") manufacturers, multichannel video programming distributors ("MVPDs"), mobile operators and internet service providers ("ISPs"), provide access to the service as the Company retains control over service delivery to its members. In circumstances in which the price that the member pays is established by a partner and there is no standalone price for the Netflix service (for instance, in a bundle), the net amount collected from the partner is recognized as revenue. |
Marketing | Marketing |
Income Taxes | Income Taxes The Company records a provision for income taxes for the anticipated tax consequences of the reported results of operations using the asset and liability method. Deferred income taxes are recognized by applying enacted statutory tax rates applicable to future years to differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases as well as net operating loss and tax credit carryforwards. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in income in the period that includes the enactment date. The measurement of deferred tax assets is reduced, if necessary, by a valuation allowance for any tax benefits for which future realization is uncertain. We account for the tax effects of global intangible low tax income as a current period expense. |
Foreign Currency | Foreign Currency The functional currency for the Company's subsidiaries is determined based on the primary economic environment in which the subsidiary operates. The Company translates the assets and liabilities of its non-U.S. dollar functional currency subsidiaries into U.S. dollars using exchange rates in effect at the end of each period. Revenues and expenses for these subsidiaries are translated using rates that approximate those in effect during the period. Gains and losses from these translations are recognized in cumulative translation adjustment included in "Accumulated other comprehensive income" in Stockholders’ equity on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. |
Derivative Financial Instruments | Derivative Financial Instruments The Company uses derivative instruments to manage foreign exchange risk related to its ongoing business operations with the primary objective of reducing operating income and cash flow volatility associated with fluctuations in foreign exchange rates. The Company enters into forward contracts to manage the foreign exchange risk on forecasted revenue transactions denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar, as well as the foreign exchange risk on forecasted transactions and firm commitments related to the licensing and production of foreign currency-denominated content assets. These forward contracts are designated as cash flow hedges of foreign currency firm commitments and forecasted transactions and generally have maturities of 24 months or less. The hedging contracts may reduce, but do not entirely eliminate, the effect of foreign currency exchange movements, and the Company may choose not to hedge certain exposures. The Company recognizes derivative instruments at fair value as either assets (presented in “Other current assets” and “Other non-current assets”) or liabilities (presented in “Accrued expenses and other liabilities'' and “Other non-current liabilities”) on the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheets. The Company classifies derivative instruments in the Level 2 category within the fair value hierarchy. The gain or loss on derivative instruments designated as cash flow hedges of forecasted foreign currency revenue is initially reported as a component of accumulated other comprehensive income (“AOCI") and reclassified into “Revenues” on the Consolidated Statements of Operations in the same period the forecasted transaction affects earnings. The gain or loss on derivative instruments designated as cash flow hedges of firmly committed or forecasted transactions related to the licensing and production of content assets is initially reported as a component of AOCI and reclassified into “Cost of Revenues” on the Consolidated Statements of Operations in the same period the hedged transaction affects earnings, which occurs as the underlying hedged content assets are amortized. Cash flows from hedging activities are classified in the same category as the cash flows for the underlying item being hedged within "Net cash provided by operating activities" on the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows. In the event that the likelihood of occurrence of the underlying forecasted transactions is determined to be probable not to occur, the gains or losses on the related cash flow hedges are reclassified from AOCI to “Interest and other income (expense)” in the Consolidated Statements of Operations in the period of dedesignation. See Note 7 Derivative Financial Instruments to the consolidated financial statements for further information regarding the Company’s derivative financial instruments. |
Stock-Based Compensation | Stock-Based Compensation |
Revenue Recognition (Tables)
Revenue Recognition (Tables) | 12 Months Ended |
Dec. 31, 2023 | |
Revenue from Contract with Customer [Abstract] | |
Schedule of Streaming Revenue, Paid Net Membership Additions, and Ending Paid Memberships by Region | The following tables summarize streaming revenues, paid net membership additions (losses), and ending paid memberships by region for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively: United States and Canada (UCAN) As of/Year Ended December 31, 2023 2022 2021 (in thousands) Revenues $ 14,873,783 $ 14,084,643 $ 12,972,100 Paid net membership additions (losses) 5,832 (919) 1,279 Paid memberships at end of period (1) 80,128 74,296 75,215 Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) As of/Year Ended December 31, 2023 2022 2021 (in thousands) Revenues $ 10,556,487 $ 9,745,015 $ 9,699,819 Paid net membership additions 12,084 2,693 7,338 Paid memberships at end of period (1) 88,813 76,729 74,036 Latin America (LATAM) As of/Year Ended December 31, 2023 2022 2021 (in thousands) Revenues $ 4,446,461 $ 4,069,973 $ 3,576,976 Paid net membership additions 4,298 1,738 2,424 Paid memberships at end of period (1) 45,997 41,699 39,961 Asia-Pacific (APAC) As of/Year Ended December 31, 2023 2022 2021 (in thousands) Revenues $ 3,763,727 $ 3,570,221 $ 3,266,601 Paid net membership additions 7,315 5,391 7,140 Paid memberships at end of period (1) 45,338 38,023 32,632 (1) A paid membership (also referred to as a paid subscription) is defined as a membership that has the right to receive Netflix service following sign-up and a method of payment being provided, and that is not part of a free trial or certain other promotions that may be offered by the Company to new or rejoining members. Certain members have the option to add extra member sub accounts. These extra member sub accounts are not included in paid memberships. A membership is canceled and ceases to be reflected in the above metrics as of the effective cancellation date. Voluntary cancellations generally become effective at the end of the prepaid membership period. Involuntary cancellations, as a result of a failed method of payment, become effective immediately. Memberships are assigned to territories based on the geographic location used at time of sign-up as determined by the Company’s internal systems, which utilize industry standard geo-location technology. |
Earnings Per Share (Tables)
Earnings Per Share (Tables) | 12 Months Ended |
Dec. 31, 2023 | |
Earnings Per Share [Abstract] | |
Schedule of Computation of Earnings Per Share | The computation of earnings per share is as follows: Year Ended December 31, 2023 2022 2021 (in thousands, except per share data) Basic earnings per share: Net income $ 5,407,990 $ 4,491,924 $ 5,116,228 Shares used in computation: Weighted-average shares of common stock outstanding 441,571 444,698 443,155 Basic earnings per share $ 12.25 $ 10.10 $ 11.55 Diluted earnings per share: Net income $ 5,407,990 $ 4,491,924 $ 5,116,228 Shares used in computation: Weighted-average shares of common stock outstanding 441,571 444,698 443,155 Employee stock options 7,927 6,592 12,217 Weighted-average number of shares 449,498 451,290 455,372 Diluted earnings per share $ 12.03 $ 9.95 $ 11.24 |
Schedule of Potential Common Shares Excluded from Diluted Calculation | The following table summarizes the potential common shares excluded from the diluted calculation: Year Ended December 31, 2023 2022 2021 (in thousands) Employee stock options 4,109 6,790 348 |
Cash, Cash Equivalents, Restr_2
Cash, Cash Equivalents, Restricted Cash, and Short-term Investments (Tables) | 12 Months Ended |
Dec. 31, 2023 | |
Short-Term Investments And Fair Value Measurement [Abstract] | |
Schedule of Cash and Cash Equivalents | The following tables summarize the Company's cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash and short-term investments as of December 31, 2023 and 2022: As of December 31, 2023 Cash and cash equivalents Short-term investments Other Current Assets Non-current Assets Total (in thousands) Cash $ 5,986,629 $ — $ 1,466 $ 81 $ 5,988,176 Level 1 securities: Money market funds 925,652 — — 55 925,707 Level 2 securities: Time Deposits (1) 204,632 20,973 — — 225,605 $ 7,116,913 $ 20,973 $ 1,466 $ 136 $ 7,139,488 (1) The majority of the Company's time deposits are international deposits, which mature within one year. As of December 31, 2022 Cash and cash equivalents Short-term investments Other Current Assets Non-current Assets Total (in thousands) Cash $ 4,071,584 $ — $ 3,410 $ 19,874 $ 4,094,868 Level 1 securities: Money market funds 569,826 — — 122 569,948 Level 2 securities: Time Deposits (2) 505,766 911,276 — — 1,417,042 $ 5,147,176 $ 911,276 $ 3,410 $ 19,996 $ 6,081,858 (2) The majority of the Company's time deposits are domestic deposits, which mature within one year. |
Schedule of Cash, Restricted Cash and Short-term Investments | The following tables summarize the Company's cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash and short-term investments as of December 31, 2023 and 2022: As of December 31, 2023 Cash and cash equivalents Short-term investments Other Current Assets Non-current Assets Total (in thousands) Cash $ 5,986,629 $ — $ 1,466 $ 81 $ 5,988,176 Level 1 securities: Money market funds 925,652 — — 55 925,707 Level 2 securities: Time Deposits (1) 204,632 20,973 — — 225,605 $ 7,116,913 $ 20,973 $ 1,466 $ 136 $ 7,139,488 (1) The majority of the Company's time deposits are international deposits, which mature within one year. As of December 31, 2022 Cash and cash equivalents Short-term investments Other Current Assets Non-current Assets Total (in thousands) Cash $ 4,071,584 $ — $ 3,410 $ 19,874 $ 4,094,868 Level 1 securities: Money market funds 569,826 — — 122 569,948 Level 2 securities: Time Deposits (2) 505,766 911,276 — — 1,417,042 $ 5,147,176 $ 911,276 $ 3,410 $ 19,996 $ 6,081,858 (2) The majority of the Company's time deposits are domestic deposits, which mature within one year. |
Balance Sheet Components (Table
Balance Sheet Components (Tables) | 12 Months Ended |
Dec. 31, 2023 | |
Balance Sheet Related Disclosures [Abstract] | |
Schedule off Content Assets | Content assets consisted of the following: As of December 31, 2023 2022 (in thousands) Licensed content, net $ 12,722,701 $ 12,732,549 Produced content, net Released, less amortization 9,843,150 9,110,518 In production 8,247,578 10,255,940 In development and pre-production 844,627 637,706 18,935,355 20,004,164 Content assets, net $ 31,658,056 $ 32,736,713 |
Schedule of Amortization of Streaming Content Assets | The following table represents the amortization of content assets: Year Ended December 31, 2023 2022 2021 (in thousands) Licensed content $ 7,145,446 $ 7,681,978 $ 8,055,811 Produced content (1) 7,051,991 6,344,154 4,174,556 Total $ 14,197,437 $ 14,026,132 $ 12,230,367 (1) Tax incentives earned on qualified production spend generally reduce the cost-basis of content assets and result in lower content amortization over the life of the title. For the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, tax incentives resulted in lower content amortization on produced content of approximately $835 million and $719 million, respectively. |
Schedule of Property and Equipment, Net | Property and equipment and accumulated depreciation consisted of the following: As of December 31, Estimated Useful Lives (in Years) 2023 2022 (in thousands) Land $ 88,429 $ 85,005 Buildings 150,736 52,106 30 years Leasehold improvements 1,032,492 1,040,570 Over life of lease Furniture and fixtures 144,737 153,682 3 years Information technology 414,092 442,681 3 years Corporate aircraft 99,175 115,578 8-10 years Machinery and equipment 10,334 26,821 3-5 years Capital work-in-progress 406,492 235,555 Property and equipment, gross 2,346,487 2,151,998 Less: Accumulated depreciation (855,043) (753,741) Property and equipment, net $ 1,491,444 $ 1,398,257 |
Schedule of Information on Right-of-Use Assets and Lease Liabilities | The components of lease costs for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021 were as follows: Year ended December 31, 2023 2022 2021 (in thousands) Operating lease cost $ 430,856 $ 413,664 $ 389,805 Short-term lease cost 207,822 194,764 152,765 Total lease cost $ 638,678 $ 608,428 $ 542,570 Information related to the Company's operating right-of-use assets and related operating lease liabilities were as follows: Year ended December 31, 2023 2022 2021 (in thousands) Cash paid for operating lease liabilities $ 451,525 $ 413,034 $ 349,586 Right-of-use assets obtained in exchange for new operating lease obligations 196,639 252,393 764,142 As of December 31, 2023 2022 (in thousands, except lease term and discount rate) Operating lease right-of-use assets, net $ 2,076,899 $ 2,227,122 Current operating lease liabilities $ 383,312 $ 355,985 Non-current operating lease liabilities 2,046,801 2,222,503 Total operating lease liabilities $ 2,430,113 $ 2,578,488 Weighted-average remaining lease term 7.5 years 8.3 years Weighted-average discount rate 3.3 % 3.2 % |
Schedule of Maturities of Lease Liabilities | Maturities of operating lease liabilities as of December 31, 2023 were as follows (in thousands): Due in 12 month period ended December 31, 2024 $ 460,353 2025 424,897 2026 401,306 2027 340,245 2028 282,465 Thereafter 827,117 2,736,383 Less imputed interest (306,270) Total operating lease liabilities $ 2,430,113 |
Schedule of Other Current Assets | Other current assets consisted of the following: As of December 31, December 31, (in thousands) Trade receivables $ 1,287,054 $ 988,898 Prepaid expenses 408,936 392,735 Other (1) 1,084,257 1,826,388 Total other current assets $ 2,780,247 $ 3,208,021 (1) $555 million and $598 million of receivables related to tax incentives earned on production spend are included in Other as of December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. |
Debt (Tables)
Debt (Tables) | 12 Months Ended |
Dec. 31, 2023 | |
Debt Disclosure [Abstract] | |
Schedule of Long-term Debt Instruments | The following table provides a summary of the Company's outstanding debt and the fair values based on quoted market prices in less active markets as of December 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022: Principal Amount at Par Level 2 Fair Value as of December 31, December 31, Issuance Date Maturity December 31, December 31, (in millions) (in millions) 5.750% Senior Notes $ 400 $ 400 February 2014 March 2024 $ 400 $ 404 5.875% Senior Notes 800 800 February 2015 February 2025 807 811 3.000% Senior Notes (1) 519 503 April 2020 June 2025 516 495 3.625% Senior Notes 500 500 April 2020 June 2025 491 479 4.375% Senior Notes 1,000 1,000 October 2016 November 2026 996 980 3.625% Senior Notes (1) 1,434 1,391 May 2017 May 2027 1,454 1,338 4.875% Senior Notes 1,600 1,600 October 2017 April 2028 1,621 1,557 5.875% Senior Notes 1,900 1,900 April 2018 November 2028 2,009 1,930 4.625% Senior Notes (1) 1,215 1,177 October 2018 May 2029 1,300 1,151 6.375% Senior Notes 800 800 October 2018 May 2029 872 830 3.875% Senior Notes (1) 1,325 1,284 April 2019 November 2029 1,372 1,201 5.375% Senior Notes 900 900 April 2019 November 2029 931 885 3.625% Senior Notes (1) 1,215 1,177 October 2019 June 2030 1,237 1,078 4.875% Senior Notes 1,000 1,000 October 2019 June 2030 1,012 944 $ 14,608 $ 14,432 $ 15,018 $ 14,083 |
Derivative Financial Instrume_2
Derivative Financial Instruments (Tables) | 12 Months Ended |
Dec. 31, 2023 | |
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract] | |
Schedule of Notional Amounts of Outstanding Foreign Currency Cash Flow Hedges | The net notional amounts of the Company’s outstanding derivative instruments were as follows: As of December 31, 2023 2022 (in thousands) Derivatives designated as hedging instruments: Foreign exchange contracts Cash flow hedges $ 8,783,273 $ — Total $ 8,783,273 $ — |
Schedule of Fair Value of Derivative Contracts | The fair value of the Company’s outstanding derivative instruments were as follows: As of December 31, 2023 Derivative Assets Derivative Liabilities Other current assets Other non-current assets Accrued expenses and other liabilities Other non-current liabilities (in thousands) Derivatives designated as hedging instruments: Foreign exchange contracts $ 26,416 $ 4,518 $ 140,089 $ 46,575 Total $ 26,416 $ 4,518 $ 140,089 $ 46,575 |
Schedule of Offsetting Derivative Assets and Liabilities | The potential offsetting effect to the Company’s derivative assets and liabilities under its master netting agreements and collateral security agreements were as follows: As of December 31, 2023 Gross Amount Not Offset in the Consolidated Balance Sheets Gross Amount Recognized in the Consolidated Balance Sheets Gross Amount Offset in the Consolidated Balance Sheets Net Amount Presented in the Consolidated Balance Sheets Financial Instruments Collateral Received and Posted Net Amount (in thousands) Derivative assets $ 30,934 $ — $ 30,934 $ (27,246) $ — $ 3,688 Derivative liabilities 186,664 — 186,664 (27,246) — 159,418 |
Schedule of Gains (Losses) on Cash Flow Hedges Recognized in AOCI | The pre-tax gains (losses) on the Company’s cash flow hedges recognized in AOCI were as follows: Year Ended December 31, 2023 2022 2021 (in thousands) Cash flow hedges: Foreign exchange contracts (1) Amount included in the assessment of effectiveness $ (155,730) $ — $ — Total $ (155,730) $ — $ — (1) No amounts were excluded from the assessment of effectiveness. |
Commitments and Contingencies (
Commitments and Contingencies (Tables) | 12 Months Ended |
Dec. 31, 2023 | |
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract] | |
Summary of Expected Timing of Payments for Streaming Content Obligations | The expected timing of payments for these content obligations is as follows: As of December 31, 2023 2022 (in thousands) Less than one year $ 10,328,923 $ 10,038,483 Due after one year and through 3 years 8,784,302 9,425,551 Due after 3 years and through 5 years 2,016,358 2,124,307 Due after 5 years 583,766 243,606 Total content obligations $ 21,713,349 $ 21,831,947 |
Stockholders' Equity (Tables)
Stockholders' Equity (Tables) | 12 Months Ended |
Dec. 31, 2023 | |
Stockholders' Equity Note [Abstract] | |
Schedule of Activity Related to Stock Option Plans | A summary of the activities related to the Company’s stock option plans is as follows: Shares Options Outstanding Number of Weighted- Average Exercise Price Weighted- Average Remaining Contractual Term (in years) Aggregate Balances as of December 31, 2020 21,702,085 18,676,810 $ 170.23 Granted (1,556,725) 1,556,725 554.11 Exercised — (2,632,324) 65.97 Expired — (5,360) 34.63 Balances as of December 31, 2021 20,145,360 17,595,851 $ 219.83 Granted (3,691,257) 3,691,257 267.94 Exercised — (1,383,669) 27.19 Expired — (6,578) 11.10 Balances as of December 31, 2022 16,454,103 19,896,861 $ 242.22 Granted (1,729,218) 1,729,218 372.49 Exercised — (1,926,598) 87.30 Expired — (4,372) 36.39 Balances as of December 31, 2023 14,724,885 19,695,109 $ 268.86 5.35 $ 4,429,404 Vested and expected to vest as of December 31, 2023 19,695,109 $ 268.86 5.35 $ 4,429,404 Exercisable as of December 31, 2023 19,447,739 $ 267.37 5.30 $ 4,404,586 |
Schedule of Amounts Related to Option Exercises | A summary of the amounts related to option exercises, is as follows: Year Ended December 31, 2023 2022 2021 (in thousands) Total intrinsic value of options exercised $ 610,594 $ 345,839 $ 1,362,599 Cash received from options exercised 169,990 35,746 174,414 |
Schedule of Assumptions Used to Value Stock Option Grants Using Lattice-Binomial Model | The following table summarizes the assumptions used to value option grants using the lattice-binomial model and the valuation data: Year Ended December 31, 2023 2022 2021 Dividend yield — % — % — % Expected volatility 40% - 46% 38% - 52% 34% - 41% Risk-free interest rate 3.57% - 4.56% 1.71% - 3.79% 1.08% - 1.62% Suboptimal exercise factor 4.22 - 4.30 4.71 - 4.82 3.81 - 3.98 Valuation data: Weighted-average fair value (per share) $ 211.27 $ 155.88 $ 259.01 Total stock-based compensation expense (in thousands) 339,368 575,452 403,220 Total income tax impact on provision (in thousands) 61,588 127,289 89,642 |
Schedule of Changes in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) | The following table summarizes the changes in accumulated balances of other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax: Foreign Currency Translation Change in Unrealized Gains (Losses) on Cash Flow Hedges Total (in thousands) Balances as of December 31, 2020 $ 44,398 $ — $ 44,398 Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications (84,893) — (84,893) Balances as of December 31, 2021 (40,495) — (40,495) Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications (176,811) — (176,811) Balances as of December 31, 2022 (217,306) — (217,306) Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications 113,384 (120,023) (6,639) Balances as of December 31, 2023 $ (103,922) $ (120,023) $ (223,945) |
Income Taxes (Tables)
Income Taxes (Tables) | 12 Months Ended |
Dec. 31, 2023 | |
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract] | |
Schedule of Income before Income Taxes | Income before provision for income taxes was as follows: Year Ended December 31, 2023 2022 2021 (in thousands) United States $ 5,602,762 $ 4,623,218 $ 5,349,749 Foreign 602,643 640,711 490,354 Income before income taxes $ 6,205,405 $ 5,263,929 $ 5,840,103 |
Schedule of Components of Provision for Income Taxes | The components of provision for income taxes for all periods presented were as follows: Year Ended December 31, 2023 2022 2021 (in thousands) Current tax provision: Federal $ 854,170 $ 109,910 $ 57,526 State 181,684 119,795 109,641 Foreign 304,539 676,827 357,189 Total current 1,340,393 906,532 524,356 Deferred tax provision: Federal (412,760) (52,434) 188,937 State (55,475) (30,691) (2,700) Foreign (74,743) (51,402) 13,282 Total deferred (542,978) (134,527) 199,519 Provision for income taxes $ 797,415 $ 772,005 $ 723,875 |
Schedule of Reconciliation of Provision for Income Taxes | A reconciliation of the provision for income taxes to the amount computed by applying the 21% statutory Federal income tax rate to income before income taxes is as follows: Year Ended December 31, 2023 2022 2021 (in thousands) Expected tax expense at U.S. Federal statutory tax rate $ 1,303,123 $ 1,105,428 $ 1,226,422 State income taxes, net of Federal income tax effect 104,717 92,084 111,400 Foreign earnings at other than U.S. rates (32,292) 104,665 (86,489) Research and development tax credit (87,036) (146,615) (82,909) Excess tax benefits on stock-based compensation (119,043) (75,211) (290,899) Foreign-derived intangible income deduction (426,597) (361,013) (192,238) Nontaxable and nondeductible items 41,782 44,046 37,144 Other 12,761 8,621 1,444 Provision for income taxes $ 797,415 $ 772,005 $ 723,875 Effective Tax Rate 13 % 15 % 12 % |
Schedule of Deferred Tax Assets and Liabilities | The components of deferred tax assets and liabilities were as follows: As of December 31, 2023 2022 (in thousands) Deferred tax assets: Stock-based compensation $ 486,876 $ 443,456 Tax credits and net operating loss carryforwards 544,431 409,411 Capitalized research expenses 593,439 323,998 Accruals and reserves 137,251 119,732 Operating lease liabilities 516,574 551,418 Unrealized losses 62,213 — Other 11,615 2,234 Total deferred tax assets 2,352,399 1,850,249 Valuation allowance (442,293) (343,342) Net deferred tax assets 1,910,106 1,506,907 Deferred tax liabilities: Depreciation & amortization (357,477) (456,717) Operating right-of-use lease assets (435,216) (473,928) Unrealized gains — (47,283) Acquired intangibles (233,433) (267,438) Other (9,430) — Total deferred tax liabilities (1,035,556) (1,245,366) Net deferred tax assets $ 874,550 $ 261,541 The following table shows the deferred tax assets and liabilities within our Consolidated Balance Sheets: As of December 31, 2023 2022 (in thousands) Total deferred tax assets: Other non-current assets $ 1,000,760 $ 261,541 Total deferred tax liabilities: Other non-current liabilities (126,210) — Net deferred tax assets $ 874,550 $ 261,541 |
Schedule of Changes in Unrecognized Tax Benefits | The aggregate changes in the Company’s total gross amount of unrecognized tax benefits are summarized as follows: As of December 31, 2023 2022 2021 (in thousands) Balance at the beginning of the year $ 226,977 $ 202,557 $ 140,124 Increases related to tax positions taken during the current period 65,630 26,865 35,317 Increases related to tax positions taken during prior periods 76,794 — 27,116 Decreases related to tax positions taken during prior periods (10,117) (2,445) — Decreases related to settlements with taxing authorities (32,179) — — Decreases related to expiration of statute of limitations — — — Balance at the end of the year $ 327,105 $ 226,977 $ 202,557 |
Employee Benefit Plan (Tables)
Employee Benefit Plan (Tables) | 12 Months Ended |
Dec. 31, 2023 | |
Retirement Benefits [Abstract] | |
Schedule of Company Contributions to Pension and Health Plans | The following table summarizes the Company's contributions to multiemployer pension and health plans for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively: Year Ended December 31, 2023 2022 2021 (in thousands) Pension benefits $ 57,285 $ 127,885 $ 111,133 Health benefits 85,157 96,285 83,153 Total contributions $ 142,442 $ 224,170 $ 194,286 |
Segment and Geographic Inform_2
Segment and Geographic Information (Tables) | 12 Months Ended |
Dec. 31, 2023 | |
Segment Reporting [Abstract] | |
Schedule of Long-lived Assets by Geographic Areas | The Company's long-lived tangible assets, as well as the Company's operating lease right-of-use assets recognized on the Consolidated Balance Sheets were located as follows: As of December 31, 2023 2022 (in thousands) United States $ 2,724,710 $ 2,745,071 International 843,633 880,308 |
Organization and Summary of S_3
Organization and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Details) $ in Thousands, membership in Millions | 12 Months Ended | ||
Dec. 31, 2023 USD ($) membership country | Dec. 31, 2022 USD ($) | Dec. 31, 2021 USD ($) | |
Organization And Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items] | |||
Number of streaming members (over) | membership | 260 | ||
Number of countries (over) | country | 190 | ||
Content assets amortization period cap | 10 years | ||
Average produced content asset amortization percentage (over) | 90% | ||
Average produced content asset amortization period | 4 years | ||
Advertising expense | $ 1,732,000 | $ 1,586,000 | $ 1,669,000 |
Foreign currency remeasurement (loss) gain on debt | (176,296) | 353,111 | 430,661 |
Interest and Other Income (Expense) | |||
Organization And Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items] | |||
Foreign currency remeasurement (loss) gain on debt | $ (293,000) | $ 282,000 | $ 403,000 |
Maximum | |||
Organization And Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items] | |||
Property and equipment estimated useful life (in years) | 30 years |
Revenue Recognition - Revenue a
Revenue Recognition - Revenue and Membership Information (Details) membership in Thousands, $ in Thousands | 12 Months Ended | ||
Dec. 31, 2023 USD ($) membership | Dec. 31, 2022 USD ($) membership | Dec. 31, 2021 USD ($) membership | |
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items] | |||
Revenues | $ | $ 33,723,297 | $ 31,615,550 | $ 29,697,844 |
Streaming | United States and Canada | |||
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items] | |||
Revenues | $ | $ 14,873,783 | $ 14,084,643 | $ 12,972,100 |
Paid net membership additions (in memberships) | 5,832 | (919) | 1,279 |
Paid memberships at end of period (in memberships) | 80,128 | 74,296 | 75,215 |
Streaming | Europe, Middle East, and Africa | |||
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items] | |||
Revenues | $ | $ 10,556,487 | $ 9,745,015 | $ 9,699,819 |
Paid net membership additions (in memberships) | 12,084 | 2,693 | 7,338 |
Paid memberships at end of period (in memberships) | 88,813 | 76,729 | 74,036 |
Streaming | Latin America | |||
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items] | |||
Revenues | $ | $ 4,446,461 | $ 4,069,973 | $ 3,576,976 |
Paid net membership additions (in memberships) | 4,298 | 1,738 | 2,424 |
Paid memberships at end of period (in memberships) | 45,997 | 41,699 | 39,961 |
Streaming | Asia-Pacific | |||
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items] | |||
Revenues | $ | $ 3,763,727 | $ 3,570,221 | $ 3,266,601 |
Paid net membership additions (in memberships) | 7,315 | 5,391 | 7,140 |
Paid memberships at end of period (in memberships) | 45,338 | 38,023 | 32,632 |
Revenue Recognition - Additiona
Revenue Recognition - Additional Information (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands | 12 Months Ended | |
Dec. 31, 2022 | Dec. 31, 2023 | |
Revenue from Contract with Customer [Abstract] | ||
Deferred revenue | $ 1,264,661 | $ 1,442,969 |
Increase in deferred revenue | $ 178,000 |
Earnings Per Share - Calculatio
Earnings Per Share - Calculation of EPS (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands | 12 Months Ended | ||
Dec. 31, 2023 | Dec. 31, 2022 | Dec. 31, 2021 | |
Basic earnings per share: | |||
Net income | $ 5,407,990 | $ 4,491,924 | $ 5,116,228 |
Weighted-average common shares outstanding (in shares) | 441,571 | 444,698 | 443,155 |
Basic earnings per share (in USD per share) | $ 12.25 | $ 10.10 | $ 11.55 |
Diluted earnings per share: | |||
Net income | $ 5,407,990 | $ 4,491,924 | $ 5,116,228 |
Shares used in computation: | |||
Weighted-average common shares outstanding (in shares) | 441,571 | 444,698 | 443,155 |
Employee stock options (in shares) | 7,927 | 6,592 | 12,217 |
Weighted-average number of shares (in shares) | 449,498 | 451,290 | 455,372 |
Diluted earnings per share (in USD per share) | $ 12.03 | $ 9.95 | $ 11.24 |
Earnings Per Share - Antidiluti
Earnings Per Share - Antidilutive Shares (Details) - shares shares in Thousands | 12 Months Ended | ||
Dec. 31, 2023 | Dec. 31, 2022 | Dec. 31, 2021 | |
Earnings Per Share [Abstract] | |||
Antidilutive securities excluded from earnings per share calculations (in shares) | 4,109 | 6,790 | 348 |
Cash, Cash Equivalents, Restr_3
Cash, Cash Equivalents, Restricted Cash, and Short-term Investments (Details) - USD ($) | 12 Months Ended | |
Dec. 31, 2023 | Dec. 31, 2022 | |
Cash and Cash Equivalents [Line Items] | ||
Cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments | $ 7,139,488,000 | $ 6,081,858,000 |
Material gross realized gains or losses | 0 | 0 |
Cash and cash equivalents | ||
Cash and Cash Equivalents [Line Items] | ||
Cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments | 7,116,913,000 | 5,147,176,000 |
Short-term investments | ||
Cash and Cash Equivalents [Line Items] | ||
Cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments | 20,973,000 | 911,276,000 |
Other Current Assets | ||
Cash and Cash Equivalents [Line Items] | ||
Cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments | 1,466,000 | 3,410,000 |
Non-current Assets | ||
Cash and Cash Equivalents [Line Items] | ||
Cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments | 136,000 | 19,996,000 |
Cash | ||
Cash and Cash Equivalents [Line Items] | ||
Cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments | 5,988,176,000 | 4,094,868,000 |
Cash | Cash and cash equivalents | ||
Cash and Cash Equivalents [Line Items] | ||
Cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments | 5,986,629,000 | 4,071,584,000 |
Cash | Short-term investments | ||
Cash and Cash Equivalents [Line Items] | ||
Cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments | 0 | 0 |
Cash | Other Current Assets | ||
Cash and Cash Equivalents [Line Items] | ||
Cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments | 1,466,000 | 3,410,000 |
Cash | Non-current Assets | ||
Cash and Cash Equivalents [Line Items] | ||
Cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments | 81,000 | 19,874,000 |
Money market funds | Level 1 securities | ||
Cash and Cash Equivalents [Line Items] | ||
Cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments | 925,707,000 | 569,948,000 |
Money market funds | Cash and cash equivalents | Level 1 securities | ||
Cash and Cash Equivalents [Line Items] | ||
Cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments | 925,652,000 | 569,826,000 |
Money market funds | Short-term investments | Level 1 securities | ||
Cash and Cash Equivalents [Line Items] | ||
Cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments | 0 | 0 |
Money market funds | Other Current Assets | Level 1 securities | ||
Cash and Cash Equivalents [Line Items] | ||
Cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments | 0 | 0 |
Money market funds | Non-current Assets | Level 1 securities | ||
Cash and Cash Equivalents [Line Items] | ||
Cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments | 55,000 | 122,000 |
Time Deposits | Level 2 securities | ||
Cash and Cash Equivalents [Line Items] | ||
Cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments | 225,605,000 | 1,417,042,000 |
Time Deposits | Cash and cash equivalents | Level 2 securities | ||
Cash and Cash Equivalents [Line Items] | ||
Cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments | 204,632,000 | 505,766,000 |
Time Deposits | Short-term investments | Level 2 securities | ||
Cash and Cash Equivalents [Line Items] | ||
Cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments | 20,973,000 | 911,276,000 |
Time Deposits | Other Current Assets | Level 2 securities | ||
Cash and Cash Equivalents [Line Items] | ||
Cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments | 0 | 0 |
Time Deposits | Non-current Assets | Level 2 securities | ||
Cash and Cash Equivalents [Line Items] | ||
Cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments | $ 0 | $ 0 |
Balance Sheet Components - Comp
Balance Sheet Components - Components of Content Assets (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands | 12 Months Ended | ||
Dec. 31, 2023 | Dec. 31, 2022 | Dec. 31, 2021 | |
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items] | |||
Content assets, net | $ 31,658,056 | $ 32,736,713 | |
Amortization of content assets | 14,197,437 | 14,026,132 | $ 12,230,367 |
Tax incentives resulting in lower content amortization | 835,000 | 719,000 | |
Licensed content, net | |||
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items] | |||
Net content | 12,722,701 | 12,732,549 | |
Unamortized cost in year one | 5,777,000 | ||
Unamortized cost in year two | 2,860,000 | ||
Unamortized cost in year three | 1,842,000 | ||
Amortization of content assets | 7,145,446 | 7,681,978 | 8,055,811 |
Produced content, net | |||
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items] | |||
Net content | 9,843,150 | 9,110,518 | |
In production | 8,247,578 | 10,255,940 | |
In development and pre-production | 844,627 | 637,706 | |
Content assets, net | 18,935,355 | 20,004,164 | |
Unamortized cost in year one | 3,766,000 | ||
Unamortized cost in year two | 2,622,000 | ||
Unamortized cost in year three | 1,793,000 | ||
Amortization of content assets | $ 7,051,991 | $ 6,344,154 | $ 4,174,556 |
Balance Sheet Components - Prop
Balance Sheet Components - Property and Equipment and Accumulated Depreciation (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands | Dec. 31, 2023 | Dec. 31, 2022 |
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items] | ||
Property and equipment, gross | $ 2,346,487 | $ 2,151,998 |
Less: Accumulated depreciation | (855,043) | (753,741) |
Property and equipment, net | $ 1,491,444 | 1,398,257 |
Maximum | ||
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items] | ||
Estimated Useful Lives (in Years) | 30 years | |
Land | ||
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items] | ||
Property and equipment, gross | $ 88,429 | 85,005 |
Buildings | ||
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items] | ||
Property and equipment, gross | $ 150,736 | 52,106 |
Estimated Useful Lives (in Years) | 30 years | |
Leasehold improvements | ||
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items] | ||
Property and equipment, gross | $ 1,032,492 | 1,040,570 |
Furniture and fixtures | ||
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items] | ||
Property and equipment, gross | $ 144,737 | 153,682 |
Estimated Useful Lives (in Years) | 3 years | |
Information technology | ||
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items] | ||
Property and equipment, gross | $ 414,092 | 442,681 |
Estimated Useful Lives (in Years) | 3 years | |
Corporate aircraft | ||
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items] | ||
Property and equipment, gross | $ 99,175 | 115,578 |
Corporate aircraft | Minimum | ||
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items] | ||
Estimated Useful Lives (in Years) | 8 years | |
Corporate aircraft | Maximum | ||
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items] | ||
Estimated Useful Lives (in Years) | 10 years | |
Machinery and equipment | ||
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items] | ||
Property and equipment, gross | $ 10,334 | 26,821 |
Machinery and equipment | Minimum | ||
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items] | ||
Estimated Useful Lives (in Years) | 3 years | |
Machinery and equipment | Maximum | ||
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items] | ||
Estimated Useful Lives (in Years) | 5 years | |
Capital work-in-progress | ||
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items] | ||
Property and equipment, gross | $ 406,492 | $ 235,555 |
Balance Sheet Components - Leas
Balance Sheet Components - Leases (Details) $ in Thousands | 12 Months Ended | ||
Dec. 31, 2023 USD ($) option | Dec. 31, 2022 USD ($) | Dec. 31, 2021 USD ($) | |
Lessee, Lease, Description [Line Items] | |||
Number of renewal options (or more) | option | 1 | ||
Lease Cost: | |||
Operating lease cost | $ 430,856 | $ 413,664 | $ 389,805 |
Short-term lease cost | 207,822 | 194,764 | 152,765 |
Total lease cost | 638,678 | 608,428 | 542,570 |
Cash paid for operating lease liabilities | 451,525 | 413,034 | 349,586 |
Right-of-use assets obtained in exchange for new operating lease obligations | 196,639 | 252,393 | $ 764,142 |
Operating lease right-of-use assets, net | 2,076,899 | 2,227,122 | |
Current operating lease liabilities | 383,312 | 355,985 | |
Non-current operating lease liabilities | 2,046,801 | 2,222,503 | |
Total operating lease liabilities | $ 2,430,113 | $ 2,578,488 | |
Weighted-average remaining lease term | 7 years 6 months | 8 years 3 months 18 days | |
Weighted-average discount rate | 3.30% | 3.20% | |
Operating lease, liability, leases not commenced | $ 343,000 | ||
Operating Lease, Right-of-Use Asset, Statement of Financial Position [Extensible Enumeration] | Other non-current assets | Other non-current assets | |
Operating Lease, Liability, Current, Statement of Financial Position [Extensible List] | Accrued Liabilities, Current | Accrued Liabilities, Current | |
Operating Lease, Liability, Noncurrent, Statement of Financial Position [Extensible List] | Other non-current liabilities | Other non-current liabilities | |
Minimum | |||
Lessee, Lease, Description [Line Items] | |||
Lease term of contract (in years) | 1 year | ||
Lease renewal term (in years) | 1 year | ||
Lease Cost: | |||
Lease not yet commenced, term of contract (in years) | 2 years | ||
Maximum | |||
Lessee, Lease, Description [Line Items] | |||
Lease term of contract (in years) | 15 years | ||
Lease renewal term (in years) | 20 years | ||
Lease Cost: | |||
Lease not yet commenced, term of contract (in years) | 11 years |
Balance Sheet Components - Le_2
Balance Sheet Components - Lease Maturities (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands | Dec. 31, 2023 | Dec. 31, 2022 |
Balance Sheet Related Disclosures [Abstract] | ||
2024 | $ 460,353 | |
2025 | 424,897 | |
2026 | 401,306 | |
2027 | 340,245 | |
2028 | 282,465 | |
Thereafter | 827,117 | |
Total lease liabilities | 2,736,383 | |
Less imputed interest | (306,270) | |
Total operating lease liabilities | $ 2,430,113 | $ 2,578,488 |
Balance Sheet Components - Othe
Balance Sheet Components - Other Current Assets (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands | Dec. 31, 2023 | Dec. 31, 2022 |
Balance Sheet Related Disclosures [Abstract] | ||
Trade receivables | $ 1,287,054 | $ 988,898 |
Prepaid expenses | 408,936 | 392,735 |
Other | 1,084,257 | 1,826,388 |
Total other current assets | 2,780,247 | 3,208,021 |
Tax incentives | $ 555,000 | $ 598,000 |
Debt - Narrative (Details)
Debt - Narrative (Details) $ in Thousands | 12 Months Ended | |||
Dec. 31, 2023 USD ($) | Dec. 31, 2022 USD ($) | Dec. 31, 2021 USD ($) | Dec. 31, 2023 EUR (€) | |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] | ||||
Aggregate outstanding notes | $ 14,543,000 | $ 14,353,000 | ||
Debt issuance costs | 65,000 | 79,000 | ||
Short-term debt | 399,844 | 0 | ||
Long-term notes denominated in foreign currency | 14,608,000 | 14,432,000 | ||
Foreign currency remeasurement loss on debt | 176,296 | $ (353,111) | $ (430,661) | |
Senior Notes | ||||
Debt Instrument [Line Items] | ||||
Long-term notes denominated in foreign currency | € | € 5,170,000,000 | |||
Foreign currency remeasurement loss on debt | $ 176,000 | |||
Redemption price, percent of outstanding principal | 101% |
Debt - Schedule of Long-term De
Debt - Schedule of Long-term Debt (Details) $ in Millions | Dec. 31, 2023 EUR (€) | Dec. 31, 2023 USD ($) | Dec. 31, 2022 EUR (€) | Dec. 31, 2022 USD ($) |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] | ||||
Face amount | $ 14,608 | $ 14,432 | ||
Long-term debt, fair value | $ 15,018 | $ 14,083 | ||
Senior Notes | ||||
Debt Instrument [Line Items] | ||||
Face amount | € | € 5,170,000,000 | |||
Senior Notes | 5.750% Senior Notes | ||||
Debt Instrument [Line Items] | ||||
Interest rate | 5.75% | 5.75% | 5.75% | 5.75% |
Face amount | $ 400 | $ 400 | ||
Long-term debt, fair value | $ 400 | $ 404 | ||
Senior Notes | 5.875% Senior Notes | ||||
Debt Instrument [Line Items] | ||||
Interest rate | 5.875% | 5.875% | 5.875% | 5.875% |
Face amount | $ 800 | $ 800 | ||
Long-term debt, fair value | $ 807 | $ 811 | ||
Senior Notes | 3.000% Senior Notes | ||||
Debt Instrument [Line Items] | ||||
Interest rate | 3% | 3% | 3% | 3% |
Face amount | € 470,000,000 | $ 519 | € 470,000,000 | $ 503 |
Long-term debt, fair value | $ 516 | $ 495 | ||
Senior Notes | 3.625% Senior Notes | ||||
Debt Instrument [Line Items] | ||||
Interest rate | 3.625% | 3.625% | 3.625% | 3.625% |
Face amount | $ 500 | $ 500 | ||
Long-term debt, fair value | $ 491 | $ 479 | ||
Senior Notes | 4.375% Senior Notes | ||||
Debt Instrument [Line Items] | ||||
Interest rate | 4.375% | 4.375% | 4.375% | 4.375% |
Face amount | $ 1,000 | $ 1,000 | ||
Long-term debt, fair value | $ 996 | $ 980 | ||
Senior Notes | 3.625% Senior Notes | ||||
Debt Instrument [Line Items] | ||||
Interest rate | 3.625% | 3.625% | 3.625% | 3.625% |
Face amount | € 1,300,000,000 | $ 1,434 | € 1,300,000,000 | $ 1,391 |
Long-term debt, fair value | $ 1,454 | $ 1,338 | ||
Senior Notes | 4.875% Senior Notes | ||||
Debt Instrument [Line Items] | ||||
Interest rate | 4.875% | 4.875% | 4.875% | 4.875% |
Face amount | $ 1,600 | $ 1,600 | ||
Long-term debt, fair value | $ 1,621 | $ 1,557 | ||
Senior Notes | 5.875% Senior Notes | ||||
Debt Instrument [Line Items] | ||||
Interest rate | 5.875% | 5.875% | 5.875% | 5.875% |
Face amount | $ 1,900 | $ 1,900 | ||
Long-term debt, fair value | $ 2,009 | $ 1,930 | ||
Senior Notes | 4.625% Senior Notes | ||||
Debt Instrument [Line Items] | ||||
Interest rate | 4.625% | 4.625% | 4.625% | 4.625% |
Face amount | € 1,100,000,000 | $ 1,215 | € 1,100,000,000 | $ 1,177 |
Long-term debt, fair value | $ 1,300 | $ 1,151 | ||
Senior Notes | 6.375% Senior Notes | ||||
Debt Instrument [Line Items] | ||||
Interest rate | 6.375% | 6.375% | 6.375% | 6.375% |
Face amount | $ 800 | $ 800 | ||
Long-term debt, fair value | $ 872 | $ 830 | ||
Senior Notes | 3.875% Senior Notes | ||||
Debt Instrument [Line Items] | ||||
Interest rate | 3.875% | 3.875% | 3.875% | 3.875% |
Face amount | € 1,200,000,000 | $ 1,325 | € 1,200,000,000 | $ 1,284 |
Long-term debt, fair value | $ 1,372 | $ 1,201 | ||
Senior Notes | 5.375% Senior Notes | ||||
Debt Instrument [Line Items] | ||||
Interest rate | 5.375% | 5.375% | 5.375% | 5.375% |
Face amount | $ 900 | $ 900 | ||
Long-term debt, fair value | $ 931 | $ 885 | ||
Senior Notes | 3.625% Senior Notes | ||||
Debt Instrument [Line Items] | ||||
Interest rate | 3.625% | 3.625% | 3.625% | 3.625% |
Face amount | € 1,100,000,000 | $ 1,215 | € 1,100,000,000 | $ 1,177 |
Long-term debt, fair value | $ 1,237 | $ 1,078 | ||
Senior Notes | 4.875% Senior Notes | ||||
Debt Instrument [Line Items] | ||||
Interest rate | 4.875% | 4.875% | 4.875% | 4.875% |
Face amount | $ 1,000 | $ 1,000 | ||
Long-term debt, fair value | $ 1,012 | $ 944 |
Debt - Revolving Line of Credit
Debt - Revolving Line of Credit (Details) - Revolving Credit Facility - USD ($) | 12 Months Ended | |
Dec. 31, 2023 | Mar. 06, 2023 | |
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items] | ||
Line of credit facility, maximum borrowing capacity | $ 1,000,000,000 | |
Amount borrowed | $ 0 | |
Commitment fee percentage | 0.10% | |
London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) 1 | ||
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items] | ||
Basis spread on variable rate | 0.75% | |
Federal Funds Rate | ||
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items] | ||
Basis spread on variable rate | 0.50% | |
One-Month LIBOR Rate | ||
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items] | ||
Basis spread on variable rate | 1% | |
One-Month LIBOR Rate | Minimum | ||
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items] | ||
Basis spread on variable rate | 0% |
Derivative Financial Instrume_3
Derivative Financial Instruments - Notional Amount of Derivative Contracts (Details) - Derivatives designated as hedging instruments: - USD ($) $ in Thousands | Dec. 31, 2023 | Dec. 31, 2022 |
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosures [Line Items] | ||
Derivative, Notional Amount | $ 8,783,273 | $ 0 |
Foreign exchange contracts | Cash flow hedges | ||
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosures [Line Items] | ||
Derivative, Notional Amount | $ 8,783,273 | $ 0 |
Derivative Financial Instrume_4
Derivative Financial Instruments - Fair Value of Derivative Contracts (Details) $ in Thousands | Dec. 31, 2023 USD ($) |
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosures [Line Items] | |
Derivative Assets | $ 30,934 |
Derivative Liabilities | 186,664 |
Other current assets | Derivatives designated as hedging instruments: | |
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosures [Line Items] | |
Derivative Assets | 26,416 |
Other current assets | Foreign exchange contracts | Derivatives designated as hedging instruments: | |
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosures [Line Items] | |
Derivative Assets | 26,416 |
Other non-current assets | Derivatives designated as hedging instruments: | |
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosures [Line Items] | |
Derivative Assets | 4,518 |
Other non-current assets | Foreign exchange contracts | Derivatives designated as hedging instruments: | |
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosures [Line Items] | |
Derivative Assets | 4,518 |
Accrued expenses and other liabilities | Derivatives designated as hedging instruments: | |
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosures [Line Items] | |
Derivative Liabilities | 140,089 |
Accrued expenses and other liabilities | Foreign exchange contracts | Derivatives designated as hedging instruments: | |
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosures [Line Items] | |
Derivative Liabilities | 140,089 |
Other non-current liabilities | Derivatives designated as hedging instruments: | |
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosures [Line Items] | |
Derivative Liabilities | 46,575 |
Other non-current liabilities | Foreign exchange contracts | Derivatives designated as hedging instruments: | |
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosures [Line Items] | |
Derivative Liabilities | $ 46,575 |
Derivative Financial Instrume_5
Derivative Financial Instruments - Narrative (Details) $ in Millions | Dec. 31, 2023 USD ($) |
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract] | |
Foreign currency cash flow hedges included in AOCI expected to be reclassified to earnings within the next 12 months | $ 128 |
Derivative Financial Instrume_6
Derivative Financial Instruments - Offsetting Derivative Assets and Liabilities (Details) $ in Thousands | Dec. 31, 2023 USD ($) |
Derivative assets | |
Gross Amount Recognized in the Consolidated Balance Sheets | $ 30,934 |
Gross Amount Offset in the Consolidated Balance Sheets | 0 |
Net Amount Presented in the Consolidated Balance Sheets | 30,934 |
Financial Instruments | (27,246) |
Collateral Received and Posted | 0 |
Net Amount | $ 3,688 |
Derivative Asset, Statement of Financial Position [Extensible Enumeration] | Derivative assets |
Derivative liabilities | |
Gross Amount Recognized in the Consolidated Balance Sheets | $ 186,664 |
Gross Amount Offset in the Consolidated Balance Sheets | 0 |
Net Amount Presented in the Consolidated Balance Sheets | 186,664 |
Financial Instruments | (27,246) |
Collateral Received and Posted | 0 |
Net Amount | $ 159,418 |
Derivative Liability, Statement of Financial Position [Extensible Enumeration] | Derivative liabilities |
Derivative Financial Instrume_7
Derivative Financial Instruments - Effect of Derivative Instruments on Consolidated Financial Statements (Details) - Cash flow hedges - USD ($) $ in Thousands | 12 Months Ended | ||
Dec. 31, 2023 | Dec. 31, 2022 | Dec. 31, 2021 | |
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosures [Line Items] | |||
Amount included in the assessment of effectiveness | $ (155,730) | $ 0 | $ 0 |
Foreign exchange contracts | |||
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosures [Line Items] | |||
Amount included in the assessment of effectiveness | $ (155,730) | $ 0 | $ 0 |
Commitments and Contingencies -
Commitments and Contingencies - Streaming Content (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands | Dec. 31, 2023 | Dec. 31, 2022 |
Contractual Obligation [Line Items] | ||
Total streaming content obligations | $ 21,713,349 | $ 21,831,947 |
Current content liabilities | 4,466,470 | 4,480,150 |
Non-current content liabilities | 2,578,173 | 3,081,277 |
Unrecorded streaming obligations | 14,600,000 | 14,200,000 |
Non-income Tax Assessments | Brazilian Tax Authorities | ||
Contractual Obligation [Line Items] | ||
Indemnification guarantee accrual | 300,000 | |
Current Content Liabilities | ||
Contractual Obligation [Line Items] | ||
Current content liabilities | 4,500,000 | 4,500,000 |
Non-current Content Liabilities | ||
Contractual Obligation [Line Items] | ||
Non-current content liabilities | $ 2,600,000 | $ 3,100,000 |
Commitments and Contingencies_2
Commitments and Contingencies - Expected Timing of Payments for Commitments (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands | Dec. 31, 2023 | Dec. 31, 2022 |
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract] | ||
Less than one year | $ 10,328,923 | $ 10,038,483 |
Due after one year and through 3 years | 8,784,302 | 9,425,551 |
Due after 3 years and through 5 years | 2,016,358 | 2,124,307 |
Due after 5 years | 583,766 | 243,606 |
Total content obligations | $ 21,713,349 | $ 21,831,947 |
Commitments and Contingencies_3
Commitments and Contingencies - Guarantees—Indemnification Obligations (Details) | Dec. 31, 2023 USD ($) |
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract] | |
Other commitment | $ 0 |
Stockholders' Equity - Voting R
Stockholders' Equity - Voting Rights (Details) | 12 Months Ended |
Dec. 31, 2023 vote | |
Stockholders' Equity Note [Abstract] | |
Number of voting rights per share | 1 |
Stockholders' Equity - Schedule
Stockholders' Equity - Schedule of Activity Related to Stock Option Plans (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands | 12 Months Ended | ||
Dec. 31, 2023 | Dec. 31, 2022 | Dec. 31, 2021 | |
Shares Available for Grant | |||
Shares available for grant, beginning balances (in shares) | 16,454,103 | 20,145,360 | 21,702,085 |
Options outstanding, number of shares, beginning balance (in shares) | 19,896,861 | 17,595,851 | 18,676,810 |
Options outstanding, number of shares granted (in shares) | 1,729,218 | 3,691,257 | 1,556,725 |
Options outstanding, number of shares, exercised (in shares) | (1,926,598) | (1,383,669) | (2,632,324) |
Options outstanding, number of shares expired (in shares) | (4,372) | (6,578) | (5,360) |
Shares available for grant, ending balances (in shares) | 14,724,885 | 16,454,103 | 20,145,360 |
Options outstanding, number of shares, ending balance (in shares) | 19,695,109 | 19,896,861 | 17,595,851 |
Options outstanding, number of shares, vested and expected to vest (in shares) | 19,695,109 | ||
Options outstanding, number of shares, exercisable (in shares) | 19,447,739 | ||
Weighted- Average Exercise Price (per share) | |||
Options outstanding, weighted-average exercise price, beginning balance (in USD per share) | $ 242.22 | $ 219.83 | $ 170.23 |
Options outstanding, weighted-average exercise price, granted (in USD per share) | 372.49 | 267.94 | 554.11 |
Options outstanding, weighted-average exercise price, exercised (in USD per share) | 87.30 | 27.19 | 65.97 |
Options expired, weighted-average exercise price (in USD per share) | 36.39 | 11.10 | 34.63 |
Options outstanding, weighted-average exercise price, ending balance (in USD per share) | 268.86 | $ 242.22 | $ 219.83 |
Options outstanding, weighted-average exercise price, vested and expected to vest (in USD per share) | 268.86 | ||
Options outstanding, weighted-average exercise price, vested and exercisable (in USD per share) | $ 267.37 | ||
Weighted- Average Remaining Contractual Term (in years) | |||
Weighted-average remaining contractual term (in years) | 5 years 4 months 6 days | ||
Weighted-average exercise price, vested and exercisable, vested and expected to vest | 5 years 4 months 6 days | ||
Weighted-average remaining contractual term, exercisable | 5 years 3 months 18 days | ||
Aggregate Intrinsic Value (in thousands) | |||
Aggregate intrinsic value | $ 4,429,404 | ||
Aggregate intrinsic value, vested and expected to vest | 4,429,404 | ||
Aggregate intrinsic value, exercisable | $ 4,404,586 |
Stockholders' Equity - Stock Op
Stockholders' Equity - Stock Option Plans (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions | 12 Months Ended | ||
Dec. 31, 2023 | Dec. 31, 2022 | Dec. 31, 2021 | |
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items] | |||
Expiration period (in years) | 10 years | ||
Dividend yield | 0% | 0% | 0% |
Fair value of stock options that vested | $ 311 | ||
Total unrecognized compensation cost related to nonvested stock options | $ 26 | ||
Share-based payment arrangement, weighted-average period | 5 months 12 days | ||
Executive Officer | |||
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items] | |||
Award vesting period | 1 year |
Stockholders' Equity - Amounts
Stockholders' Equity - Amounts Related to Option Exercises (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands | 12 Months Ended | ||
Dec. 31, 2023 | Dec. 31, 2022 | Dec. 31, 2021 | |
Equity [Abstract] | |||
Total intrinsic value of options exercised | $ 610,594 | $ 345,839 | $ 1,362,599 |
Proceeds from issuance of common stock | $ 169,990 | $ 35,746 | $ 174,414 |
Stockholders' Equity - Schedu_2
Stockholders' Equity - Schedule of Assumptions Used to Value Stock Option Grants (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands | 12 Months Ended | ||
Dec. 31, 2023 | Dec. 31, 2022 | Dec. 31, 2021 | |
Stockholders' Equity Note [Abstract] | |||
Dividend yield | 0% | 0% | 0% |
Expected volatility, minimum | 40% | 38% | 34% |
Expected volatility, maximum | 46% | 52% | 41% |
Risk-free interest rate, minimum | 3.57% | 1.71% | 1.08% |
Risk-free interest rate, maximum | 4.56% | 3.79% | 1.62% |
Suboptimal exercise factor, minimum | 4.22 | 4.71 | 3.81 |
Suboptimal exercise factor, maximum | 4.30 | 4.82 | 3.98 |
Valuation data: | |||
Weighted-average fair value (in USD per share) | $ 211.27 | $ 155.88 | $ 259.01 |
Total stock-based compensation expense | $ 339,368 | $ 575,452 | $ 403,220 |
Total income tax impact on provision | $ 61,588 | $ 127,289 | $ 89,642 |
Stockholders' Equity - Stock Re
Stockholders' Equity - Stock Repurchases (Details) - USD ($) | 12 Months Ended | |||
Dec. 31, 2023 | Dec. 31, 2022 | Dec. 31, 2021 | Mar. 31, 2021 | |
Stockholders' Equity Note [Abstract] | ||||
Common stock authorized to be repurchased | $ 10,000,000,000 | $ 5,000,000,000 | ||
Stock repurchased (in shares) | 14,513,790 | |||
Repurchases of common stock | $ 6,045,347,000 | $ 0 | $ 600,022,000 | |
Remaining authorized repurchase amount | $ 8,400,000,000 |
Stockholders' Equity Stockholde
Stockholders' Equity Stockholders' Equity - Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands | 12 Months Ended | ||
Dec. 31, 2023 | Dec. 31, 2022 | Dec. 31, 2021 | |
AOCI Attributable to Parent, Net of Tax [Roll Forward] | |||
Beginning balance | $ 20,777,401 | $ 15,849,248 | $ 11,065,240 |
Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications | (6,639) | (176,811) | (84,893) |
Ending balance | 20,588,313 | 20,777,401 | 15,849,248 |
Foreign Currency Translation Adjustments | |||
AOCI Attributable to Parent, Net of Tax [Roll Forward] | |||
Beginning balance | (217,306) | (40,495) | 44,398 |
Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications | 113,384 | (176,811) | (84,893) |
Ending balance | (103,922) | (217,306) | (40,495) |
Change in Unrealized Gains (Losses) on Cash Flow Hedges | |||
AOCI Attributable to Parent, Net of Tax [Roll Forward] | |||
Beginning balance | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications | (120,023) | 0 | 0 |
Ending balance | (120,023) | 0 | 0 |
Total | |||
AOCI Attributable to Parent, Net of Tax [Roll Forward] | |||
Beginning balance | (217,306) | (40,495) | 44,398 |
Ending balance | $ (223,945) | $ (217,306) | $ (40,495) |
Income Taxes - Schedule of Inco
Income Taxes - Schedule of Income before Income Taxes (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands | 12 Months Ended | ||
Dec. 31, 2023 | Dec. 31, 2022 | Dec. 31, 2021 | |
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract] | |||
United States | $ 5,602,762 | $ 4,623,218 | $ 5,349,749 |
Foreign | 602,643 | 640,711 | 490,354 |
Income before income taxes | $ 6,205,405 | $ 5,263,929 | $ 5,840,103 |
Income Taxes - Components of Pr
Income Taxes - Components of Provision for Income Taxes (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands | 12 Months Ended | ||
Dec. 31, 2023 | Dec. 31, 2022 | Dec. 31, 2021 | |
Current tax provision: | |||
Federal | $ 854,170 | $ 109,910 | $ 57,526 |
State | 181,684 | 119,795 | 109,641 |
Foreign | 304,539 | 676,827 | 357,189 |
Total current | 1,340,393 | 906,532 | 524,356 |
Deferred tax provision: | |||
Federal | (412,760) | (52,434) | 188,937 |
State | (55,475) | (30,691) | (2,700) |
Foreign | (74,743) | (51,402) | 13,282 |
Total deferred | (542,978) | (134,527) | 199,519 |
Provision for income taxes | $ 797,415 | $ 772,005 | $ 723,875 |
Income Taxes - Reconciliation o
Income Taxes - Reconciliation of Provision for Income Taxes (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands | 12 Months Ended | ||
Dec. 31, 2023 | Dec. 31, 2022 | Dec. 31, 2021 | |
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract] | |||
Expected tax expense at U.S. Federal statutory tax rate | $ 1,303,123 | $ 1,105,428 | $ 1,226,422 |
State income taxes, net of Federal income tax effect | 104,717 | 92,084 | 111,400 |
Foreign earnings at other than U.S. rates | (32,292) | 104,665 | (86,489) |
Research and development tax credit | (87,036) | (146,615) | (82,909) |
Excess tax benefits on stock-based compensation | (119,043) | (75,211) | (290,899) |
Foreign-derived intangible income deduction | (426,597) | (361,013) | (192,238) |
Nontaxable and nondeductible items | 41,782 | 44,046 | 37,144 |
Other | 12,761 | 8,621 | 1,444 |
Provision for income taxes | $ 797,415 | $ 772,005 | $ 723,875 |
Effective Tax Rate | 13% | 15% | 12% |
Income Taxes - Deferred Tax Ass
Income Taxes - Deferred Tax Assets and Liabilities (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands | Dec. 31, 2023 | Dec. 31, 2022 |
Deferred tax assets: | ||
Stock-based compensation | $ 486,876 | $ 443,456 |
Tax credits and net operating loss carryforwards | 544,431 | 409,411 |
Capitalized research expenses | 593,439 | 323,998 |
Accruals and reserves | 137,251 | 119,732 |
Operating lease liabilities | 516,574 | 551,418 |
Unrealized losses | 62,213 | 0 |
Other | 11,615 | 2,234 |
Total deferred tax assets | 2,352,399 | 1,850,249 |
Valuation allowance | (442,293) | (343,342) |
Net deferred tax assets | 1,910,106 | 1,506,907 |
Deferred tax liabilities: | ||
Depreciation & amortization | (357,477) | (456,717) |
Operating right-of-use lease assets | (435,216) | (473,928) |
Unrealized gains | 0 | (47,283) |
Acquired intangibles | (233,433) | (267,438) |
Other | (9,430) | 0 |
Total deferred tax liabilities | (1,035,556) | (1,245,366) |
Net deferred tax assets | $ 874,550 | $ 261,541 |
Income Taxes - Deferred Tax A_2
Income Taxes - Deferred Tax Assets and Liabilities within our Consolidated Balance Sheets (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands | Dec. 31, 2023 | Dec. 31, 2022 |
Total deferred tax assets: | ||
Other non-current assets | $ 1,910,106 | $ 1,506,907 |
Total deferred tax liabilities: | ||
Other non-current liabilities | (1,035,556) | (1,245,366) |
Net deferred tax assets | 874,550 | 261,541 |
Non-current Assets | ||
Total deferred tax assets: | ||
Other non-current assets | 1,000,760 | 261,541 |
Other non-current liabilities | ||
Total deferred tax liabilities: | ||
Other non-current liabilities | $ (126,210) | $ 0 |
Income Taxes - Narrative (Detai
Income Taxes - Narrative (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands | 12 Months Ended | |||
Dec. 31, 2023 | Dec. 31, 2022 | Dec. 31, 2021 | Dec. 31, 2020 | |
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract] | ||||
Tax credits and net operating loss carryforwards | $ 582,000 | |||
Operating loss carryforwards, state | 838,000 | |||
Deferred tax assets, tax credit carryforwards, foreign | 19,000 | |||
Deferred tax assets, operating loss carryforwards, foreign | 421,000 | |||
Valuation allowance | 442,293 | $ 343,342 | ||
Foreign undistributed earnings | 52,000 | |||
Unrecognized tax benefits | 327,105 | 226,977 | $ 202,557 | $ 140,124 |
Reduction in provision for income taxes due to impact of effective tax rate | 188,000 | 155,000 | ||
Interest and penalties in the provision for income taxes | 25,000 | 2,000 | $ 1,000 | |
Interest and penalties accrued | $ 28,000 | $ 3,000 |
Income Taxes - Schedule of Chan
Income Taxes - Schedule of Changes in Unrecognized Tax Benefits (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands | 12 Months Ended | ||
Dec. 31, 2023 | Dec. 31, 2022 | Dec. 31, 2021 | |
Reconciliation of Unrecognized Tax Benefits, Excluding Amounts Pertaining to Examined Tax Returns [Roll Forward] | |||
Beginning Balance | $ 226,977 | $ 202,557 | $ 140,124 |
Increases related to tax positions taken during the current period | 65,630 | 26,865 | 35,317 |
Increases related to tax positions taken during prior periods | 76,794 | 0 | 27,116 |
Decreases related to tax positions taken during prior periods | (10,117) | (2,445) | 0 |
Decreases related to settlements with taxing authorities | (32,179) | 0 | 0 |
Decreases related to expiration of statute of limitations | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Ending Balance | $ 327,105 | $ 226,977 | $ 202,557 |
Employee Benefit Plan - Narrati
Employee Benefit Plan - Narrative (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions | 12 Months Ended | ||
Dec. 31, 2023 | Dec. 31, 2022 | Dec. 31, 2021 | |
Retirement Benefits [Abstract] | |||
Eligible employees maximum contribution percentage | 80% | ||
Contributions by employer | $ 114 | $ 102 | $ 85 |
Employee Benefit Plan - Multiem
Employee Benefit Plan - Multiemployer Plan (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands | 12 Months Ended | ||
Dec. 31, 2023 | Dec. 31, 2022 | Dec. 31, 2021 | |
Multiemployer Plan [Line Items] | |||
Total contributions | $ 142,442 | $ 224,170 | $ 194,286 |
Multiemployer Plan, Type [Extensible List] | Other Pension, Postretirement and Supplemental Plans [Member] | ||
Pension benefits | |||
Multiemployer Plan [Line Items] | |||
Total contributions | $ 57,285 | 127,885 | 111,133 |
Health benefits | |||
Multiemployer Plan [Line Items] | |||
Total contributions | $ 85,157 | $ 96,285 | $ 83,153 |
Segment and Geographic Inform_3
Segment and Geographic Information (Details) $ in Thousands | 12 Months Ended | ||
Dec. 31, 2023 USD ($) segment | Dec. 31, 2022 USD ($) | Dec. 31, 2021 USD ($) | |
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items] | |||
Number of operating segments | segment | 1 | ||
Revenues | $ 33,723,297 | $ 31,615,550 | $ 29,697,844 |
United States | |||
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items] | |||
Revenues | $ 13,800,000 | $ 13,000,000 | $ 12,100,000 |
Segment and Geographic Inform_4
Segment and Geographic Information - Long-lived Assets by Geographic Areas (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands | Dec. 31, 2023 | Dec. 31, 2022 |
United States | ||
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items] | ||
Long-lived assets | $ 2,724,710 | $ 2,745,071 |
International | ||
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items] | ||
Long-lived assets | $ 843,633 | $ 880,308 |