Netflix on Tuesday launched an interactive website, The Netflix Effect, to mark 10 years since the streaming platform expanded from 60 countries to more than 190 in a single day, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos said in a statement.
“Ten years ago, Netflix went from entertaining audiences in about 60 countries to more than 190 in a single day...In 2015, we produced our first original series outside of the U.S., Club De Cuervos in Mexico. We produce our shows and movies in more than 4,500 cities and towns in more than 50 countries around the world,” reads the statement.
The website offers a comprehensive look at the economic, cultural and social impact of Netflix films and series, and how that influence ripples across economies, industries and everyday life — day after day and week after week.
According to the statement, Netflix has invested more than USD 135 billion in films and series, contributing over USD 325 billion to the global economy. The company said it has also created more than 425,000 jobs through its productions alone.
The statement highlighted India as a significant part of Netflix’s global footprint.
Its 2024 series Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar, created and directed by filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali, was built on a set at Mumbai’s Film City that was constructed by 700 craftsmen over seven months. More than 300 handcrafted costumes were sourced from traditional textile hubs, including Varanasi, Agra and Lucknow, the streamer said.
The series was dubbed in 14 languages, including French, German, Malay and Arabic, it added.
The company also noted that Indian filmmaker S. S. Rajamouli’s 2022 film RRR found a wider audience through Netflix after its successful theatrical run and went on to win the Academy Award for Best Original Song. It also cited The Ba***ds of Bollywood for the memes and reels it generated, making it one of the most talked-about shows in India.
Other titles mentioned in the statement include Frontera Verde, KPop Demon Hunters and Stranger Things.
“Five seasons of Stranger Things created more than 8,000 production jobs — including over 200 stunt performers who worked on the final season alone. More than 3,800 vendors from nearly every US state helped bring the show to life. When KPop Demon Hunters came out, for example, it became our most-popular original film of all time. But it also created a cultural wave. ‘Golden’ earned the first-ever Grammy for a K-pop track, and the film took home two Academy Awards. Duolingo reported a 22 per cent rise in Americans studying Korean, while flight bookings to South Korea spiked by 25 per cent,” the statement reads.
Speaking about the streaming giant’s future collaborations, Sarandos said, “These days, the entertainment business is changing even faster than when we started — which is why, as we look ahead to the next decade, we’ll keep investing in the relationships we’ve built with the creators we work with, the communities we depend on and the fans who love to watch.”
