There is no doubt about the fact that Netflix is one of the largest OTT platforms across the world. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph, this streaming platform has a very exciting past.
Here are some fascinating facts about Netflix that will make you go whaaaaat?
1. Netflix’s Original Name On Paper Was Kibble.
Picking an appropriate name for the company was a drawn-out process. From Reply and NowShowing to eFlix and CinemaCenter, a number of names were considered for the platform. However, they decided to name it Kibble temporarily until they could think of something better.
2. Netflix Once Generated More Internet Traffic Than Google.
According to a report in 2019, Netflix’s share of downstream traffic for the first six months of the year was 12.9%. During this period, Netflix garnered more traffic than Google by 0.6%.
3. The First Clip That Was Released On Netflix’s Was Called Example Show.
This clip featured a random collection of scenes for testing audio sync, video quality and frame rates by the management team on their servers.
4. In 2018, Netflix Broke HBO’s 17-Year Emmys Streak.
For continously 17 years, HBO had been bagging the maximum awards at the Emmy Awards ceremony but Netflix broke all records by racking up more nominations than its competition.
5. Netflix Used To Pay Millions To Disney To Stream Its Content.
Before the release of Disney+, Disney used to play Netflix’s content for a whopping $300 Million.
6. Netflix’s Executives Used To Make House Calls.
During the late 90s, the company used to call their subscribers near the company’s location for surveys. They would also ask them to visit the company and observe how they work. When they use to visit, the company used to buy them coffee for gaining valuable information about their usage.
7. The Founder Of The Company Came Up With The Idea For Netflix From A Late Fee.
Reed Hastings, CEO of Netflix, got the idea for the company back in 1997 when Blockbuster had charged him a late fee of $40 for a VHS copy of Apollo 13. His little idea soon grew into something a lot bigger and he eventually launched Netflix in 1998.
8. Employees Are Sworn To Secrecy On The Locations Of Their Warehouses.
It is said that the location of Netflix’s warehouse is kept a tight secret and cannot be found on a map. Even their delivery trucks move undercover and unmarked. So much so, the employees are sworn to secrecy on the exact location of the DVD warehouses.
9. Netflix’s Employees Can Take As Many Days Off As They Want.
Netflix has some really cool and unusual work policies. As long as the employees schedule their work ahead of time, they are allowed to take as many leaves as they want. And no prizes for guessing, they get a free Netflix subscription.
10. Netflix Made Special Socks That Pause Your TV Automatically When You Fall Asleep.
The company made special socks that could detect when a user fell asleep and pause the show/movie so that they don’t miss out on anything when they wake up. Known as ‘Netflix Socks’, this pair of socks comes with a sew-in electronic device that detects your pulse.
11. Netflix Hosts Its Own Awards Show.
In 2013, Netflix announced its own awards ceremony called The Flixies. The awards are entirely fan-based with several quirky categories highlighting the habits of viewers.
12. Netflix Once Mistakenly Rented Out Chinese Pornography.
At an event, Mitch Lowe, Netflix’s co-founder, said that they accidentally sent porn to Netflix subscribers during its initial days. When the company was testing its ability to put video onto DVD by putting Bill Clinton’s testimony about the Monica Lewinsky scandal on discs, the duplicator duplicated pornography and sent thousands of porn to their customers.
13. Netflix Pays Their Employees For Watching Content From Home.
This might sound like a dream to those whose second name is binge-watching. A tagger watches about three to eight titles weekly. They collect data, categorize tags and subtags from a pool of keywords. This helps Netflix to improve their video recommendations, also known as Netflix Quantum Theory.
14. Netflix Once Hired A Spoiler Expert.
Yes, that’s right. Netflix once hired an expert who examined spoilers within the context of binge-watching. The data collected by the expert measured how spoilers might affect the show/movie’s initial appeal to its viewers. The results of the survey revealed that most viewers are generally fine with watching a show despite its main plot being revealed a little.
15. You Can Use Netflix Secret Codes To Find Hidden Movies & TV Shows.
Although the platform has a never-ending pool of content, one might feel a little overwhelmed with the choices. Therefore, Netflix has some secret codes for every single genre for when you are having a hard time picking a show/movie. You can check all the codes here.
16. An Australian Viewer Watched Madagascar 352 Times On Netflix.
In 2017, Netflix revealed that an unknown subscriber watched the movie Madagascar 3: Europes Most Wanted 352 times. With a runtime of 93 minutes, the movie is a 2012 computer-animated comedy movie.
Which fact shocked you the most?