Episode 83: Netflix’s Record Q4, Their WWE Deal, Content Focus, Ad Strategy and How They Will Continue to Dominate

The Netflix episode "Woooooo!" This week, we discuss Netflix’s record Q4 earnings, its free cash flow of $6.9 billion for 2023, its growing AVOD business and its off-the-top rope deal with the WWE as they continue to dominate the industry. We discuss how the WWE deal with "scripted entertainment” differs from sports content, how it will expand Netflix’s advertising business, and what it might mean for a more significant content deal with the WWE when Peacock’s domestic WWE Network deal expires in March 2026.We highlight new data from Netflix showing that 40% of all Netflix sign-ups are for its AVOD plan in markets where it is offered, and why Netflix plans to retire its Basic plan in some of its ad countries. We debate Netflix's growth prospects with AVOD in the short and long term, especially with T-Mobile having just converted Netflix users to the ads plan in its "Netflix On Us" bundle.Finally, we discuss what Netflix said about their shift in the mix of content spend, their historical bias toward building rather than buying content assets, why they are not interested in some of the big linear assets being shopped and the work they are doing to improve ad targeting, relevance and measurement.Podcast produced by Security Halt Media