Netflix is a leading global subscription video-on-demand streaming service, widely recognized for its vast library of original and acquired films and television shows available in over 190 countries. Founded by Marc Randolph and Reed Hastings on August 29, 1997, it initially revolutionized home entertainment as a DVD-by-mail rental service, pioneering a flat-fee, no-late-fee subscription model by 1999. The company made a pivotal shift by launching its streaming service in 2007, nearly a decade after its mail-order beginnings.
Now the most-subscribed streaming media service, Netflix boasts 301.6 million paid memberships as of 2025, with "Netflix Original" productions comprising half its U.S. library by 2022, and has even ventured into mobile game publishing. Interestingly, Netflix turned down acquisition offers from Amazon in 1998 and Blockbuster in 2000, choosing to independently grow into the formidable global media giant it is today, ranking as the 18th most-visited website worldwide.