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Everyone You Know Just Signed Up for Netflix Everyone You Know Just Signed Up for Netflix
(8 days later)
Netflix has become one of the nation’s all-around distractions, acting as both a supercharged nanny and a nightly balm during the coronavirus crisis.Netflix has become one of the nation’s all-around distractions, acting as both a supercharged nanny and a nightly balm during the coronavirus crisis.
It’s not hard to imagine why. With an almost bottomless well of movies and serials that can be watched on almost any device, it’s the kind of service that would be dreamed up by someone stranded on a desert island — or stuck at home during a pandemic.It’s not hard to imagine why. With an almost bottomless well of movies and serials that can be watched on almost any device, it’s the kind of service that would be dreamed up by someone stranded on a desert island — or stuck at home during a pandemic.
More than 15.7 million people signed up for Netflix in the first three months of the year, when the coronavirus started to disrupt daily life around the world. That was a record for the streamer, according to its first quarter earnings announcement on Tuesday.More than 15.7 million people signed up for Netflix in the first three months of the year, when the coronavirus started to disrupt daily life around the world. That was a record for the streamer, according to its first quarter earnings announcement on Tuesday.
Netflix has 182.8 million subscribers, making it one of the world’s largest entertainment services. It added 2.3 million in the United States and Canada in the first quarter for a total of 69.9 million, and added 13.5 million internationally.Netflix has 182.8 million subscribers, making it one of the world’s largest entertainment services. It added 2.3 million in the United States and Canada in the first quarter for a total of 69.9 million, and added 13.5 million internationally.
The results offer a vivid snapshot of how the coronavirus has affected the streaming industry, signifying the first real test of how durable online video has been during the pandemic. Streaming has also become one of Hollywood’s few lifelines at a time when the entertainment industry is at a virtual standstill.The results offer a vivid snapshot of how the coronavirus has affected the streaming industry, signifying the first real test of how durable online video has been during the pandemic. Streaming has also become one of Hollywood’s few lifelines at a time when the entertainment industry is at a virtual standstill.
The company’s letter to shareholders is normally a dry note about quarterly achievements, but this time it struck an emotional tone.The company’s letter to shareholders is normally a dry note about quarterly achievements, but this time it struck an emotional tone.
“We have never seen a future more uncertain or unsettling,” it read. “The coronavirus has reached every corner of the world and, in the absence of a widespread treatment or vaccine, no one knows how or when this terrible crisis will end.”“We have never seen a future more uncertain or unsettling,” it read. “The coronavirus has reached every corner of the world and, in the absence of a widespread treatment or vaccine, no one knows how or when this terrible crisis will end.”
“It’s an incredible tragedy for the world,” Reed Hastings, the chief executive, said on the earnings call after the announcement. “Everyone is wrestling with the implications, both on health, hunger and poverty, and we too are really unsure about what the future brings.”“It’s an incredible tragedy for the world,” Reed Hastings, the chief executive, said on the earnings call after the announcement. “Everyone is wrestling with the implications, both on health, hunger and poverty, and we too are really unsure about what the future brings.”
The company acknowledged that it had fared well during the crisis, but said it expected “viewing to decline and membership growth to decelerate as home confinement ends, which we hope is soon.”The company acknowledged that it had fared well during the crisis, but said it expected “viewing to decline and membership growth to decelerate as home confinement ends, which we hope is soon.”
It hasn’t been an easy time for the industry as a whole. Broadcast and cable networks have been starved of their most important programming: sports. Advertisers have cut back on television spending by as much as $12 billion, according to the research firm eMarketer. And movie studios haven’t been able to sell tickets ever since stay-at-home orders were put in place.It hasn’t been an easy time for the industry as a whole. Broadcast and cable networks have been starved of their most important programming: sports. Advertisers have cut back on television spending by as much as $12 billion, according to the research firm eMarketer. And movie studios haven’t been able to sell tickets ever since stay-at-home orders were put in place.
But Netflix has benefited. It doesn’t have sports programming. It doesn’t have commercials. It doesn’t need movie theaters. Mostly. Hollywood studios have changed tack to release films on streaming services to reach their audiences. On Tuesday, Netflix announced that it had bought the rights to “Enola Holmes,” a period film set in the Sherlock Holmes universe that features Millie Bobbie Brown, the star of the Netflix hit “Stranger Things.” Legendary Entertainment, the studio behind the film, was originally considering a theatrical release.But Netflix has benefited. It doesn’t have sports programming. It doesn’t have commercials. It doesn’t need movie theaters. Mostly. Hollywood studios have changed tack to release films on streaming services to reach their audiences. On Tuesday, Netflix announced that it had bought the rights to “Enola Holmes,” a period film set in the Sherlock Holmes universe that features Millie Bobbie Brown, the star of the Netflix hit “Stranger Things.” Legendary Entertainment, the studio behind the film, was originally considering a theatrical release.
Netflix’s original programming continued to draw audiences. More than 29 million households tuned into the third season of “Ozark,” a crime drama starring Jason Bateman. The reality show “Love Is Blind” drew 30 million watchers. But the surprise hit was “Tiger King,” a wildly popular documentary series about a tiger breeder and zookeeper in Oklahoma who ultimately landed in prison. The surreal saga was viewed by 64 million subscribers.Netflix’s original programming continued to draw audiences. More than 29 million households tuned into the third season of “Ozark,” a crime drama starring Jason Bateman. The reality show “Love Is Blind” drew 30 million watchers. But the surprise hit was “Tiger King,” a wildly popular documentary series about a tiger breeder and zookeeper in Oklahoma who ultimately landed in prison. The surreal saga was viewed by 64 million subscribers.
Netflix faces a slew of deep-pocketed competitors. The Walt Disney Company unveiled Disney Plus in November and has already racked up over 50 million subscribers. Comcast’s NBCUniversal division launched Peacock last week to more than 15 million Comcast customers before making it widely available this summer. On Tuesday, AT&T announced that HBO Max, its long-awaited, multibillion-dollar effort, would finally roll out on May 27.Netflix faces a slew of deep-pocketed competitors. The Walt Disney Company unveiled Disney Plus in November and has already racked up over 50 million subscribers. Comcast’s NBCUniversal division launched Peacock last week to more than 15 million Comcast customers before making it widely available this summer. On Tuesday, AT&T announced that HBO Max, its long-awaited, multibillion-dollar effort, would finally roll out on May 27.
Updated July 7, 2020
The coronavirus can stay aloft for hours in tiny droplets in stagnant air, infecting people as they inhale, mounting scientific evidence suggests. This risk is highest in crowded indoor spaces with poor ventilation, and may help explain super-spreading events reported in meatpacking plants, churches and restaurants. It’s unclear how often the virus is spread via these tiny droplets, or aerosols, compared with larger droplets that are expelled when a sick person coughs or sneezes, or transmitted through contact with contaminated surfaces, said Linsey Marr, an aerosol expert at Virginia Tech. Aerosols are released even when a person without symptoms exhales, talks or sings, according to Dr. Marr and more than 200 other experts, who have outlined the evidence in an open letter to the World Health Organization.
Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days.
Scientists around the country have tried to identify everyday materials that do a good job of filtering microscopic particles. In recent tests, HEPA furnace filters scored high, as did vacuum cleaner bags, fabric similar to flannel pajamas and those of 600-count pillowcases. Other materials tested included layered coffee filters and scarves and bandannas. These scored lower, but still captured a small percentage of particles.
A commentary published this month on the website of the British Journal of Sports Medicine points out that covering your face during exercise “comes with issues of potential breathing restriction and discomfort” and requires “balancing benefits versus possible adverse events.” Masks do alter exercise, says Cedric X. Bryant, the president and chief science officer of the American Council on Exercise, a nonprofit organization that funds exercise research and certifies fitness professionals. “In my personal experience,” he says, “heart rates are higher at the same relative intensity when you wear a mask.” Some people also could experience lightheadedness during familiar workouts while masked, says Len Kravitz, a professor of exercise science at the University of New Mexico.
The steroid, dexamethasone, is the first treatment shown to reduce mortality in severely ill patients, according to scientists in Britain. The drug appears to reduce inflammation caused by the immune system, protecting the tissues. In the study, dexamethasone reduced deaths of patients on ventilators by one-third, and deaths of patients on oxygen by one-fifth.
The coronavirus emergency relief package gives many American workers paid leave if they need to take time off because of the virus. It gives qualified workers two weeks of paid sick leave if they are ill, quarantined or seeking diagnosis or preventive care for coronavirus, or if they are caring for sick family members. It gives 12 weeks of paid leave to people caring for children whose schools are closed or whose child care provider is unavailable because of the coronavirus. It is the first time the United States has had widespread federally mandated paid leave, and includes people who don’t typically get such benefits, like part-time and gig economy workers. But the measure excludes at least half of private-sector workers, including those at the country’s largest employers, and gives small employers significant leeway to deny leave.
So far, the evidence seems to show it does. A widely cited paper published in April suggests that people are most infectious about two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were a result of transmission from people who were not yet showing symptoms. Recently, a top expert at the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people who did not have symptoms was “very rare,” but she later walked back that statement.
Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks.
A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study.
If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.)
If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others.
Mr. Hastings praised Disney. “I’ve never seen such a good execution,” he said, echoing remarks he made in November. “Disney is the one we have the most to learn from in terms of entertainment,” he said at the time.Mr. Hastings praised Disney. “I’ve never seen such a good execution,” he said, echoing remarks he made in November. “Disney is the one we have the most to learn from in terms of entertainment,” he said at the time.
Netflix said on Tuesday that it expected the current quarter, which ends in June, to slow down a bit. The company has forecast 7.5 million new subscribers and about $6 billion in sales and $820 million in profit.Netflix said on Tuesday that it expected the current quarter, which ends in June, to slow down a bit. The company has forecast 7.5 million new subscribers and about $6 billion in sales and $820 million in profit.
As production companies have remained idle, a widening gap has opened up in the industry’s content lineup. Netflix has also put productions on hold, but it is continuing to pay staff out of a $150 million fund it created to shore up the Hollywood economy.As production companies have remained idle, a widening gap has opened up in the industry’s content lineup. Netflix has also put productions on hold, but it is continuing to pay staff out of a $150 million fund it created to shore up the Hollywood economy.
Ted Sarandos, the head of Netflix’s content division, said the company was still well positioned for the year. “Our 2020 slate is largely shot,” he said, later adding, “and we’re pretty deep into our 2021 slate.”Ted Sarandos, the head of Netflix’s content division, said the company was still well positioned for the year. “Our 2020 slate is largely shot,” he said, later adding, “and we’re pretty deep into our 2021 slate.”
The slowdown is a short-term blessing. Netflix normally burns through a ton of cash to fund its content. Because the company pays for all of its productions up front — before they are available to be watched — it does not account for those costs until later, sometimes a year or more after it has spent the money.The slowdown is a short-term blessing. Netflix normally burns through a ton of cash to fund its content. Because the company pays for all of its productions up front — before they are available to be watched — it does not account for those costs until later, sometimes a year or more after it has spent the money.
That allows Netflix to claim a profit despite spending more than comes in. The accounting practice is commonplace and is employed by every media company; Netflix just does it on a much bigger scale.That allows Netflix to claim a profit despite spending more than comes in. The accounting practice is commonplace and is employed by every media company; Netflix just does it on a much bigger scale.
Netflix saw a temporary bright spot here. The company had positive cash flow of about $162 million during the first quarter, though Netflix said it was not related to the slowdown. On a yearly basis, the company burns through as much as $3 billion in cash, but it anticipates that figure could fall to $1 billion this year.Netflix saw a temporary bright spot here. The company had positive cash flow of about $162 million during the first quarter, though Netflix said it was not related to the slowdown. On a yearly basis, the company burns through as much as $3 billion in cash, but it anticipates that figure could fall to $1 billion this year.
Revenue for the quarter reached $5.7 billion and profit was $709 million, which was below estimates.Revenue for the quarter reached $5.7 billion and profit was $709 million, which was below estimates.