Netflix content availability 2016, by country
Content available on Netflix – additional information
In order to maintain its competitive edge in the streaming market, Netflix heavily relies on its content, offering a large base of videos for its subscribers. Over the last years, the company has significantly increased its investment in content, as Netflix’s streaming content obligations jumped from 1.3 billion U.S. dollars in 2010 to 10.9 billion U.S. dollars in 2015. Content obligations of less than one year and of one to three years account for the majority of this total. The streaming costs of acquired programming have also increased drastically since 2012, and are forecast to rise to 3.9 billion U.S. dollars in 2017.
The number of videos available on Netflix depends on the country the service is being provided. It can vary from 5,680 – number of videos available on Netflix for American subscribers as of January 2016 – to 643 videos - number of videos available for United Arab Emirates’ subscribers. This figure includes both series and movies. The United States has the largest base of content available on Netflix, followed by Brazil and Mexico.
In terms of costs, there are two types of content on Netflix: original series and acquired content. The cost of Netflix’s original series is rather low in comparison to the acquisition costs. For instance, nearly 90 million U.S. dollars were spent on original series in 2013, while expenditure of acquired programming in the same year added up to 2.3 billion U.S. dollars. Netflix's investment in original series has paid off, helping the company secure its place in this industry among television giants such as HBO and NBC. From 2013 to 2015, Netflix received a total of 78 Emmy Awards nominations for its original programs, winning 12 of them. Some of Netflix Emmy Award winners include the series ‘House Of Cards’ and ‘Orange Is The New Black’, and the documentary 'The Square'.