REED HASTINGS

Netflix's second-quarter results may serve as a flag-in-the-ground moment for the company, for better or worse.

Netflix has picked Microsoft help deliver the commercials in a cheaper version of its video streaming service expected to launch later this year with a pledge to minimize the intrusions into personal privacy that often accompany digital ads.

Ukraine’s military intelligence agency says Russia has so far turned over the bodies of 210 Ukrainian fighters killed in the battle for Mariupol.

Netflix's fall from grace has ended the first act of the streaming wars. Act two will determine whether the industry can right itself.

An end-of-year target would put the ad-supported tier on a much faster track than Netflix originally indicated.

Instead of legacy media shares soaring as they imitate Netflix, the industry has brought Netflix down to a degree.

Streaming service Netflix is dealing with a sharp drop in subscribers by considering changes to its service that it has long resisted.

Hastings has long been opposed to adding commercials or other promotions to the platform but said Tuesday that it "makes a lot of sense."

Gaming has become an important part of global entertainment, especially with young audiences.

Netflix added a line in its quarterly shareholder letter acknowledging streaming competition is affecting its "marginal growth."

Netflix reports fourth-quarter earnings after the bell on Thursday.

Netflix has been raising prices in previous years and it is part of the company's long-term strategy.

Liberty Media's John Malone recalled attempts to have DirecTV purchase Netflix, when he was chairman of the satellite-television service from 2008 to 2010.

The company is facing backlash from the show, which has been criticized for containing transphobic and homophobic content.

Netflix is eyeing a more traditional theatrical release for some of its future films, according to a report from JPMorgan out of CinemaCon.

Newsom's anti-recall campaign raked in more money in its first five months — $54 million — than the $50.2 million his 2018 campaign raised over four years.

Wall Street has low expectations for Netflix's subscriber growth for the quarter.

Netflix has hired veteran video game executive Mike Verdu, signaling the video streaming service is poised to expand into another fertile field of entertainment.

Netflix is building on early efforts in gaming as it faces fresh competition from video games such as Roblox.

One of the nation's most prestigious historically Black colleges got a major publicity boost recently when it announced two high-profile faculty hires.

Netflix reported earnings for the first quarter of 2021 after the bell on Tuesday.

The streaming wars are about legacy media's chase to compete more directly with Netflix, but the end result may cement Netflix as the center of entertainment.

Netflix is testing a new feature that could prevent non-subscribers from piggybacking off of a friend's or family member's account and effectively stop people from sharing passwords for the streaming service. "This test is designed to help ensure that people using Netflix accounts are authorized to do so," a Netflix spokesperson told CBS MoneyWatch. Netflix CEO Reed Hastings previously touched on password sharing without indicating any plans to take action. "Password sharing is something you have to learn to live with," he said in 2016. "There's so much legitimate password sharing, like you sharing with your spouse, with your kids, so there's no bright line, and we're doing fine as is."

Netflix is testing a new feature that could prevent non-subscribers from piggybacking off of a friend's or family member's account and effectively stop people from sharing passwords for the streaming service. "This test is designed to help ensure that people using Netflix accounts are authorized to do so," a Netflix spokesperson told CBS MoneyWatch. Netflix CEO Reed Hastings previously touched on password sharing without indicating any plans to take action. "Password sharing is something you have to learn to live with," he said in 2016. "There's so much legitimate password sharing, like you sharing with your spouse, with your kids, so there's no bright line, and we're doing fine as is."

Co-founder and director of Netflix Reed Hastings delivers a speech as he inaugurates the new offices of Netflix France, in Paris on January 17, 2020. Netflix has never made a big deal about password-sharing, but a new test suggests the company may be reconsidering. "This test is designed to help ensure that people using Netflix accounts are authorized to do so," Netflix said in a statement. The trial may not lead to a larger crackdown around password sharing. About 33% of all Netflix users share their password with at least one other person, according to research firm Magid.

Bezos is one of the 50 Americans who gave the most to charity in 2020, according to the Chronicle of Philanthropys annual rankings. “There has been change building among private donors.”All told, the 50 biggest donors contributed $24.7 billion in 2020, compared with $15.8 billion in 2019. The $1 billion-plus of giving by each of the top five on the Philanthropy 50 matches last year’s record. No more than three donors gave $1 billion or more in any of the previous years. Colleges and universities received $2.2 billion from Philanthropy 50 donors in 2020.

Netflix's expectation of soon becoming free cash flow positive would bring to life the bull case for the stock. It's raised $15 billion in debt since 2011 and currently has $8.2 billion cash on hand. Free cash flow for Q4 was negative as predicted due to production restarts in some regions, but not as significant as expected. Free cash flow for full year 2020 was +$1.9 billion versus -$3.3 billion in 2019. Netflix executives spoke in depth about competing with Disney, much more so than in previous earnings interviews.

(Photo by Taylor Jewell/Invision/AP, File)NEW YORK – Even before “The Dissident” made its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, director Bryan Fogel had a sense that his explosive Jamal Khashoggi documentary was going to be a tough sell. The film, available on-demand this week, was one of the most anticipated of last January's Sundance. The audience at Sundance included Hillary Clinton, Alec Baldwin and Reed Hastings, the Netflix chief executive. Mohammed denied Saudi Arabia was behind the murder, then eventually granted it was carried out by agents of the Saudi government. “Ultimately, those risk assessments took the place of whether or not their couple hundred million subscribers would like to see this film,” Fogel says.

Tech executives, rich from an 11-year bull market that's disproportionately benefited their industry, were among the top political donors in the 2020 cycle. The vast majority of that money went to getting President Donald Trump out of office and helping Democrats take control of the Senate. The biggest chunk went to the Senate Majority PAC, a group backing Democratic candidates in the closest races, like in Maine, Texas and Iowa. Vinod Khosla donated $1 million each to the Senate Majority PAC and American Bridge 21st Century. Jessica Livingston, co-founder of start-up incubator Y Combinator, donated $5 million to Tech for Campaigns, which provides digital and technical assistance to Democratic groups.

The company fell short of analyst estimates on earnings per share and global paid net subscriber additions, but exceeded expectations on revenue. For the fourth quarter, Netflix forecast 6.0 million paid net adds, still well below the 8.8 million it added in the fourth quarter of 2019. It said it expects to be slightly negative on free cash flow in Q4 as production restarts. It expects free cash flow to be about $2 billion for the full year 2020, up from its previous break-even to positive estimate. For 2021, Netflix said it expects free cash flow to be -$1 billion to break-even.

FILE - In this June 2, 2020, file photo, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti arrives to appeal to Black Lives Matter protesters in downtown Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel,File)LOS ANGELES – After a scrappy debate that Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey believed lifted her campaign and was a “disaster” for her opponent, she got a text message from the LA mayor with unwelcome news: He was switching his endorsement to her challenger. A little more than half is for Gascon, the vast majority from a handful of well-heeled backers supporting justice reforms. Gascon has gained support from protests over the death of George Floyd at the knee of a white Minneapolis police officer. Lacey said Gascon is pandering to supporters and that when he was San Francisco DA he never prosecuted a police killing case.

The backlash to the French independent film “Mignonnes,” or “Cuties,” started before it had even been released because of a poster that went viral for its provocative depiction of its young female actors. At the heart of the backlash is the idea that “Cuties” is dangerously and irresponsibly sexualizing pre-teen girls, which, ironically, is what the movie itself is criticizing too. She becomes fascinated with a clique of rebellious girls at her middle school who choreograph dance routines and wear crop tops and heels. Netflix acquired “Cuties” out of the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year where it was favorably reviewed and won an award for its direction. “Our girls see that the more a woman is overly sexualized on social media, the more she is successful.

NEW YORK Netflix added a flood of new subscribers amid the coronavirus pandemic and also offered clues to a possible successor for founding CEO Reed Hastings, who on Thursday named the company's chief content officer, Ted Sarandos, as co-CEO. This change makes formal what was already informal that Ted and I share the leadership of Netflix, said Hastings in a statement. The company picked up 10.1 million worldwide subscribers during the April-June period, more than triple what it usually adds in that period. The increase announced Thursday with Netflixs second-quarter earnings eclipsed the gain of 8.3 million subscribers projected among analysts polled by FactSet. Netflix ended June with 193 million worldwide subscribers, including 70 million in the U.S. and Canada, its largest geographic market.

Netflix CEO Reed Hastings and his wife, Patty Quillin, are donating $120 million toward student scholarships at historically black colleges and universities. The couple is giving $40 million to each of three institutions: the United Negro College Fund, Spelman College and Morehouse College. The organizations said it is the largest individual gift in support of student scholarships at HBCUs. He launched a $100 million education fund in 2016, beginning with money toward college scholarships for black and Latino students. YouTube, meanwhile, pledged $100 million to help black artists and other creators.

Change from last year: 338%Her pay vs typical company worker: 604 times, up from 165Overall ranking: No. Virginia M. RomettyIBM$19.1 millionChange from last year: 9%Her pay vs typical company worker: 354 times, up from 319Overall ranking: 57___5. David ZaslavDiscovery$45.8 millionChange from last year: -65%His pay vs typical company worker: 578 times, down from 1,511Overall ranking: No. Shantanu NarayenAdobe Inc.$39.1 millionChange from last year: 38%His pay vs typical company worker: 266 times, up from 200Overall ranking: No. Larry J. MerloCVS Health$36.5 millionChange from last year: 66%His pay vs typical company worker: 790 times, up from 618Overall ranking: No.

The 4.1% rise in median pay was a slowdown for S&P 500 CEOs, who had seen their pay jump 7.2% the year before and by even more in earlier years. SAY ON PAYThe slowdown in CEO pay across the S&P 500 is partly due to the increased voice investors have gotten on the subject, shareholder advocates say. The S&P 500 lost as much as a third of its value earlier this year, when worries about the recession were at their peak. Corporate profits, another key measure for CEO pay, are also expected to crater. Across the S&P 500, earnings per share will likely sink 33% this year, strategists at Goldman Sachs say.

Reed Hastings, co-founder and CEO of Netflix attends the inauguration of Netflix new offices in Paris, France, January 17, 2020. The subscription video service also released numbers on how many households watched some of its hit series, and the numbers are jaw-dropping: 85 million households watched a least two minutes of Netflix original movie "Spenser Confidential." 65 million households checked out Spanish language series "La Casa de Papel," also known as "Money Heist." 64 million people watched "Tiger King." Netflix now has more than 183 million global customers after adding more than 15 million in the quarter.

In a letter to shareholders, the company said there are three ways the coronavirus crisis is impacting its business. "First, our membership growth has temporarily accelerated due to home confinement," Netflix said. The company announced it added 15.77 million paid international subscribers, versus the 7.2 million Wall Street expected. A stronger U.S. dollar is impacting international pricingNetflix expects a stronger U.S. dollar, partly due to the pandemic, to have a drag on international revenue growth. That decline in the average subscription price offsets its membership growth, Netflix said.

A scene from "The Mandalorian," an original Star Wars TV series that will stream on Disney+. Netflix CEO Reed Hastings is a big fan of Disney+. Disney announced its flagship subscription video service, Disney+, has gained more than 50 million subscribers in just six months since the service debuted in November. Netflix announced today it had 183 million global customers, up 15 million subscribers in the first quarter. NBCUniversal's Peacock and AT&T's HBO Max, two other subscription video services, will debut throughout the U.S. in the coming months.

Reed Hastings, co-founder and CEO of Netflix attends the inauguration of Netflix new offices in Paris, France, January 17, 2020. Abbott Laboratories Abbott shares climbed more than 4% after the biotechnology company reported quarterly results that surpassed analyst expectations. The company posted an adjusted profit of 65 cents a share on revenue of $7.73 billion. Wall Street expected earnings of 59 cents a share on sales of $7.44 billion. KeyCorp KeyCorp shares dropped more than 6% after the company posted disappointing earnings and revenue for the previous quarter.

Previously, Netflix had a "Kids" profile that limited content to only kid-friendly content. Todd Haselton | CNBCThe easiest way is to get started is go to Netflix in your web browser from a computer. How to block certain movies and TV shows on NetflixRestrict certain movies or TV shows. Todd Haselton | CNBCYou can use this same page to block specific movies and TV shows in Netflix. How to lock a Netflix profile so your kids can't access itSet a profile lock.

Reed Hastings, co-founder and CEO of Netflix, attends a meeting with France's President Emmanuel Macron during the "Choose France" summit, at the Chateau de Versailles, outside Paris, France, January 20, 2020. Netflix CEO Reed Hastings spoke with EU Internal Market and Services Commissioner Thierry Breton by phone to discuss how to keep the internet running smoothly as the coronavirus pandemic forces more daily activities to move online. Breton and Hastings will speak again in the coming days, according to Politico. In the U.S., telecommunications companies and the Federal Communications Commission have taken steps to try to secure internet service and keep consumers from paying high costs during the crisis. Several companies, including the four major telecom services, AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile and Sprint, took the FCC's "Keep Americans Connected Pledge."

Chief executives of companies in the S&P 500 combined to spend at least $2 million on political causes in the fourth quarter of 2019, helping both Democrats and Republicans, according to a CNBC analysis of data provided by the Center for Responsive Politics. The two biggest contributors, Berkshire Hathaway's Warren Buffett and Netflix's Reed Hastings, gave to groups looking to elect Democrats in Congress this year. Buffett contributed just more than $245,000 to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. The DCCC is focusing on protecting the Democrats' majority in the House of Representatives. Hastings wrote a $500,000 check to the Senate Majority PAC, a super PAC dedicated to assisting Democrats in their Senate races.

Netflix CEO Reed Hastings split the company in two in 2011, thinking that the growing ubiquity of high-speed Internet access would soon mean the end of their disruptive DVD mailing business. But neglecting the DVD business proved to be a mistake, and Netflix reversed course. You can now stop Netflix from automatically playing previews of shows as you're browsing to find something to watch. Netflix said on Twitter that, while some people found it helpful, others didn't like it. "We've heard the feedback loud and clear members can now control whether or not they see autoplay previews on Netflix."

Netflix stock climbed 7.24% Thursday, its best trading day of the year. The stock climbed as much as 2.3% in after-hours trading following Tuesday's earnings report, then fell about 2% on Wednesday. Tuesday's earnings report was Netflix's first since streaming competition has picked up. Disney and Apple both launched their own streaming sites, Disney+ and Apple TV+, in November. "The company did not see a specific, significant impact on kids or family viewing levels following the domestic launch of Disney+ in November."

Netflix was the first of the so-called FANG stocks to report its fourth-quarter earnings. The company grew US membership by 550,000 in the fourth quarter, versus 589,000 expected, per FactSet estimates. Johnson & Johnson also reportsJohnson & Johnson is set to report quarterly results on Wednesday before the bell. Johnson & Johnson has a good track record of beating Wall Street earnings estimates. Shares of Johnson & Johnson have had a rocky year as the company dealt with the opioid and talc powder litigation.

But neglecting the DVD business proved to be a mistake, and Netflix reversed course. Shares of Netflix fluctuated in after-hours trading on Tuesday after the company reported fourth-quarter results. The company beat on the top and bottom lines for the quarter, but gave disappointing guidance for the first quarter. That's compared to analyst expectations for earnings of $1.20 per share and $5.76 billion in revenue. Despite this, Netflix said it still hopes to "move slowly" toward being free cash flow positive in the future.

Uber (UBER), Lyft (LYFT) Uber and Lyft won a New York City court victory when a judge struck down a new rule that limits the time ride-hailing service drivers can cruise the streets of Manhattan without passengers. Spirit Airlines (SAVE) Spirit placed an order for 100 Airbus A320neo jets to be delivered through 2027, with options for 50 more. Netflix (NFLX) Netflix CEO Reed Hastings is in line for $34 million in stock options for 2020 on top of his $650,000 annual salary, according to a Securities and Exchange Commission filing. Tesla (TSLA) Tesla shares remain on watch after the automaker's shares hit an all-time high Monday. Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) RBC Capital raised its price target on the chip maker's stock to $53 per share from $50, after raising full-year estimates.

Energy: NextEra Energy (NEE)The shift to clean energy is no longer about if, it's when. "We expect the drive towards cleaner energy to continue, as cleaner power generation isincreasingly competitive versus traditional fossil-fuel-based technologies," Credit Suisse said in a January note. We expect this segment to grow at least 15% for the next decade or longer," Credit Suisse said. "Over the next few years, the number of global connected devices is expected to grow exponentially, according to our technology analysts," Credit Suisse said. Today's shift is crucial, according to Bank of America, which says the current outlook is bleak, to say the least.

The semiconductor sector was the best-performing industry of the decade thanks to the rise in cloud infrastructure and data centers. CNBC used FactSet to screen for the best-performing stocks in the S&P 500 in the past decade. Angel Navarrete | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesChip stocks outperformSemiconductor stocks are the best-performing industry of the decade, so it may not come as a surprise that Broadcom and Nvidia made the best-performing stocks list gaining 1,982% and 1,411% since 2010, respectively. A decade of pizzaDomino's Pizza is one of the greatest turnaround stories of the decade, and the stock price is proof. The largest U.S. pizza delivery chain has gone from a stock price below $10 a share in 2010, to around $286 per share stock today.

Netflix CEO Reed Hastings split the company in two in 2011, thinking that the growing ubiquity of high-speed Internet access would soon mean the end of their disruptive DVD mailing business. But neglecting the DVD business proved to be a mistake, and Netflix reversed course. Wells Fargo downgraded Netflix on Monday and said the cost for the streaming service to acquire new subscribers will be "more expensive than investors realize." The firm lowered its rating on the stock to underperform from market perform and moved its price target down to $265 from $308. Wells Fargo said it also expects spending levels to remain elevated due to increased streaming competition from other services such as Apple, HBO, and Disney's recent launch of Disney+.

But CEO Reed Hastings said Wednesday that subscriber counts aren't the right metric to track who's winning the streaming wars -- what's really important is how viewers spend their time. "You'll hear some subscriber numbers but you can just bundle things so that's not going to be that relevant. But Hastings is right to point out that many of the major U.S. streaming services have already found distribution partnerships that will juice subscriber numbers in year one. Netflix itself has a deal with T-Mobile that gives mobile customers unlimited free Netflix. ', we want you to choose Netflix," Hastings said.

Netflix co-founder and CEO Reed Hastings will speak live Wednesday at the New York Times Dealbook Conference in New York City. He will likely discuss how Netflix plans to maneuver the so-called Streaming Wars, as traditional media titans Comcast, AT&T and Disney all prepare to launch their own streaming services to compete with preexisting streamers like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. He has in the past applauded the increased competition as helping Netflix by weening users off of cable TV altogether, and getting them accustomed to streaming as a primary means of consumption.

The company reported mixed results for the third quarter, with an earnings beat and a miss on domestic subscriber adds, despite international subscriber adds returning to growth. Netflix also said it expects to add fewer subscribers in the fourth quarter than it added one year ago. While some analysts cheered Netflix's optimism around the intensifying streaming wars, others were not as bullish, citing concerns around price elasticity, subscriber churn and a weaker content slate. Netflix charges $12.99 for its popular HD streaming plan, while new services from Apple and Disney are expected to be much cheaper. SEE ALSO: Netflix just admitted two things we already knew about the streaming wars

Wall Street analysts are breathing a sigh of relief after Netflix earnings beat the street on Wednesday after the bell. In fact, expectations remain high for Netflix going forward and rightly so according to analysts. Domestic subscriptions came in below estimates and competition looms from Disney and Apple though the company largely said it welcomed it. Shares of the company are up over 6% in early trading. Here's what else analysts are saying about Netflix's earnings report:

Disney probably isn't going to kill Netflix by stealing subscribers. While tempting to ask "will consumers rather have Disney's bundle or Netflix?," that probably isn't the right question. Video streaming isn't going to be a zero-sum game. But Disney's pricing could undercut a core part of the Netflix narrative that Netflix can turn customer growth into earnings growth by raising prices once subscribers plateau. But with Disney, Netflix will now face a direct streaming competitor at a competitive price.

Reed Hastings attends Reed Hastings panel during Netflix 'See What's Next' event at Villa Miani on April 18, 2018 in Rome, Italy. Earnings season is underway and there's no shortage of story lines when Netflix reports its second quarter earnings after the bell on Wednesday. Wall Street analysts say they'll be squarely focused on key metrics like cash, content, and comments on upcoming competition from Disney and HBO Max. "Wall of worry" refers to when a company runs into a stumbling block in the market causing temporary uncertainty. Here's what major analysts are saying about Netflix's upcoming earnings report:

Shares of Netflix were down 10% in extended trading Wednesday after the company released its earnings report for the second quarter. $4.92 billion vs. $4.93 billion expected, per Refinitiv (Up 26% year over year.) Domestic paid subscriber additions: A loss of 126,000 vs. a gain of 352,000, forecast by FactSetA loss of 126,000 vs. a gain of 352,000, forecast by FactSet International paid subscriber additions: 2.83 million vs. 4.81 million, forecast by FactSet2.83 million vs. 4.81 million, forecast by FactSet Global streaming paid memberships: 151.56 million, up 21.9% year over year. Netflix forecast 7 million global paid net adds for the next quarter and provided revenue guidance of $5.25 billion. Netflix previously spent $80 million to keep "Friends" just through the end of this year, according to Vulture.

Netflix CEO Reed Hastings doesn't seem too worried about the influx of competitors into the streaming industry. A phenomenon that has been dubbed "the streaming wars" is a hot topic in the entertainment world. As Disney, NBC and WarnerMedia, among others, gear up to launch their own standalone streaming services, analysts have questioned if Netflix will take a hit. Hastings said Wednesday these streaming wars are a good thing. "The advantage of having something be catchy like 'the streaming wars' is that it draws more attention, and because of that, consumers shift more quickly from linear TV to streaming TV," Hastings said during the company's earnings call Wednesday.

Something strange is happening in the world of technology and media: Netflix is becoming the incumbent, and the upstart challengers are companies that have been around for nearly a century. But there's little doubt that part of the motivation of legacy media companies embracing subscription streaming services is to capture some of Netflix's valuation or bring CEO Reed Hastings' behemoth back down to earth. The WarnerMedia streaming service will have exclusive rights to the hit sitcom. But losing both "Friends" and "The Office" is significant to the potential health of the streaming service moving forward. Legacy media companies have rued this dichotomy, frustrated that investors value old media differently from Netflix, which has grown from a start-up to a company with a $175 billion enterprise value.

Netflix could face a substantial hit to its subscriber numbers if it brings advertising to its streaming service, a new report finds. Twenty-three percent of respondents to a recent Hub Entertainment Research survey said they would definitely or probably drop their Netflix subscription if it began running ads at its current price point or a dollar cheaper, according to Streaming Media. That percentage would represent a loss of nearly 14 million subscribers from Netflix's 60 million paid subscribers in the U.S.Respondents were more forgiving of the ads if Netflix dropped prices. The Hub study comes as advertising insiders speculate Netflix will make advertising a core part of its business someday. Netflix does not run ads, but sometimes products appear within popular shows.