Pre-reading questions:
- What do you usually do on the Internet?
- What are the kinds of movies that you like to watch?
Vocabulary:
- attain [uh-TEYN]
- surpass [ser-PAS]
- exceed [ik-SEED]
- fuel [FYOO-uh-l]
- strategy [STRAT-i-jee]
(verb) – to achieve something after a lot of work
The goal of ancient philosophers was to attain wisdom.
(verb) – to be greater than
Through hard work, I was able to surpass my previous high scores.
(verb) – to go beyond in amount
The young director’s new movie exceeded the audience’s expectations.
(verb) – to increase something
Poverty in the country is fueled by the recent tax reform.
(noun) – a plan that you use to achieve something
Winning a chess game requires good strategy.
Netflix managed to beat its targeted and expected growth this quarter. With a total of 8.3 million users, the streaming giant attained its “highest quarter in [its] history.” The company also surpassed Wall Street expectations with $3.28 billion in revenue. Netflix’s international customer growth reached 6.36 million, exceeding Wall Street’s estimated 5.05 million.
This significant growth is despite Netflix’s decision to increase prices. The company’s original content such as Stranger Things, 13 Reasons Why, and Daredevil fueled its growth. Strong marketing strategies and the spread of movie streaming also contributed to their success. Netflix plans to reach further by upping its marketing spending from $1.3 billion to around $2 billion.
Comprehension Questions:
- What is the total number of Netflix users this quarter?
- How much did Netflix gain in revenue this quarter?
- What is Netflix’s expected user growth according to Wall Street?
- What is Netflix planning to do in the future?
- What are the factors that fueled Netflix’s success?
Discussion Questions:
- Is watching movies online better than going to the movie theater? Please explain your answer.
- How did the Internet change everyday life in your country?
- Do you think it’s worth it to invest in companies like Netflix? Cite your reasons.
- In choosing a movie to watch, is content more important to you than popularity? Why?
- What are the factors that contribute to a business’ success?