On-demand streaming site ended 2013 with net profits of $112m despite rise in cost of international rights and commissioningNetflix is committed to spending almost $3bn on TV and film content in 2014 and more than $6bn over the next three years, as the cost of securing international rights and commissioning new shows continues to mount on the streaming giant's balance sheet.The US company also announced this week that it is to raise $400m to help fund this investment in original programming and a major European expansion later this year.Its annual report, published this week, shows that at the end of 2013, Netflix had run up $7.3bn in "streaming content obligations", which are incurred when the company signs a licence agreement for programming, up 30% from the $5.6bn owed at the end of 2012.The company said it has to pay $2.97bn of that by the end of 2014, with a total of $6.2bn due within three years.Netflix made $4.3bn in total revenues last year, a healthy 19% year-on-year rise, growth which has made it a darling of US stock market investors, with its share price surging from $92 to $367 across 2013.However, total "cost of revenues", of which licensing costs are the major factor, also rose 17% from $2.6bn to $3.1bn.With another $500m ploughed into marketing, $378m into technology development and $180m in "general and administrative expenses", the US company ended the year with net profits of $112m.The US movie and TV streaming giant, which is expected to expand into... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'
[ The Guardian | 2014-02-05 00:00:00 UTC ]