Netflix Q1 revenues marginally ahead of expectations, co-founder to retire

(Sharecast News) - Streaming giant Netflix posted first‑quarter revenues that came in just ahead of expectations on Friday as it also announced a major governance change, with co-founder and former CEO Reed Hastings set to step down from the board. Netflix said revenues had risen 16% year‑on‑year to $12.25bn in Q1, ahead of the $12.18bn expected by analysts, while net income jumped to $5.28bn, nearly double the $2.89bn reported a year earlier, helped by stronger‑than‑expected operating income and a $2.8bn termination fee from its collapsed Warner Bros Discovery deal.

The Los Gatos-based company expects second‑quarter revenues to grow 13% and reiterated that content spending would be weighted toward the first half due to the timing of title launches. Full‑year revenue guidance was unchanged at $50.7bn to $51.7bn.

CFO Spencer Neumann warned that some costs originally planned for 2027 would now fall into 2026 following the scrapped WBD transaction, though total M&A‑related expenses remained broadly in line with earlier projections.

Netflix also stated Reed Hastings would step down from the board in June when his term expires.

As of 0940 BST, Netflix shares had slumped 9.6% in pre-market trading to $97.44 each.



Reporting by Iain Gilbert at Sharecast.com