Netflix spent $135 billion on films, TV shows in past 10 years

FILE PHOTO: A drone view shows the Netflix logo on one of their buildings in the Hollywood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, December 8, 2025 | Photo Credit: Reuters

Netflix Inc. said it spent $135 billion over the past decade making films and TV shows in more than 50 countries.

The productions employed over 425,000 people, hundreds of thousands of extras and day laborers, as well as hundreds of vendors, everything from caterers to historical advisers. The stats were part of a new website called the Netflix Effect that the company is using to demonstrate how it boosts local economies.

The streaming TV pioneer has been on a bit of a charm offensive lately after receiving criticism from the Hollywood community over its attempt to buy Warner Bros. Discovery Inc. Netflix dropped out of the bidding in February and Warner Bros. is now being acquired by Paramount Skydance Corp.

Earlier this month, Netflix announced that it would give the new film Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew its longest ever run exclusively in theaters, nearly two months. The company has historically released films for limited periods in only a small number of theaters to qualify for awards. 

The company’s programming helps local economies in ways beyond direct employment. South Korea saw a 25% spike in airline bookings, according to Netflix, and the language tutorial service Duolingo posted 22% growth in Korean studies after last year’s premiere of the film KPop Demon Hunters. 

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Published on May 12, 2026