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Netflix's Content Strength Drives Engagement: What's the Path Forward?

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Key Takeaways

  • Squid Game Season 3 drew about 122M views, boosting Netflix's subscriber appeal.
  • New hits and a strong 2025 lineup support Netflix's growth and engagement strategy.
  • Ad tier gains and FX tailwinds helped lift Netflix's 2025 revenue forecast to $44.8-$45.2B.

Netflix’s (NFLX - Free Report) content strength continues to fuel robust viewer engagement, a trend that is central to its growth strategy. In the second quarter of 2025, Squid Game Season 3 alone drew in approximately 122 million views, reinforcing the company’s reputation for producing high-impact content that attracts and retains subscribers. Hits like Sirens, Ginny & Georgia Season 3, The Eternaut, and films such as STRAW and Exterritorial also boosted total watch hours, underscoring Netflix’s consistent content pull.

Looking ahead, Netflix’s pipeline for the rest of 2025 and beyond is designed to sustain this momentum. August brings Wednesday Season 2 with fresh twists, while reality hits like Love Is Blind, Selling Sunset and Squid Game: The Challenge will keep unscripted engagement into the fourth quarter. High-profile originals include Billionaires’ Bunker from Money Heist creator Álex Pina, thriller Black Rabbit starring Jason Bateman and Jude Law, House of Guinness from Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight, and Mexican drama Las Muertas. Upcoming films span genres and star power, from French Lover with Lupin’s Omar Sy to Kathryn Bigelow’s A House of Dynamite and Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein.

This robust lineup is bolstered by Netflix’s “local for local” strategy, which pairs global reach with regional storytelling, supported by major investments like its €1 billion commitment to Spanish programming through 2028.

Netflix’s growing ad-supported tier, a high-margin, engagement-driven revenue source, along with favorable foreign exchange gains, has boosted international sales and fueled investor optimism. Reflecting this confidence, the company lifted its 2025 revenue forecast to $44.8-$45.2 billion.

Amazon & Disney: Streaming Giants Challenging Netflix

Amazon (AMZN - Free Report) leverages its vast ecosystem to add value to Prime Video with benefits like super-fast delivery. Amazon’s push into original and international content fueled a 10% year-over-year rise in subscription sales to $11.5 billion in the first quarter of 2025. Strengthened by its delivery network and streaming scale, Amazon is also expanding its ad business, securing $1.8 billion in commitments and targeting $3.5-$4 billion in revenues by 2025.

As a core part of Disney (DIS - Free Report) , Disney+ benefits from its growing global reach and strong content portfolio, driving robust user growth. Bundling Disney+ with Hulu and Max keeps customers engaged while offering cost savings. Disney is focusing on stable, profitable growth rather than aggressive expansion. However, higher spending on new content will increase programming and production costs, which could put pressure on near-term earnings for the entertainment division.

NFLX’s Price Performance, Valuation & Estimates

Shares of Netflix have gained 36.8% year to date compared with the Zacks Broadcast Radio and Television industry’s return of 25.9%.

NFLX’s YTD Price Performance

Zacks Investment Research
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Netflix trades at a premium with a forward 12-month P/S ratio of 10.66 compared to the broader Zacks Broadcast Radio and Television industry's forward earnings multiple of 5.03. NFLX carries a Value Score of F.

NFLX’s Valuation

Zacks Investment Research
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The Zacks Consensus Estimate for NFLX’s 2025 revenues is pegged at $45.03 billion, indicating 15.47% year-over-year growth. The consensus mark for earnings is pegged at $26.06 per share, up 2.8% over the past 30 days. This indicates a 31.42% increase from the previous year.

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NFLX stock currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.


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