Hastings, who is stepping down from Netflix's board, had some controversial ideas about leadership — but they helped make Netflix into a giant.

Netflix shares plummeted more than nine percent Thursday as the TV streaming titan's quarterly earnings failed to impress investors and co-founder Reed Hastings announced he is leaving.

Netflix beat expectations for Q1 revenue and reported a big jump in earnings per share thanks in part to a termination fee related to its proposed WBD deal.

After co-founding Netflix in 1997, Hastings served as CEO from 1999 to 2023, when he stepped down and took on the role of chairman. “My real contribution at Netflix wasn’t a s

Netflix reported its first-quarter 2026 earnings Thursday, revealing that during the January-March period it strongly beat analyst expectations in revenue and earnings. The results come on the heels of Netflix’s back-and-forth battle with Paramount Skydance for Warner Bros.

The announcement came as Netflix reported first-quarter profits that shattered expectations, which it attributed in large part to faster-than-forecast subscriber growth, a recent price increase and the $2.

Netflix reported its first-quarter 2026 earnings Thursday, revealing that during the January-March period it smashed analyst expectations in both revenue and earnings. Revenue reached $12.25 billion,

Analysts are looking for how much content Netflix’s subscribers are actually watching — but a recent price hike and the streamer’s growing ad business are expected to help profitability.