Yesterday, Netflix kicked off another earnings season. Here are a few of the highlights from what the streaming giant reported:

• Netflix’s revenue grew 12,5% year-over-year in the fourth quarter, up to USD 8.83 billion, which was higher than analysts’ excpections.
• The company added 13.1 million subscribers in Q4, resulting in a 13% YOY growth. Netflix now has 260.8 million global paying subscribers.
• The streamer projects earnings per share to reach USD 4.49 for the fiscal first quarter of 2024, higher than the USD 4.10 Wall Street had expected.
• Shares of Netflix surged more than 6% in after-hours following the result, trading at about USD 525, which is the highest level since early 2022.

In the Nordics, Netflix is the market leader with a household penetration exceeding 35 percent by the fall of 2023. This is presented in Mediavision’s latest Nordic TV & Streaming analysis

The next couple of weeks are packed with earnings reports from the media industry. Stay tuned!

The Swedish telecom company is reportedly having talks with several interested parties, including Schibsted, Egmont as well as Bonniers, which Telia bought TV4 from in 2019. Several Venture capital companies and non-Nordic media actors are also mentioned as potential buyers. The price that is now discussed is said to be below SEK 5 billion, potentially as low as 3-4 billion, as reported by Affärsvärlden. This is less than half of the 10 million Telia paid for TV4 for in 2019.

Neither Telia nor any of the mentioned potential buyers have commented the matter. Telia presents its Q4 and full year earnings on Friday; perhaps information regarding a possible sale will be presented then.

In the beginning of last year, Third Ear Studio acquired the podcast distribution platform Podspace. Now, the companies are going their separate ways as Podspace leaves the group and becomes an independent company.

Both companies are said to be satisfied with the collaboration, but that each business area needs to be refined for future investments. Azra Osmancevic, which most recently comes from Viaplay, will be the new CEO of Third Ear. Carl Fridsjö, former CEO and co-founder of Third Ear, will become the new CEO of Podspace.

– Our ambition is to eventually become an international company and cooperate with the biggest publishers. In many ways, this will be a fresh start for Podspace. We have big plans, and will recruit new talent for both the board and management during the year, Carl Fridsjö comments.

Third Ear Studio produces, among other things, the Swedish podcast A dark story and Danish The woman with the heavy suitcase. Podspace offers distribution of content and has clients such as Bonnier News, Mediehuset Kvartal and Perfect Day Media.

Marie Nilsson: ”Mycket tycks peka åt rätt håll 2024” – Dagens Media

Var fjärde svensk strömmar olaglig tv – SVT

Kan bli det store gjennombruddet for denne typen TV-abonnement – Kampanje

Nordisk tv- og streamingmarked nærmer sig milepæl for omsætning – Mediawatch

Report: Nordic video market approaching €10bn in revenue – Advanced Television

Streaming subs in Nordics approach 20 million – C21 Media

Mediavision: Digitala ljudtjänster tar andelar på ljudmarknaden – Radionytt

Return of media piracy fuelling other crimes, expert says – Yle

Krisen i tv-branschen fortsätter – nu ökar piratkopieringen – Aftonbladet