Netflix To Report Q2 Earnings, Projects Losing Two Million Subscriptions

Netflix is expected to report its second-quarter earnings on Tuesday after the morning bell on Wall Street.

The 25-year-old streaming service projected last spring that two million users would cancel their membership by the second quarter after taking a massive hit of losing 200,000 subscribers at the beginning of this year.

“Our revenue growth has slowed considerably, as our results and forecast below show,” the report said. “However, our relatively high household penetration — when including the large number of households sharing accounts — combined with competition is creating revenue growth headwinds.”

Andrew Hare, a senior vice president of research at Magid, told CNN Business, “all bets are off” once Netflix becomes undervalued by the market.

“There will be hell to pay if they report a number that is significantly higher than the 2 million loss being thrown around,” Andrew Hare, a senior vice president of research at Magid, told CNN Business.

Yahoo reports the company forecasts its second-quarter earnings to be at $3 per share, which indicates a year-over-year decline of 20 percent.

Aside from attributing the loss to competing with other streaming services and massive account sharing, the company said the looming global recession, skyrocketing inflation, and the war in Ukraine also play a significant factor.

Benjamin Swinburne, head of U.S. media research at Morgan Stanley, told The Hollywood Reporter a recession and the ever-increasing inflation could hit Netflix harder than expected.

“Streaming video revenues may prove more vulnerable than expected to a global recession and lower consumer spending levels,” Swinburne said. “While Netflix’s leading engagement should help it retain customers, its relative price premium is likely an offset as consumers look to trim their streaming bill.”

Still, 221.6 million subscribers worldwide currently have the option to log in and scroll for hours before potentially finding something to watch.

But other factors indicate the company is going through something.

So far this year, the company has laid off over 450 employees, dozens of part-time and contract workers, and lost roughly 70 percent of its stock.

CNN Business reports what happens with Netflix’s Q2 report could reshape the company’s future and the entire streaming industry.

Hare, the senior vice president of Magid who spoke to CNN Business, said investors would give the company time to “right the ship” but would need to hear how it plans to grow back the numbers immediately.

“It’s all about communicating how they are evolving the business to ensure they continue to win in streaming,” he said. “No one has the stomach for a business losing millions of subscribers every quarter.”

Netflix CEO Reed Hastings on Wednesday announced a new partnership with Microsoft to implement an ad-supported subscription plan.

The company has also begun implementing new ways to curb account sharing and launched an “add extra member” feature in Central and South American countries.

“It’s great that our members love Netflix movies and TV shows so much they want to share them more broadly,” a spokesperson said. “But today’s widespread account sharing between households undermines our long-term ability to invest in and improve our service.”