Netflix has got Wall Street jumping for joy.

The on-demand TV and movie company just announced that it turned over $8.29 billion (£6.7 billion) from streaming in 2016 – up 35.2% on the $6.13 billion (£5 billion) posted in 2015.

Perhaps more impressively, its streaming-related cost of revenue weighed in at $5.77 billion (£4.7 billion)– up 35.1% on the prior year.

As you may be able to guess from the very slight difference between those two percentages, the firm’s operating and net profit both rose – the former up 24% to $379.8 million (£309 million), and the latter up 52% to $186.7 million (£152 million).

(These figures include both Netflix’s streaming business and its legacy DVD rental operation. Factoring this in, the company turned over $8.83 billion in total last year.)

So what’s all this got to do with Spotify?

Netflix has long been used by analysts as an approximate (if imperfect) barometer for how Daniel Ek’s company could re-shape its model.

Right now, that comparison seems more important than ever.

The US investment community is weighing up whether Spotify has the chops for a successful IPO in the second half of 2017 – and seems fixated on the likelihood of profitability.

Recent Bloomberg estimates suggest that, in order to reach this promised land, Spotify will need to increase its paid subscriber base to 60 million (more on that in a second), in addition to lifting its gross profit margin (the difference between revenues and cost of revenues) to 30%.

Netflix’s numbers shine some stark light on the distance Spotify has to travel in order to reach this goal.

As you can work out from the above numbers, Netflix’s gross margin in 2015 – across its entire business – stood at 32.3%. In 2016, that figure remained solid at 31.7%.

Crucially, it did so despite a hefty content cost bill of $5 billion– a figure which, says Netflix, will top $ 6 billion in 2017.

How can it be so bullish?

Because, unlike Spotify, this ‘content acquisition’ money isn’t only spent on licensing content, but also developing and acquiring Netflix’s own IP. Investors like it – because it’s creating assets which will continue to deliver ‘catalogue’ revenue long into the future.

We only have Spotify’s 2015 annual figures to compare to Netflix’s figures, but they’re a long way off being this comfortable.

Spotify posted $2.16 billion (£1.8 billion) in revenues in 2015 – but suffered from a $ 1.801 billion (£1.5 million) cost of revenue.

This resulted in a 16.6% gross profit margin at the company. That’s not far off half of that enjoyed by Netflix over the past two years.

As mentioned, Bloomberg’s estimates suggested that Spotify needs a paid subscriber base of above 60m to reach profitability under its current model.

The latest industry whispers suggest the Stockholm-born music firm currently has somewhere between 44 million and 45 million subs, with over 120 million total users worldwide.

It is hoped Spotify will secure 50 million subscribers before the end of Q1.

At its current pace, it should therefore be in the vicinity of 60 million by September 2017 – funnily enough, around the time its IPO attempt is expected to kick off.

(Spotify officially added 10m paying subscribers in the six months between March and September last year.)

Despite having no free tier, Netflix – which operates with an Apple Music-style month’s free trial for new users – kept pace with Spotify’s subscriber growth last year, adding 18.3 million paying users.

Spotify also added somewhere in the region of 18 million subscribers in 2016, according to recent estimates that it reached 43 million by the close of the year.

Netflix particularly soared in Q4, adding over 7 million net subscribers in three months – and did so without a Spotify-style deep-cut price promotion.

Netflix’s total paid subscriber figure by the end of 2016 ended up bigger than expected at 89.09 million, but remained behind the music business’s 100 million + total year-end streaming subscriber base.

All of this will be food for thought for Daniel Ek, whose business remains without any significant original content strategy like Netflix.

Spotify is also handcuffed to a strategy of licensing all music ever made (“where permitted”, whispers Taylor Swift from the sidelines).

By contrast, Netflix, with a limited catalogue at any one time, can be more selective and match its licensing approach to its budget.

This headache is precisely why Spotify is currently fighting to bring down its label-side revenue share from 55% to 52% (or lower).

In addition, Netflix’s quality-based sliding pricing structure – from $7.99 (£6.50) ;per month (basic) through $9.99(£8, standard) and $11.99 (£9.80, premium) – is obviously more nuanced than Spotify’s free-or-not free approach.

Spotify’s ace in the hole, its advertising-funded free tier, simply wasn’t at the races in 2015, contributing just 10.1% of total revenues.

If Daniel Ek is going to prove Spotify’s worth to the investment community ahead of its crucial IPO, something – very possibly something influenced by Netflix’s stellar 2016 – is clearly going to have to change.

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The chief executive of Italy's Mediaset said the door was still open to a deal with Vivendi, the French media group that has antagonised the Berlusconi family by building a stake in the Italian broadcaster to rival its own.

Mediaset and Vivendi have been at loggerheads since July, when the French giant ditched an agreement to take full control of Mediaset's Premium pay-TV unit, leading the companies to trade threats of legal action.

Discussions of a deal were opened in the summer to create a pan-European competitor to streaming giant Netflix.

Since then, Vivendi Chairman Vincent Bollore has further angered Italy and the Berlusconis by swiftly building a 28.8 percent stake in Mediaset, becoming its second biggest shareholder after the family of the former prime minister and raising speculation, denied by Vivendi, that it may be plotting a hostile takeover.

In an ambitious plan aimed at boosting the group's operating profits by 2020, Mediaset said on Wednesday it was looking to turn Premium around and make it less costly and less dependent on soccer.

The new strategy scales down the pay-TV unit's operations, making them more sustainable, a concern raised by Vivendi when it backtracked on the Premium deal saying its industrial plan for the pay-TV business was unrealistic.

"Mediaset is open to any proposal that creates value and makes industrial sense," chief executive Pier Silvio Berlusconi told several Italian newspapers on Thursday, without elaborating.

But the CEO, son of former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, said Vivendi had not yet made any proposal "in this direction" and that the last contact with the French group in December had been a "courtesy meeting" with Chief Executive Arnaud de Puyfontaine.

It was not immediately clear whether the new Premium strategy would make an accord with Vivendi more likely.

The struggle between Vivendi and Mediaset highlights the pressure to consolidate among European media and telecoms groups, which face increasing competition from online providers such as Netflix and Amazon.

Italian media reported this week that a possible solution to the spat could see the Berlusconi family swap its stake in the broadcaster for a holding in phone incumbent Telecom Italia, in which Vivendi is a top shareholder with a 24.9 percent share.

A sale of Vivendi’s stake in Telecom Italia could ease the ongoing regulatory concerns about the French media group’s existing stake in Mediaset. Italian anti-trust regulations prevent a company from having large shares in both media companies and telecoms companies at the same time.

But Pier Silvio Berlusconi said his family, which controls Mediaset with a 38.3 percent stake, would not be interested in becoming a Telecom Italia shareholder.

Bloomberg reported that a potential buyer for Telecom Italia could be French telecoms company Orange, but the carrier denied it. Orange was reported by the Wall Street Journal to be considering a stake in Vivendi’s TV station Canal Plus.

De Puyfontaine said earlier this month that, despite difficulties finding common ground with Mediaset, the group had never given up on its plans to build a big southern European media and telecoms group.

However, Berlusconi told La Stampa newspaper that "after all that has happened, there is a bit of scepticism" about reaching an agreement with Vivendi.

A source close to the matter told Reuters on Thursday it was up to Vivendi to make a proposal and that Mediaset could only wait and see.

The source added that the original April deal for Premium would be the best solution but doubted "the French will be willing to backtrack."

Vivendi declined to comment.

Broker Jefferies said it believed the Premium deal would be revived. "We assume Vivendi will be the ultimate owner of the Pay-TV business and continue to consolidate the business, with a deal assumed by mid-year," it said in a report. 

(Reporting by Giulia Segreti, Valentina Za and Claudia Cristoferi in Milan, additional reporting by Gwenaelle Barzic in Paris; Editing by Clarence Fernandez and Adrian Croft)

SEE ALSO: Netflix is set to burn $2 billion in 2017, and it's the big thing that worries Wall Street

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In a move right out of Frank Underwood's playbook, Netflix released a new teaser for the upcoming fifth season of its presidential drama, "House of Cards," on Friday as the nation prepared for Donald Trump's inauguration.

It also used the teaser to announce the show's much-anticipated return date: May 30.

The teaser shows a US flag waving in the breeze as children recite the Pledge of Allegiance. The show's Twitter account added the comment, "We bring the terror."

Netflix then retweeted the teaser, adding "We couldn't possibly comment."

"House of Cards" stars Kevin Spacey as Frank Underwood, a crafty politician who over the show's four seasons has risen to the presidency using any means necessary, alongside his wife Claire, played by Robin Wright. It has won six Emmys.

Watch the new teaser for "House of Cards" season five below:

SEE ALSO: Robin Wright demanded the same salary as Kevin Spacey for 'House of Cards' — or she would go public

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In a move right out of Frank Underwood's playbook, Netflix released a new teaser for the upcoming fifth season of its presidential drama, "House of Cards," on Friday as the nation prepared for Donald Trump's inauguration.

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President Donald Trump plans to name Ajit Pai as head of the Federal Communications Commission, according to a report from Politico's Alex Byers and Tony Romm.

Pai has served as a GOP commissioner at the FCC since 2012. He was widely expected to at least be named interim chairman after outgoing boss Tom Wheeler announced he would depart the agency on Inauguration Day.

Politico's report, however, says Pai will be named Wheeler's official replacement. A formal announcement could come as soon as Friday, according to the report. Pai would be able to take the mantle immediately since he has already been confirmed by the Senate as a commissioner under Barack Obama's administration.

Spokespeople for Pai and the FCC did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

While expected, the appointment would align with signs that Trump's FCC would roll back Obama-era policies — most notably the 2015 Open Internet Order, which set today's net-neutrality rules.

Broadly speaking, those laws regulate the internet as a public utility. More practically, they're meant to keep internet service providers from blocking or slowing down certain content — which could benefit services owned by an ISP itself — or forcing others to pay fees to receive preferential treatment.

Larger telecom companies like Comcast, Verizon, and AT&T have generally opposed the 2015 law, while smaller ISPs and internet companies like Netflix and Google, among others, have expressed support.

Pai has vocally dissented from most of Wheeler's policies, however, and, along with fellow Republican commissioner Michael O'Rielly, he voted against the net-neutrality order in 2015. He also opposed Wheeler's proposed reform of the set-top-box market.

Instead, he has maintained a strong desire to deregulate telecoms companies and lessen the reach of the FCC as a whole — a view that has often sat favorably with large ISPs.

In a December speech to the conservative-leaning Free State Foundation, for instance, Pai said he was "more confident than ever" that the current net-neutrality law's "days are numbered," and that he'd like the future FCC to "fire up the weed wacker" and remove numerous regulations currently in place.

A recent report from Multichannel News said that Trump's FCC transition team is aiming to follow along those lines by removing some of the FCC's regulatory powers and shifting them to other agencies like the Federal Trade Commission. Wheeler has said that such moves could dramatically lessen the ability of large ISPs to be affected by federal oversight.

If named chairman, Pai would take control of a shorthanded FCC to start, with O'Rielly and Democrat Mignon Clyburn the only commissioners. Trump will have to name another Democrat and another Republican to fill out the agency.

If Pai is named Wheeler's official replacement, however, it would allow him and the Republican-led Senate to put their plans in motion as soon as possible, according to Ernesto Falcon, legislative counsel at the nonprofit Electronic Frontier Foundation. Any changes to net neutrality laws and the like would take months, though, and include a period of public comment. 

Like Wheeler, Pai has spent time directly serving telecom interests, having worked as a lawyer for Verizon from 2001 to 2003. (Notably, he's also a former staffer for Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions, a close Trump aide and Trump's pick for attorney general.)

If he follows through on his past rhetoric, however, his FCC is likely to take a sharp turn from what we've seen in the past four years.

SEE ALSO: It looks like we're going to have a less open internet under Donald Trump

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Highspeedinternet.com used streaming content data to determine the top 75 shows on Netflix. They then cross-referenced those shows with Google Trends data to reveal the most popular show in every state.

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Netflix surprised Wall Street on Wednesday when it reported fourth-quarter earnings and subscriber growth.

In the US, net additions totaled 1.93 million, much better than the consensus forecast among analysts of 1.38 million and Netflix's own prior estimates. Earnings per share were $0.15, two cents above the median forecast.

Netflix's performance drove its stock higher in after-hours trading. On Thursday, it hit an all-time high of $143.45, up by 6%, in the first few minutes of trading.

The streaming service is making a major push outside the US and investing heavily in original content that works for audiences everywhere.

"We are in no rush to push margins up too quickly, as we want to ensure we are investing aggressively enough to continue to lead internet TV around the world," the company said in its earnings letter.

Below are some analysts' reactions to the earnings results and their ratings of the stock.

Jefferies: BEARISH

Rating: Underperform

Price target: $95 (from $80)

Comment: "While the international subscriber growth will drive the stock higher, we note cash burn remains above expectations, with fixed cost leverage elusive," said John Janedis.

Credit Suisse: NEUTRAL

Rating: Neutral

Price target: $143

Comment: "For the longer term, Netflix will be looking to show a greater balance between growth and profitability — which to us validates the long-term investment thesis for its international and newer cohorts to follow along the margin expansion trajectory of the US," said Stephen Ju and Christopher Ford.

Macquarie: NEUTRAL

Rating: Neutral

Price target: $130

Comment: "We remain cautious on some items we have discussed at length in previous notes, namely rising content and other costs, and concurrent FCF [free cash flow] burn in the face of rising competition, but subs are what drives this stock and for now the sub additions are covering these," said Tim Nollen. "As such, we are upgrading the stock from underperform to neutral."

Patrick Warburton's path to Netflix's "Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events" was just as unique as the role he plays on the unconventional drama series.

Based on the best-selling novels by Daniel Handler, the show stars Neil Patrick Harris as Count Olaf, who mistakenly becomes the guardian to three young children after their parents die in a fire and plans to steal their inheritances. Warburton plays the show's stylish, deadpan narrator Lemony Snicket.

"You never give anything away as Lemony," Warburton recently told Business Insider. "It can’t be cute. It can’t be clever. It can’t be any of these things. It just has to be just very honest and forthcoming, and everything else is in the words. As an actor, you always want to gussy things up a bit and things, but one of the tricks of Lemony is very much being reserved."

The show's executive producer Barry Sonnenfeld ("Men in Black,""Get Shorty") offered Warburton the part in a very casual and modern way.

"Barry sent me a text: 'Can you come to Vancouver for five months and do my Netflix series?'" Warburton remembers.

Two important things had to come together for Warburton to receive such a casual job offer. He and Sonnenfeld built a relationship after working together on a number of projects, including the Fox (and now Amazon) comedy "The Tick," and the films "Big Trouble,""Joe Somebody,""Scream 3," and "Men in Black 2." 

The other factor involved Warburton's 1999 movie, "The Woman Chaser."

"Unbeknownst to me, ['Lemony Snicket' author] Daniel Handler actually went to go see a screening of 'The Woman Chaser' in San Francisco about 10 years ago," the actor said. "So it was this film that I think inspired Daniel Handler to consider me as Lemony Snicket in the series. You never know."

Warburton told us he would have loved to accept the role at the time Sonnenfeld made the offer, but it took him his own series of events to free him up.

At the time, he was under contract with NBC and starring on its comedy "Crowded." He was also slated to reprise his starring role on "The Tick" for Amazon's revival.

In the end, NBC canceled "Crowded" and let Warburton out of his contract.

"I was grateful to the folks at NBC," he said.

And as for "The Tick," Amazon decided to go in a different direction with the new show.

"I was certainly interested [in 'The Tick' role]," Warburton said, "but they wanted to redo it from the ground up, which I wholly understand."

The actor was happy to finally accept Sonnenfeld's offer after his dance card opened up.

"Anything that Barry’s doing, I’d jump at the opportunity," Warburton said. "So I was thrilled to get it and terribly curious. Barry is a great storyteller when it comes to translating property like this to the screen, and it’s just fun to watch."

SEE ALSO: Neil Patrick Harris stars in the great trailer for Netflix's 'Lemony Snicket's'

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When we look at stocks that continuously sell off when they hit a specific area, we call that “resistance”. But all that really means is that the market is suggesting there are more sellers than buyers near a given price. There is overhead supply of shares, for whatever the reason. We’re not interested in knowing why, we just want to know if there is resistance or not. In some cases, stocks will “break out” above that overhead resistance, proving to us mathematically that the overwhelming amount of sellers at that given area has now been absorbed by an overwhelming amount of buyers for the stock.

Sometimes prices take a while to break through resistance. But other times, they just gap up above it and go on to make much higher highs. We call that a gap and go. I think that’s what we have here in shares of Netflix.

First of all, here is the longer-term picture:

This to me looks like an upside resolution from an 18-month base. Remember this also comes within the context of a longer-term uptrend that cannot be denied. So if the market has taught us anything over the last 150 years is that stocks trend. Resolutions out of consolidations within uptrends should resolve higher. So it makes perfect sense.

Looking shorter-term, this is what I mean about the “gap and go”. Look at all of this overhead supply from the past 18 months near $130-133. The market here is suggesting that this has now been enough time to absorb all of the overhead supply from all of those sellers. The fact that prices are above resistance tells me that we want to be in the direction of the buyers. So if prices are above $133 we want to be buying all day with a target near $166.

This level represents the 161.8% extension of this 18-month range and markets historically rally towards these levels, and in many cases beyond. But for now, we’ll stick with that target and reevaluate at that point once we have more information. From a risk management standpoint, I see little reason to own this if we’re below those former highs from the past 18 months. I think the risk/reward is very well-defined here and in my opinion skewed very much in favor of the bulls.

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It's almost the start of February and Netflix has revealed its full list of what's coming to the streaming site next month. 

In addition to new movies like "Finding Dory" and  "Sausage Party," we'll also get FX's "American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson" and a few new Netflix series, including the "Santa Clarita Diet," which features Drew Barrymore as a amicable zombie. 

Here's the full list of February releases. We've highlighted some favorites.

Available 2/1

"Ashley Madison: Sex, Lies, and Cyber Attacks" (2016)
"Babe" (1995)
"Babe: Pig in the City" (1998)
"Balto" (1995)
"Balto 2: Wolf Quest" (2001)
"Balto 3: Wings of Change" (2004)
"Contact" (1997)
"Corpse Bride" (2005)
"Finding Dory" (2016)
"Eleven P.M." (1928)
"From This Day Forward: A Trans Love Story" (2016)
"Gun Runners" (2015)
"Hell-Bound Train" (1930)
"Highly Strung" (2015)
"Hot Biskits" (1931)
"I Am Sun Mu" (2016)
Invincible" (2006)
"Les beaux malaises" Season 1-4 (2014)
"Magic Mike" (2012)
"Masha's Spooky Stories" Season 1 (2012)
"Mother with a Gun" (2016)
"Paris Is Burning" (1990)
"Project X" (1987)
"Silver Streak" (1976)
"The Blair Witch Project" (1990)
"The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe" (2005)
"The Five Heartbeats" (1995)
"The Furchester Hotel" Season 1-2 (2014)
"The Girl from Chicago" (1932)
"The Longest Day" (1962)

"The Nightmare Before Christmas" (1993)
"Twilight" (2008)
"Women in Gold"

Available 2/2

"American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson" (2016)
"Frequency" Season 1

Available 2/3

"Daniel Sosa: Sosafado" -NETFLIX ORIGINAL
"Imperial Dreams" - NETFLIX ORIGINAL
"Santa Clarita Diet"– NETFLIX ORIGINAL

Available 2/4

"Superbad" (2007)

Available 2/5

"Elvira I Will Give You My Life but I'm Using It" (2014)
"Los herederos" (2015)

Available 2/6

"Girls Lost" (2015)
"Me, Myself and Her" (2015)

Available 2/7

"Michael Bolton's Big, Sexy Valentine's Day Special"– NETFLIX ORIGINAL

Available 2/8

"Tiempos Felices" (2014)
"Girl Asleep" (2015)

Available 2/10

"Abstract: The Art of Design"
"David Brent: Life on the Road" - NETFLIX ORIGINAL

Available 2/11

"Crazy Ex-Girlfriend" Season 2 (2016)
"Stronger Than The World" - NETFLIX ORIGINAL

Available 2/12

"Clouds of Sils Maria" (2014)

Available 2/13

"Code: Debugging the Gender Gap" (2016)
"Magicians: Life in the Impossible" (2016)

Available 2/14

"Girlfriend’s Day" - NETFLIX ORIGINAL
"Katherine Ryan: In Trouble" - NETFLIX ORIGINAL
"King Cobra" (2016)
"Project Mc 2: Part 4"– NETFLIX ORIGINAL
"White Nights"– NETFLIX ORIGINAL

Available 2/15

"Aram, Aram" (2015)
"Before I Go to Sleep" (2014)
"Fire Song" (2015)

Available 2/16

"Milk" (2008)
"Sundown" (2016)

Available 2/17

Chef's Table: Season 3—NETFLIX ORIGINAL
DreamWorks Dragons: Race to the Edge: Season 4 –NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Kill Ratio (2016)
The Seven Deadly Sins: Season 2 –NETFLIX ORIGINAL

Available 2/19

"Girl Meets World" Season 3 (2016)
"Growing Up Wild" (2016)
"Tini: El Gran Cambio De Violetta" (2016)
"When Calls the Heart" Season 3 (2016)

Available 2/23

"Sausage Party" (2016)

Available 2/24

"I Don’t Feel At Home In This World Anymore"– NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Legend Quest: Season 1 –NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Ultimate Beastmaster—NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Ultimate Beastmaster Mexico—NETFLIX ORIGINAL
VeggieTales in the City: Season 1—NETFLIX ORIGINAL

Available 2/26

"Night Will Fall" (2016)

Available 2/27

"Brazilian Western" (2013)

Available 2/28

"Be Here Now" (2015)
Michael Birbiglia: Thank God for Jokes –NETFLIX ORIGINAL

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Netflix just announced all the movies and TV shows leaving its service in the coming weeks, and this month it feels like we're losing a particularly great bunch of titles. From "Save the Last Dance" to "Clueless," as well as some award-winning dramas like "There Will Be Blood," you're definitely going to want to watch some of these one last time.

Keep reading for the full list (and pay extra attention to the bolded titles we think you need to see).

Leaving 2/1/17

"A.C.O.D."
"An American Girl: Saige Paints the Sky"
"An Inconvenient Truth"
"Ashby"
"Black Hawk Down"
"Bratz: Babyz: The Movie"
"Bratz: Super Babyz"
"Charlotte's Web 2: Wilbur's Great Adventure"
"Clerks"

Leaving 2/7/17

"Justin Bieber's Believe"

Leaving 2/12/17

"Grounded for Life: Season 1 – Season 5"

Leaving 2/13/17

"Scary Movie 5"
"The Nut Job"

Leaving 2/15/17

"Brothers in War"
"Chris Porter: Ugly and Angry"
"Closure"
"Exile Nation: The Plastic People"
"Jack Frost"
"I Am Not a Hipster"
"Plastic Paradise: The Great Pacific Garbage Patch"
"Prince of Broadway"
"Stephanie in the Water"
"The Man on Her Mind"
"Unlikely Animal Friends: Season 2"

Leaving 2/16/17

"Santa Claws"
"Somewhere"

Leaving 2/17/17

"Winnie the Pooh: A Very Merry Pooh Year"

Leaving 2/19/17

"Problem Child: Leslie Jones"

Leaving 2/28/17

"Clueless"

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On Tuesday, Amazon became the first streaming service ever to get an Oscar nomination for best picture, thanks to its gritty indie, "Manchester by the Sea," starring Casey Affleck and Michelle Williams.

Amazon paid $10 million for the film at last year's Sundance festival, and has been rewarded with six total Oscar nominations, in addition to one Golden Globe win for Affleck (and five noms).

Amazon's nomination in the Oscar's most prestigious category underscores the difference between its movie strategy and that of Netflix, its main rival. Though Amazon is a streaming service, all of its films get theatrical releases, because Amazon is willing to keep the movies off its online platform for the traditional length of time.

Netflix, conversely, has angered movie theaters by insisting that its movies be available to stream on Netflix the day they are released in theaters. Theater execs have railed against this practice, and have largely refused to show Netflix movies. Netflix has hit back. In October, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings said he thought the state of film was a "real tragedy" and that movie theaters were "strangling the movie business."

Still, Netflix's poor relationship with movie theaters puts the company in a tough position, since many filmmakers prize having a traditional theatrical release for their films, even if it's not a wide one.

Amazon has avoided this issue altogether by sticking to the established release timing. And the company has been rewarded. "Manchester by the Sea" grossed almost $40 million at the US box office, making it a "commercial success" in its category, according to Variety. Now the Oscar nod for best picture is the icing on the cake.

(It's worth noting that Netflix has historically done very well in the documentary category at the Oscars. It scored a nod this year for "13th.") 

SEE ALSO: Netflix explained why its movie selection has gotten so skimpy

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"BoJack Horseman" was the most popular digital original show in Russia during the third quarter of 2016, according to Parrot Analytics. The show wasn’t nearly as popular in any other major market.

"BoJack," an offbeat Netflix cartoon about an alcoholic talking horse, ranked between six and eight in the US, the UK, France, Germany, and other markets. In all of those places, "Stranger Things" was the top show. But in Russia, "Stranger Things" got second place.

Parrot measures popularity by looking at Demand Expressions, a measure which (lacking ratings from Netflix, which doesn't release them) combines data on file sharing, social chatter, Wiki activity, fan ratings, and other factors.

Russia generated 4.6 million Demand Expressions for "BoJack," while the much larger US market generated only 4.2 million. Parrot tells us that Russian audiences also generated more than twice as much "active consumption," which includes social chatter and file sharing.

Why do Russians love BoJack? Maybe the heavy-drinking country appreciates an alcoholic hero. Maybe the occasional enemy of the US appreciates a satire of Hollywood. Maybe the country was particularly fond of a bit in season two with a KGB spy who wakes up from a 30-year coma and resumes his mission to take down America.

"I’m awaiting orders to take down the American pigs... and dogs and various animals," the spy says over the radio.

The spy is ready to destroy a knockoff version of Disneyland when he realizes that the park will destroy itself. He exclaims: "You know, I came here today to blow up Disneyland, but now I realize I don’t need to take down capitalism. Capitalism sows the seeds for its own destruction. It’s a snake that eats itself. It’s only a matter of time!"

And he walks away whistling.

SEE ALSO: How Netflix got 'BoJack,' the funniest show on the internet

DON'T MISS: The 20 most popular shows in the world

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This interesting chart comes from a Parrot Analytics report on the top digital original shows in the third quarter of 2016.

As you can see, "Stranger Things" won in every market except for Russia, where "BoJack Horseman" took the top slot. If you look closer at the numbers, the divide is even more striking: "BoJack" ranked between sixth and eighth in every other market.

Can we draw massive geopolitical conclusions from this map? Well, it does kind of make sense that the Western powers would like a nostalgic, escapist return to the 1980s, while Russia would like a dark satire of American culture starring an alcoholic talking horse.

Indeed, you get a sense of the outlook in "BoJack" from the appearance in season two of a KGB spy who wakes up from a 30-year coma and resumes his mission to destroy America.

"You know, I came here today to blow up Disneyland, but now I realize I don’t need to take down capitalism," he remarks at one point. "Capitalism sows the seeds for its own destruction. It’s a snake that eats itself. It’s only a matter of time!"

Anyway, "BoJack" and "Stranger Things" are both Netflix originals, part of the red-hot catalog that is powering explosive global growth for the Silicon Valley company. You can draw your own conclusions from that.

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Netflix is rebooting the groundbreaking makeover show "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy."

According to Entertainment Weekly, the streaming company is looking to find five new hosts who will pass on some of their flair to their straight male participants – this time with a focus on guys from the more conservative states.

“In a time when America stands divided and the future seems uncertain, a team of five brave men will try to bring us closer together with laughter, heart, and just the right amount of moisturizer,” the show's producers said in statement. “The Emmy Award-winning 'Queer Eye' is back and ready to Make America Fabulous Again. With a new Fab 5 and the show’s toughest missions to date, 'Queer Eye' moves from the Big Apple to turn the Red States pink — one makeover at a time."

"Queer Eye" originally aired on Bravo from 2003 to 2007. The hit reality show featured a group of five gay men based in New York City, each with an expertise they'd focus on when making over a straight male on each episode.

Celebrated by gay viewers and gay media groups like GLAAD, "Queer Eye" also won an Emmy and and spawned a spin-off, "Queer Eye for the Straight Girl."

Netflix has been ramping up its reality programming as part of its bid to double its number of original programs for another consecutive year. Netflix's first competition show, the Sylvester Stallone-produced "Ultimate Beastmaster," will feature 108 contestants from around the world who tackle physically tough obstacle courses until only one person is left standing. It premiers on February 28.

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DON'T MISS: Jerry Seinfeld taking 'Comedians in Cars' and 2 stand-up specials to Netflix

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NOW WATCH: Animated map shows the most popular show on Netflix in every state

The trailer for Netflix's new obstacle-course show, "Ultimate Beastmaster," is out, and we couldn't be more excited.

Executive produced by Sylvester Stallone, the new show has the vibe of NBC's "American Ninja Warrior" but with a much more insane course and an international flavor.

Hundreds of athletes from six different countries all compete on the course until one is finally crowned the winner.

I mean, the entrance into this course is a beast's mouth! How cool is that?

Each hour-long episode of the 10-episode series will feature 12 competitors, two from each country, who will take on the obstacle course known as “The Beast.” At the end of each episode, a "Beastmaster" will be crowned and in the final episode of the season, the nine individual winners from each episode will compete against each other for the chance to become the Ultimate Beastmaster.

And to give the show an even more global feel (something Netflix is trying to do with all of its content, given its reach), it has hosts that represent each country. For the US, it's Terry Crews ("Brooklyn Nine-Nine,""The Ridiculous Six") and Charissa Thompson ("Extra," Fox Sports).

Here are the other hosts:

Brazil: Anderson Silva (former UFC Middleweight Champion), Rafinha Bastos (Comedian, Journalist and TV Personality)

South Korea: Seo Kyung Suk (Actor, Comedian and TV Host), Park Kyeong Rim (Actress, Comedian and TV Host)

Mexico: Ines Sainz (Journalist, Sportscaster & TV Host), Luis Ernesto Franco (Actor and Producer)

Germany: Hans Sarpei (Former Soccer Player, TV Personality), Luke Mockridge (Comedian)

Japan: Sayaka Akimoto (Actress), Yuji Kondo (Sports Anchor)

Watch the trailer below. The show goes live on Netflix February 24.

SEE ALSO: The 22 most exciting new shows of 2017 you have to see

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The INSIDER Summary:

•  Filmmaker Matt Skuta made a video comparing the movie and TV adaptations of "A Series of Unfortunate Events."
• The video shows a stark contrast to the movie adaptation from 2004.
• In particular, it highlights the diverse cast of the Netflix adaptation.

When Netflix adapted Daniel Handler's beloved children's book series "A Series of Unfortunate Events" into a show this year, they scratched an itch that the series's fans had for more than a decade.

In 2004, Nickelodeon adapted the first three of the series's 13 books into a movie starring Jim Carrey. That's where the studio stopped, leaving the other ten books without adaptations. It left fans unsatisfied.

"It’s [a] mystery to me,"Handler told Entertainment Weekly. "I think there was always interest but, as you say, there were a lot of companies involved and whole phalanxes of lawyers who put it together the first time. I think that it was really kind of bureaucracy that prevented it before."

With a new attempt, Handler wants to give the book series the adaptation its due. One of the biggest changes is the diversity in its casting.

The second season hasn't been officially greenlit yet, but Handler already mapped out how he wants the rest of it to be adapted. He's planning to bring the same approach to adapting the first four books in the first season to the rest of the series.

A side-by-side comparison of the movie and TV show by filmmaker Matt Skuta highlights some of the similarities and differences between the adaptations. Some of the shots are nearly identical, while others are given a different approach.

The similarities make sense. Some of the same people, like Handler and director (of the Netflix version) Barry Sonnenfeld, were involved in both adaptations. And, of course, they have the same source material.

The most striking different, though, is the diversity of the cast.

The four principal characters — Count Olaf and Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire — are all played by white actors. But outside of those, the Netflix show casted more non-white actors in significant roles.

Take, for example, Mr. Poe, the Baudelaire orphan's hapless estate manager. In the movie adaptation, he's played by white actor Timothy Spall. In the show, he's played by K. Todd Freeman, who is black. Likewise, Dr. Montgomery Montgomery is played by white actor Billy Connolly in the movie and Indian-American actor Aasif Mandvi in the television show.

And the Baudelaire's third guardian, Aunt Josephine, is played by Meryl Streep in the movie and black actress Alfre Woodard in the television show.

The entire comparison video is worth watching and reveals a lot about the two adaptations. Watch it below:

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When Jerry Seinfeld decided that he wanted to take his popular web series, "Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee," from Crackle and find a new home, he knew exactly what he wanted and Netflix checked all his boxes.

"When I first started thinking about 'Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee,' the entire Netflix business model consisted of mailing out DVDs in envelopes. I love that we are now joining together, both at very different points,” Seinfeld said in a statement on the deal.

The Netflix deal, which includes not only the previously produced nine seasons of the show and a new 10th season, but also two new stand-up specials — all to be released later this year — reportedly paid Seinfeld $100 million. But the money wasn't a driving factor for him, individuals with knowledge of the situation told Business Insider under the condition of anonymity.

Having made more than $3 billion from the syndication of his hit '90s sitcom "Seinfeld," the actor and comedian doesn't need to work. He had other pressing reasons for jumping from Crackle.

Seinfeld's search for a new home for "Comedians," which features him joining famous friends for a cup of coffee and a drive while sharing stories, began in earnest in mid-2016 as his contract was due to expire with Crackle, the Sony Pictures Television-owned streaming video service. His wanderlust greatly increased last June after Steve Mosko, who had been instrumental on the NBC hit "Seinfeld,"left his position as Sony TV chairman amid reported infighting in the company.

A Crackle insider told Business Insider that once Mosko left, "Jerry was pretty much out the door."

Seinfeld likes to be in control of all aspects of his projects and becomes very personally invested in their success. He calls his celebrity guests to book them for the unconventional interview show himself. So one of Seinfeld's biggest gripes was Crackle's advertising model and the demands placed on him by Acura, the exclusive sponsor of "Comedians."

Acura, for example, could demand one of its cars be featured on a specific episode set to stream on a date that matched its marketing plan, and Seinfeld didn't like giving up that creative and production control. So while shopping the show, he overwhelmingly targeted companies that had subscription revenue models that didn't depend on advertising. In addition to Netflix and Hulu, Seinfeld approached HBO. The premium cable network considered the offer, "kicked the tires" as one insider from HBO put it, but things didn't proceed to any "meaningful discussion."

Another major point in the deal with Netflix was the addition of stand-up specials. Crackle knew that was important to Seinfeld and was open to developing comedy specials with him. But that part of the deal also made better sense for Netflix, which was already in the stand-up game and had recently dedicated itself to building up its comedy stable. Seinfeld joins A-list talent like Amy Schumer, Chris Rock, and Dave Chappelle at the streaming giant. That appealed to him.

“I am also very excited to be working with [Chief Content Officer] Ted Sarandos at Netflix," Seinfeld also said in the deal statement, "a guy and a place that not only have the same enthusiasm for the art of stand-up comedy as I do, but the most amazing technology platform to deliver it in a way that has never existed before. I am really quite charged up to be moving there."

When Crackle found out that Seinfeld was definitely leaving, it was a blow to the company. "Comedians in Cars" is its most well-known series, its most viral, and provided more than 100 million streams as of last year for the company. Critics wondered if Seinfeld's departure would also impact Crackle's ability to sign big names in the future.

But Seinfeld got a lot out of the partnership, too. In the beginning, he just wanted the freedom to create the show he wanted. He didn't even want to market it in its first season, according to an individual from Sony TV. Both were things a burgeoning Crackle could give him.

It also took a lot of "blood and sweat" on Crackle's behalf to get mainstream recognition for the show, according to a source. It began streaming on Crackle in 2012. Although it received Emmy nominations in 2013 and 2014, they were in special-class categories. It wasn't until last year (and after eight seasons) that the show broke through to a mainstream Emmy nod for variety series after Crackle smartly decided to switch categories.

As Seinfeld's contract was set to expire, Crackle considered what "Comedians" brought to it aside from name recognition, and the business sense of keeping the show around. The series was also available on Seinfeld's "Comedians" website, for example, so Crackle wasn't benefiting from those views. The other truth, one individual disclosed, is that streams of the show on Crackle had begun to decline in later seasons. Another insider said that "Comedians" fans tended to watch just one episode, so Crackle didn't benefit largely from binge-viewing or viewers staying on to watch its other programming.

And what about Crackle's future business objectives? "Comedians" fans steer older than Crackle's younger target demographic (read: gamers) and tended to watch on their desktops over gaming consoles or mobile devices. Also, the short format of "Comedians" was really part of a bygone era for Crackle. In recent years, its focus had turned to more traditional TV lengths for original comedies and dramas.

"I think 'Comedians' is a great program that did break through for us," Crackle General Manager Eric Berger told Business Insider when we asked about the show during the recent Television Critics Association press tour, before its split from Crackle had been announced. "But it’s opened the door for a slate of other great programming that we have right now. So we view it in a portfolio, and a lot more is to come."

Currently, Crackle's original slate has grown to include the Emmy-nominated stop-motion comedy "SuperMansion," with Bryan Cranston and Keegan-Michael Key among its voice actors; tech drama "Startup," starring Martin Freeman and Adam Brody; "The Art of More," a drama set in the world of art trading, with Dennis Quaid and Kate Bosworth; and the upcoming drama "Snatch," adapted from the heist movie of the same name and featuring "Harry Potter" star Rupert Grint.

"We've got a terrific slate of content, a big group of very big celebrities that are coming to work for us, and we’re building show brands, we’re building audience, we’re building a Crackle brand," Berger said of the company's larger goals beyond being primarily known as the home of Seinfeld and "Comedians."

Still, it's never good to have headlines about a big name departing for a competitor, and we're told Crackle and Sony TV are well aware of that. It remains to be seen what impact, if any, Seinfeld's departure will have on Crackle in the coming year.

A representative for Seinfeld declined to comment for this article, while a Netflix rep didn't immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment.

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2016 wasn’t all bad. For proof, one need look no further than the impressive array of independent films released last year, some of which have now made their way to Netflix. Here are 50 worth catching up on as you start the new year.

SEE ALSO: Inside Jerry Seinfeld's $100 million decision to jump to Netflix

"13th"

“Ava DuVernay’s documentary ’13TH’ has the precision of a foolproof argument underscored by decades of frustration.” —Eric Kohn

"Amanda Knox"

“While Knox is undoubtedly the star of the film, and she’s also one of the few people who comes off not looking absolutely bonkers. Her behavior, once seen as ‘strange,’ now seems more understandable than ever.” —Kate Erbland

"Audrie & Daisy"

“Their approaches were different, and so were the outcomes — Audrie killed herself the week after her assault, while Daisy has become an advocate for other sexual assault victims. The violations committed against them couldn’t be more alike, but it’s the results that alter their stories.” —KE

The INSIDER Summary:

• Selena Gomez is the executive producer of "13 Reasons Why," an original series on Netflix. 
• The drama is about teenagers solving the mystery behind a friend's suicide. 
• The show premieres on March 31. 

While romance rumors between her and the Weeknd continue to set the internet ablaze, Selena Gomez is busy setting her eyes on Netflix. 

Gomez has attached her name to the highly anticipated Netflix original series 13 Reasons Why. The series is based on the critically acclaimed and best-selling young adult novel Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher. The series is set to drop March 31 on the streaming service. 

To get yourself ready for the mysterious teen drama, here's all you need to know about the upcoming series. 

What's it about?

The plot follows a group of teenagers who are reeling from the suicide of their friend and classmate. They attempt to figure out why she killed herself with the clues left behind. 

Clay Jensen returns home one day from school. He finds a box with his name on it on his porch and inside there are tapes. On the tapes are recordings from his friend and secret crush, Hannah Baker, who committed suicide just a few weeks prior. 

What are on the tapes?

The show seems to be a mix of a serious dramatic storyline with the allure and mystery of Veronica Mars and Pretty Little Liars. On the tapes, Hannah explains why she killed herself in 13 reasons. She leaves clues for her friends and classmates to figure out the reason(s) why. 

 Is Selena Gomez in the show?

The answer to that is no. But Selena Gomez is an executive producer on the Netflix series. Gomez shared the trailer on her Instagram account on Wednesday and captioned the teaser as a passion project of hers: 

 How did this project come about?

In another Instagram post shared on Thursday, the singer and actress revealed how nervous she was to discuss the show with the streaming service. "My mom found this book in 2009 and worked her ass off to make it with me, guide me and tell this story authentically," she captioned the selfie:

 Who is in the cast?

While Gomez isn't appearing on the show, the cast is filled with up-and-coming young actors. Dylan Minnette, Katherine Langford, Brandon Flynn, Christian Navarro, Alisha Boe, Justin Prentice and Devin Druid star in the series. 

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