What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you are locked up in your home and your brain needs some entertainment? Some might say a book, some may even say their smartphones. But around 16 million people say it’s Netflix.

That’s right. The online streaming platform has garnered around 16 million new subscriptions worldwide after the lockdown was announced. This exceeded the company’s early projections of growth by around 200 per cent and this is all thanks to the pandemic.

The platform now boasts a whopping 182.9 million subscribed users and is one of the select few companies that is making profits during a global shutdown of markets. This overwhelming surge in subscriptions is due to the platform’s viral hits like ‘Tiger King’, ‘Money Heist: La Casa de Papel’ and ‘You’ that have made their way into social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok.

People have been making memes, sharing clips and making videos from these shows that have worked in Netflix’s favour.

Even after the rise of competing streaming platforms like Disney+ and HBO Max, Netflix seems to be the preferred choice for many consumers.