Greg Peters

U.S. streaming giant Netflix ended last year with more than 230 million global subscribers, it said on Jan. 19, beating analysts' expectations as hits such as "Wednesday" and "Harry & Meghan" enticed new viewers.

"2022 was a tough year, with a bumpy start but a brighter finish," the company said in a letter announcing bumper fourth quarter earnings.

Netflix on Oct. 13 said a subscription option subsidized by ads will debut in November across a dozen countries as the streaming service strives to jumpstart stalled growth.

Netflix reported a loss of 970,000 subscribers in the second quarter along with stagnant profits, and its share price is down 63 percent from this time last year despite rising slightly on the ad-tier news.

Netflix will work with Microsoft to launch a cheaper subscription plan that includes advertisements, the firms said have said, as the streaming giant fights to attract customers.