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Netflix on April 18 said that its number of subscribers hit a record high 232.5 million in the first quarter of the year and that its nascent ad-supported tier was faring well.

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.

For the first time, the major U.S. theater chains will play a Netflix release after exhibitors and the streaming service reached a deal for a nationwide sneak-peak run of Rian Johnson's "Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery."

Gulf Arab countries on Sept. 6 asked Netflix to remove "offensive content" on the streaming service, apparently targeting programs that show people who are gay and lesbian.

A joint statement issued on behalf of a committee of the Gulf Cooperation Council made the request, saying the unspecified programs "contradict Islamic and societal values and principles."

For the first time in three years, the fall movie industrial complex is lurching back into high gear. Festival red carpets are rolled out. Oscar campaigns are primed. Long-awaited blockbusters, like "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" and "Avatar:

The Way of Water," are poised for big box office.

Disney’s decision to raise its streaming prices comes just a few months after market leader Netflix took a similar step

The Disney+ streaming service saw its number of paying subscribers leap beyond expectations in the last quarter, as rival Netflix's client count ebbed, results showed on Aug. 10.

The number of people subscribing to Disney+ topped 152 million, up some 31 percent from the same period a year earlier, the entertainment giant said in an earnings report.

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.

This year's Emmy contenders will be unveiled Tuesday, with "Squid Game" tipped to become the first non-English-language drama series ever nominated at television's equivalent of the Oscars.