Netflix

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.

Prince Harry sees "no willingness to reconcile" in a palace rift where leaks portray him and his wife Meghan as villains, according to interview extracts released on Jan. 2. 

Netflix has added a disclaimer to its hit series "The Crown" after a former British prime minister and acting royalty accused the streaming giant of confusing truth with fiction in its story lines.

The move came after one episode in the latest series showed the then Prince Charles plotting to oust his mother as monarch.

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."

Netflix suspended filming of its British royals drama "The Crown" on Sept. 8 following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, the company said.

The acclaimed show is currently filming its sixth season, having charted the late monarch's life through multiple decades over the course of its previous seasons.

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."

Hollywood newcomer Barack Obama was awarded an Emmy for narrating his Netflix documentary series "Our Great National Parks," the Television Academy announced on Sept. 3.

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.

The Venice Film Festival kicked off on Aug. 31 with Adam Driver starring in opening film "White Noise," one of several Netflix entries competing for the top prize Golden Lion as the streaming giant seeks to burnish its arthouse credentials.