Netflix Loses 800k Subscribers, Game Rentals Still Up in the Air

Netflix has had a rough couple of months.  Investors and customers alike have reacted negatively to the company’s recent price hikes and it’s Qwikster announcement was so unpopular that it canned the whole thing mere weeks later.

"The last few months...have been difficult for shareholders, employees, and most unfortunately, many members of Netflix," wrote Netflix CEO Reed Hastings in a letter to shareholders. "We've hurt our hard-earned reputation, and stalled our domestic growth."

Indeed, Netflix lost 800,000 subscribers in the U.S. last quarter and expects to lose more by the end of December.  The company had a total of 23.8 million subscribers as of Sept. 30th with around 21.5 million customers having streaming subscriptions and just under 14 million having DVD subscriptions (most customers have both).  Netflix expects those numbers to drop to around 20 – 21.5 million streaming customers and 11.3 million DVD subscribers.

Hastings also warned shareholders that it will be unprofitable in upcoming quarters due partially to the costs involved with its service expansion into the UK and Ireland.

But what about game rentals?  It’s still unclear whether Netflix’s plans to offer console games in addition to movies died with Qwikster.

"We have yet to decide whether or not to offer video game discs," CEO Reed Hastings told Gamasutra. "The decision will have little financial impact either way."

Sources: CNN and Gamasutra

-Reporting from San Diego, GamePolitics Contributing Editor Andrew Eisen