advertising

Thanks to popular shows like “Squid Game,” plus price hikes and growing advertising revenues, Netflix on Thursday reported strong growth in the second quarter, beating analysts’ expectations.

The Los Gatos-based streamer’s revenue rose 16% to $11.1 billion, while the company’s net income increased 46% to $3.1 billion compared to a year earlier. Analysts polled by FactSet had expected about $11 billion in revenue and $3 billion in profit.

Wall Street analysts have long deemed Netflix the winner of the streaming wars. The company no longer gives quarterly updates on how many customers it has, last revealing it had more than 301 million subscribers in 2024. But there’s still pressure on Netflix to continue to show financial growth, as the company aims to attract more advertising dollars and subscribers around the world.

Many analysts believe that Netflix’s future sales boost will come from its advertising business, which began in November 2022. The streamer is expected to generate $2.07 billion in ad revenue this year in the United States, which is estimated to climb to nearly $3 billion in 2027, according to research firm Emarketer.

“They’re seeing some substantial revenue and they are also getting a lot of people to sign up or switch to the ad supported tier,” said Paul Verna, a principal analyst at Emarketer.

Netflix said it expects total revenue in to grow 17% in the third quarter. The company increased its full-year 2025 revenue forecast, estimating that it will generate $44.8 billion to $45.2 billion. That’s up from the range of $43.5 billion to $44.5 billion that it previously projected.

In May, Netflix said its cheaper plan with ads reaches more than 94 million monthly active users, indicating that its version with commercials is gaining traction as other services follow a similar strategy.

“We continue to make progress building our ads business and still expect to roughly double ads revenue in 2025,” Netflix said in its letter to shareholders.

Earlier this year Netflix raised prices on most of its subscription plans in the U.S. Its cheapest plan with ads went up $1 to $7.99 a month. Netflix said the response to its recent price adjustments has been “broadly in line with our expectations.”

Netflix continues to face competition from other streaming services globally and entertainment companies like YouTube and TikTok that also take up significant amount of watch time among consumers.

During the second quarter, Netflix released popular programs including Korean animated film “KPop Demon Hunters,” drama “Sirens” and the third season of “Squid Game.”

“Squid Game’s” third season, which premiered late last month, was the most watched series in 93 countries during its debut week and broke a record for the most views for a show in its first three days on Netflix, a boon for a streaming service that thrives on capturing the attention of audiences worldwide by releasing must-watch programs.

“These are positive initiatives and they’re the quality of the content that shows the uniqueness of it,” said Melissa Otto, head of research at S&P Global Visible Alpha, on shows like “Squid Game” Season 3. “These are all things that pull the users in and make them want to subscribe to Netflix or watch Netflix content.”

Netflix also has received critical acclaim for its programming, noting it has received 120 Primetime Emmy nominations for shows including the limited series drama “Adolescence” and comedy-drama series “Nobody Wants This.”

Netflix stock closed at $1,274.17 on Thursday, up about 2%.

In the 1990s, the stars of Renault Clio’s TV adverts were more famous than the Prime Minister, and their names might not mean much, but their catchphrase definitely will

Back in the day, they were household names. It seems unbelievable now, but the stars of the 1990s Renault Clio adverts were once more familiar to Brits than then-Prime Minister John Major and the legendary BBC Radio 1 DJ Chris Evans. And even if the actors Estelle Skornik and Max Douchin aren’t instantly recognisable by name, their iconic catchphrase certainly is.

Their on-screen father-daughter relationship struck a chord across the nation. “Nicole?” the debonair Frenchman would enquire, full of anticipation. “Papa!” she’d respond, with a simplicity that captured hearts.

READ MORE: Benidorm heartthrob Jake Canuso looks unrecognisable after ‘miserable’ divorce

In the debut advert, Nicole would slip away while her father seemed to nap in the garden of their chateau, dashing off to secretly meet with her dashing beau in her trusty Clio. But, unbeknown to Nicole, her dad was also on a clandestine mission, whizzing off in his car to surprise a mysterious lady with flowers.

Upon Nicole’s return, she’d discover her father seemingly-still snoozing in the garden, culminating in their trademark two-word dialogue.

The charming ads aired for seven years starting in 1991, playing a part in the whopping sales of 300,000 Renault Clios. But what became of the duo?

Estelle, who brought Nicole to life, has since graced other TV projects, including From Hell, The Days That Made History and Les Lyonnais.

Now 53, she starred opposite Ioan Gruffudd, portraying a romantic interest for his character Horatio Hornblower in the epic naval drama set against the backdrop of the Napoleonic Wars.

But Estelle has reportedly taken a step back from the limelight, favouring family life over fame. Tying the knot with Laurent Bismuth in 1996, the couple have since had three children. Her final acting gig on record was back in 2011.

Reflecting on her character in a 1998 interview with the Independent, she reminisced: “Nicole is very spontanee and I’m very spontanee. She’s open to life, she’s French. Nicole is part of me.”

Max Douchin, fondly remembered as ‘Papa’ and now aged 87, found his acting niche later in life. He featured in an episode of the French-Italian TV show Les Héritiers De Patmos in 2017 and graced the Paris premiere.

Currently enjoying retirement in Burgundy, France, surrounded by his partner and family, he hasn’t given up performing entirely – he participates in a local choir. Chatting with Mail Online, he recalled the iconic Clio adverts with a sense of nostalgia.

“When I meet English people, who happen to be in Burgundy, and I speak with them, every English person I meet remembers Papa,” he shared.

“I have a lot of good souvenirs from that programme for the Renault Clios.”

READ MORE: World-renowned dentists give teeth whitener ‘5-star seal of approval’ in tests