Netflix Grabs 61% of U.S. Digital Movie Market, Apple at 4%
U.S. digital movie unit share for January-February 2011 (NPD)Last month, we
reported that Apple was dominating the market for individual download and streaming movie content in the United States, representing nearly 65% of total spending. We noted at the time that the survey did not include streaming services such as Netflix and on-demand streaming offerings from cable companies, but
new data from NPD on the broader market now puts those omissions into context.
According to NPD's data, Netflix represented 61% of movies downloaded or streamed in the U.S. during January and February, easily topping second-place Comcast at 8%. Apple finished in a three-way tie for third at 4% with Time Warner Cable and DirecTV.
NPD also compared consumer-reported satisfaction with four modes of digital-video acquisition: electronic sell-through (EST), Internet VOD (iVOD), cable VOD, and subscription streaming. Consumers clearly recognize that EST services like iTunes have the most "current releases available," while Netflix streaming gets credit from customers for providing the best "overall shopping experience" and "value for price paid."
According to NPD, digital video now makes up one quarter of the entire home video market in the United States, with customers increasingly embracing the instant and easy access aspects of digital video.
Popular Stories
Apple turns 50 this year, and its CEO Tim Cook has promised to celebrate the milestone. The big day falls on April 1, 2026.
"I've been unusually reflective lately about Apple because we have been working on what do we do to mark this moment," Cook told employees today, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. "When you really stop and pause and think about the last 50 years, it makes your heart ...
Apple plans to announce the iPhone 17e on Thursday, February 19, according to Macwelt, the German equivalent of Macworld.
The report, citing industry sources, is available in English on Macworld.
Apple announced the iPhone 16e on Wednesday, February 19 last year, so the iPhone 17e would be unveiled exactly one year later if this rumor is accurate. It is quite uncommon for Apple to unveil...
In the iOS 26.4 update that's coming this spring, Apple will introduce a new version of Siri that's going to overhaul how we interact with the personal assistant and what it's able to do.
The iOS 26.4 version of Siri won't work like ChatGPT or Claude, but it will rely on large language models (LLMs) and has been updated from the ground up.
Upgraded Architecture
The next-generation...
While the iOS 26.3 Release Candidate is now available ahead of a public release, the first iOS 26.4 beta is likely still at least a week away. Following beta testing, iOS 26.4 will likely be released to the general public in March or April.
Below, we have recapped known or rumored iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 features so far.
iOS 26.3
iPhone to Android Transfer Tool
iOS 26.3 makes it easier...
Apple today shared an ad that shows how the upgraded Center Stage front camera on the latest iPhones improves the process of taking a group selfie.
"Watch how the new front facing camera on iPhone 17 Pro takes group selfies that automatically expand and rotate as more people come into frame," says Apple. While the ad is focused on the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, the regular iPhone...
