In 2018, several new Minis themes were introduced. These included Back to School, Neon Splatter, Fruit, Pop Art, Monkey, Robot, Camo and Fantasy. Also released in this series included a birthday-themed Thomas, Neon Glow in the Dark and Light-Ups.
In September 2017, Minister of Heritage Mélanie Joly announced that Netflix had agreed to make a CA$500 million (US$400 million) investment over the next five years in producing content in Canada. The company denied that the deal was intended to result in a tax break.[187][188] Netflix realized this goal by December 2018.[189]
Teenage.Mutant.Ninja.Turtles.Out.of.the.Shadows.Update.1-WaLMaRT 2018 no survey
In October 2017, Netflix iterated a goal of having half of its library consist of original content by 2019, announcing a plan to invest $8 billion on original content in 2018. There will be a particular focus on films and anime through this investment, with a plan to produce 80 original films and 30 anime series.[190]
In February 2018, Netflix acquired the rights to The Cloverfield Paradox from Paramount Pictures for $50 million and launched on its service on February 4, 2018, shortly after airing its first trailer during Super Bowl LII. Analysts believed that Netflix's purchase of the film helped to make the film instantly profitable for Paramount compared to a more traditional theatrical release, while Netflix benefited from the surprise reveal.[198][199] Other films acquired by Netflix include international distribution for Paramount's Annihilation[199] and Universal's News of the World and worldwide distribution of Universal's Extinction,[200] Warner Bros.' Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle,[201] Paramount's The Lovebirds[202] and 20th Century Studios' The Woman in the Window.[203] In March, the service ordered Formula 1: Drive to Survive, a racing docuseries following teams in the Formula One world championship.[204]
In March 2018, Sky UK announced an agreement with Netflix to integrate Netflix's subscription VOD offering into its pay-TV service. Customers with its high-end Sky Q set-top box and service will be able to see Netflix titles alongside their regular Sky channels.[205] In October 2022, Netflix revealed that its annual revenue from the UK subscribers in 2021 was 1.4bn.[206]
On May 22, 2018, former president Barack Obama and his wife Michelle Obama signed a deal to produce docu-series, documentaries and features for Netflix under the Obamas' newly formed production company, Higher Ground Productions.[213][214]
Over the years, Netflix output ballooned to a level unmatched by any television network or streaming service. According to Variety Insight, Netflix produced a total of 240 new original shows and movies in 2018, then climbed to 371 in 2019, a figure "greater than the number of original series that the entire U.S. TV industry released in 2005."[377] The Netflix budget allocated to production increased annually, reaching $13.6 billion in 2021 and projected to hit $18.9 billion by 2025, a figure that once again overshadowed any of its competitors.[378] As of August 2022, Netflix Originals made up 50% of Netflix's overall library in the United States.[379]
At the 90th Academy Awards, held on March 4, 2018, the film Icarus, distributed by Netflix, won its first Oscar for Best Documentary Feature. During his remarks backstage, director and writer Bryan Fogel remarked that Netflix had "single-handedly changed the documentary world." Icarus had its premiere at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival and was bought by Netflix for $5 million, one of the biggest deals ever for a non-fiction film.[436] Netflix became the network whose programs received more nomination at the 2018 Primetime and Creative Arts Emmy Awards with 112 nominations, therefore breaking HBO's 17-years record as a network whose programs received more nomination at the Emmys, which received 108 nominations.[437][438]
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