Netflix Registers 30 Million Streaming Members Globally

Netflix crossed 30 million streaming subscribers globally of which 25 million are from the U.S.

Netflix hit the 10 million member milestone in 2009, a decade after it launched its DVD-by-mail service in the U.S. That number jumped to 20 million members by the end of 2010 with the widespread adoption of the Netflix streaming video service in the U.S. and Canada.

The company has reportedly added 1.16 million U.S. streaming subscribers and 700,000 internationally during the quarter.

The expansion over the last 22 months comes both from the continued growth of U.S. and Canadian streaming subscribers as well as the introduction of the Netflix "watch instantly" service to new markets in Latin America and Europe. Netflix is currently available in 51 countries, with Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland the most recent additions.

In a Facebook post today, Netflix Co-founder and CEO, Reed Hastings, thanked subscribers, "your choice to be a Netflix member helps us to get more content every year and helps us further improve the Netflix experience. You make it possible for us to create the most amazing Internet television experience ever."

The CEO had warned the investors of significant losses next quarter due to its international expansion. The Los Gatos, Calif.-based company said it expects the fourth-quarter earnings would range between a loss of $13 million, or 23 cents per share, and a gain of $2 million, or 4 cents per share. Despite its subscriber miss, Netflix earned $7.7 million, or 13 cents per share in the latest third quarter.