Netflix Now Requiring All Subscribers To Recruit 5 New Customers

LOS GATOS, CA—With an update the company hailed as a bold feature that would excite existing users and increase membership, streaming giant Netflix announced Tuesday that all of its subscribers would now be required to recruit five new customers. “In the competitive world of streaming media, this restructuring will ensure Netflix remains at the forefront of drawing in first-time viewers,” co-CEO Ted Sarandos said of the revamped subscriber model, which encourages existing members to host Netflix parties in their homes to give potential customers a taste of the product and suspends any account holder who fails to lock new subscribers into a year-long contract. “Ultimately, this is a chance for our loyal subscribers to be their own boss. I started out selling Netflix subscriptions door to door, and that entrepreneurship and determination got me where I am today.” Sarandos added that subscribers who successfully recruited 50 customers would be eligible for a new “Diamond Star” level of membership and entered in a lottery to win a brand-new Netflix-red Jeep.