Long-term Debt - Summary of Long-term Debt (Details)	Sep. 30, 2019 EUR (€)	Sep. 30, 2019 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal amount at par		$ 12,525,000,000
Senior Notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal amount at par \| €	€ 3,600,000,000
Senior Notes \| 5.375% Senior Notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal amount at par		500,000,000
Fair value		$ 516,000,000	$ 509,000,000
Interest rate	5.375%	5.375%
Senior Notes \| 5.500% Senior Notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal amount at par		$ 700,000,000
Fair value		$ 744,000,000	706,000,000
Interest rate	5.50%	5.50%
Senior Notes \| 5.750% Senior Notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal amount at par		$ 400,000,000
Fair value		$ 438,000,000	407,000,000
Interest rate	5.75%	5.75%
Senior Notes \| 5.875% Senior Notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal amount at par		$ 800,000,000
Fair value		$ 881,000,000	812,000,000
Interest rate	5.875%	5.875%
Senior Notes \| 4.375% Senior Notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal amount at par		$ 1,000,000,000
Fair value		$ 1,016,000,000	915,000,000
Interest rate	4.375%	4.375%
Senior Notes \| 3.625% Senior Notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal amount at par	€ 1,300,000,000	$ 1,418,000,000
Fair value		$ 1,507,000,000	1,446,000,000
Interest rate	3.625%	3.625%
Senior Notes \| 4.875% Senior Notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal amount at par		$ 1,600,000,000
Fair value		$ 1,629,000,000	1,464,000,000
Interest rate	4.875%	4.875%
Senior Notes \| 5.875% Senior Notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal amount at par		$ 1,900,000,000
Fair value		$ 2,069,000,000	1,851,000,000
Interest rate	5.875%	5.875%
Senior Notes \| 4.625% Senior Notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal amount at par	€ 1,100,000,000	$ 1,199,000,000
Fair value		$ 1,336,000,000	1,241,000,000
Interest rate	4.625%	4.625%
Senior Notes \| 6.375% Senior Notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal amount at par		$ 800,000,000
Fair value		$ 888,000,000	797,000,000
Interest rate	6.375%	6.375%
Senior Notes \| 3.875% Senior Notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal amount at par	€ 1,200,000,000	$ 1,308,000,000
Fair value		$ 1,392,000,000	0
Interest rate	3.875%	3.875%
Senior Notes \| 5.375% Senior Notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal amount at par		$ 900,000,000
Fair value		$ 940,000,000	$ 0
Interest rate	5.375%	5.375%

Face (par) amount of debt instrument at time of issuance.

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 835
-SubTopic 30
-Section 45
-Paragraph 2
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=114775744&loc=d3e28551-108399

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 835
-SubTopic 30
-Section 55
-Paragraph 8
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=114775985&loc=d3e28878-108400

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentFaceAmount
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Contractual interest rate for funds borrowed, under the debt agreement.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.22(a)(1))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The fair value amount of long-term debt whether such amount is presented as a separate caption or as a parenthetical disclosure. Additionally, this element may be used in connection with the fair value disclosures required in the footnote disclosures to the financial statements. The element may be used in both the balance sheet and disclosure in the same submission.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LongTermDebtFairValue
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis=us-gaap_SeniorNotesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=nflx_FivePointThreeSevenFivePercentSeniorNotesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=nflx_FivePointFiveZeroPercentSeniorNotesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=nflx_FivePointSevenFivePercentSeniorNotesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=nflx_FivePointEightSevenFivePercentSeniorNotesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=nflx_FourPointThreeSevenFivePercentSeniorNotesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=nflx_ThreePointSixTwoFivePercentSeniorNotesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=nflx_FourPointEightSevenFivePercentSeniorNotesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=nflx_FivePointEightSevenFivePercentSeniorNotes2018Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=nflx_FourPointSixTwoFivePercentSeniorNotesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=nflx_SixPointThreeSevenFivePercentSeniorNotesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=nflx_ThreePointEightSevenFivePercentSeniorNotesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=nflx_FivePointThreeSevenFivePercentSeniorNotesIssuedApril2019Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: