Organization and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policy)	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2024
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Basis of Presentation	Basis of Presentation The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its wholly-owned subsidiaries. Intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated.
Use of Estimates	Use of Estimates The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP") in the United States of America requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting periods. Significant items subject to such estimates and assumptions include the content asset amortization policy and the recognition and measurement of income tax assets and liabilities. The Company bases its estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions that the Company believes to be reasonable under the circumstances. On an ongoing basis, the Company evaluates these assumptions, judgments and estimates. Actual results may differ from these estimates.
Recently issued accounting pronouncements not yet adopted and Recently adopted accounting pronouncements	Recently issued accounting pronouncements not yet adopted In December 2023, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2023-09, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures, which requires public entities, on an annual basis, to provide disclosure of specific categories in the rate reconciliation, as well as disclosure of income taxes paid disaggregated by jurisdiction. ASU 2023-09 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2024, with early adoption permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of adopting ASU 2023-09. In November 2024, the FASB issued ASU 2024-03, Income Statement-Reporting Comprehensive Income-Expense Disaggregation Disclosures (Subtopic 220-40): Disaggregation of Income Statement Expenses, requiring public entities to disclose additional information about specific expense categories in the notes to the financial statements on an interim and annual basis. ASU 2024-03 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2026, and for interim periods beginning after December 15, 2027, with early adoption permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of adopting ASU 2024-03. Recently adopted accounting pronouncements In November 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-07, Segment Reporting (Topic 280): Improvements to Reportable Segment Disclosures, requiring public entities to disclose information about their reportable segments’ significant expenses and other segment items on an interim and annual basis. Public entities with a single reportable segment are required to apply the disclosure requirements in ASU 2023-07, as well as all existing segment disclosures and reconciliation requirements in ASC 280 on an interim and annual basis. The Company adopted ASU 2023-07 during the year ended December 31, 2024. See Note 12 Segment and Geographic Information in the accompanying notes to the consolidated financial statements for further detail.
Cash Equivalents and Short-term Investments	Cash Equivalents and Short-term Investments The Company considers investments in instruments purchased with an original maturity of 90 days or less to be cash equivalents. The Company also classifies amounts in transit from payment processors for customer credit card and debit card transactions that it expects to settle within several days as cash equivalents. The Company classifies short-term investments, which consist of marketable securities with original maturities in excess of 90 days as available-for-sale. Short-term investments are reported at fair value, with allowances for credit losses included in “Interest and other income (expense)” in the Consolidated Statements of Operations and unrealized gains and losses included in “Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)” within Stockholders’ equity in the Consolidated Balance Sheets. The Company uses the specific identification method to determine cost in calculating realized gains and losses upon the sale of short-term investments. Short-term investments are reviewed periodically for allowances for credit losses and impairment. When evaluating the investments, the Company reviews factors such as the extent to which the fair value of the security is less than the amortized cost basis, adverse conditions specifically related to the security, the financial condition of the issuer, the Company’s intent to sell, and whether it would be more likely than not that the Company would be required to sell the investments before the recovery of their amortized cost basis.
Content	Content The Company acquires, licenses and produces content, including original programming, in order to offer members unlimited viewing of video entertainment. The content licenses are for a fixed fee and specific windows of availability. Payment terms for certain content licenses and the production of content require more upfront cash payments relative to the amortization expense. Payments for content, including additions to content assets and the changes in related liabilities, are classified within "Net cash provided by operating activities" on the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows. The Company recognizes content assets (licensed and produced) as “Content assets, net” on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. For licensed content, the Company capitalizes the fee per title and records a corresponding liability at the gross amount of the liability when the license period begins, the cost of the title is known and the title is accepted and available for streaming. For produced content, the Company capitalizes costs associated with the production, including development costs, direct costs and production overhead. Based on factors including historical and estimated viewing patterns, the Company amortizes the content assets (licensed and produced) in “Cost of revenues” on the Consolidated Statements of Operations over the shorter of each title's contractual window of availability or estimated period of use over ten years, beginning with the month of first availability. The amortization is on an accelerated basis, as the Company typically expects more upfront viewing, and film amortization is more accelerated than TV series amortization. On average, over 90% of a licensed or produced content asset is expected to be amortized within four years after its month of first availability. The Company reviews factors impacting the amortization of the content assets on a regular basis. The Company's estimates related to these factors require considerable management judgment. In the normal course of business, the Company, or a third-party producing content on the Company's behalf, may qualify for tax incentives through eligible spend on productions. The accounting for tax incentives is dependent on the particular type of incentive, including the nature of the benefit and the location the incentive is earned. In general, tax incentives are realized as cash receipts and may be received prior to or after a title launches on the Company’s service. Upon a title’s launch, any amounts the Company is eligible for through qualified production spend but has not received, are recognized in “Other current assets” or “Other non-current assets” on the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheets as receivables. Tax incentives are generally accounted for as a reduction to the cost basis of the Company’s content assets (presented in “Content assets, net”) and reduce content amortization over the life of the title (as presented in “Cost of revenues”) on the Consolidated Statements of Operations. The Company's business model is subscription based as opposed to a model generating revenues at a specific title level. Content assets (licensed and produced) are predominantly monetized as a group and therefore are reviewed in aggregate at a group level when an event or change in circumstances indicates a change in the expected usefulness of the content or that the fair value may be less than unamortized cost. To date, the Company has not identified any such event or changes in circumstances. If such changes are identified in the future, these aggregated content assets will be stated at the lower of unamortized cost or fair value. In addition, unamortized costs for assets that have been, or are expected to be, abandoned are written off.
Acquisitions	Acquisitions The Company uses its best estimates and assumptions to assign fair value to the tangible and intangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed at the acquisition date. In addition, uncertain tax positions, tax-related valuation allowances and pre-acquisition contingencies are initially recorded in connection with a business combination as of the acquisition date.
Property and Equipment	Property and Equipment Property and equipment are carried at cost less accumulated depreciation. Depreciation is calculated using the straight-line method over the shorter of the estimated useful lives of the respective assets, generally up to 30 years, or the expected lease term for leasehold improvements, if applicable.
Trade Receivables	Trade Receivables Trade receivables primarily consist of membership and advertising fees due to the Company. The Company evaluates the need for an allowance for credit losses based on historical collection trends, the financial condition of its payment partners, and external market factors.
Revenue Recognition	Revenue Recognition The Company's primary source of revenues is from monthly membership fees. Members are billed in advance of the start of their monthly membership and revenues are recognized ratably over each monthly membership period. Revenues are presented net of the taxes that are collected from members and remitted to governmental authorities. The Company is the principal in all its relationships where partners, including consumer electronics ("CE") manufacturers, multichannel video programming distributors ("MVPDs"), mobile operators and internet service providers ("ISPs"), provide access to the service as the Company retains control over service delivery to its members. In circumstances in which the price that the member pays is established by a partner and there is no standalone price for the Netflix service (for instance, in a bundle), the net amount collected from the partner is recognized as revenue. The Company also earns revenue from advertisements presented on its streaming service, consumer products, live events and various other sources. Revenues earned from sources other than monthly membership fees were not a material component of revenues for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023, and 2022.
Sales and Marketing	Sales and Marketing Sales and marketing expenses consist primarily of advertising expenses and certain payments made to marketing and advertising sales partners, including CE manufacturers, MVPDs, mobile operators and ISPs. Sales and marketing expenses also include payroll, stock-based compensation, facilities, and other related expenses for personnel that support the Company's advertising sales and marketing activities. Marketing expenses are expensed as incurred and include promotional activities such as digital and television advertising.
Income Taxes	Income Taxes The Company records a provision for income taxes for the anticipated tax consequences of the reported results of operations using the asset and liability method. Deferred income taxes are recognized by applying enacted statutory tax rates applicable to future years to differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases as well as net operating loss and tax credit carryforwards. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in income in the period that includes the enactment date. The measurement of deferred tax assets is reduced, if necessary, by a valuation allowance for any tax benefits for which future realization is uncertain. The Company accounts for the tax effects of global intangible low tax income as a current period expense. The Company does not recognize certain tax benefits from uncertain tax positions within the provision for income taxes. The Company may recognize a tax benefit only if it is more likely than not the tax position will be sustained on examination by the taxing authorities, based on the technical merits of the position. The tax benefits recognized in the financial statements from such positions are then measured based on the largest benefit that has a greater than 50% likelihood of being realized upon settlement. The Company recognizes interest and penalties related to uncertain tax positions in income tax expense.
Foreign Currency	Foreign Currency The functional currency for the Company's subsidiaries is determined based on the primary economic environment in which the subsidiary operates. The Company translates the assets and liabilities of its non-U.S. dollar functional currency subsidiaries into U.S. dollars using exchange rates in effect at the end of each period. Revenues and expenses for these subsidiaries are translated using rates that approximate those in effect during the period. Gains and losses from these translations are recognized in cumulative translation adjustment included in "Accumulated other comprehensive income" in Stockholders’ equity on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. The Company remeasures monetary assets and liabilities that are not denominated in the functional currency at exchange rates in effect at the end of each period. Gains and losses from these remeasurements are recognized in "Interest and other income (expense)" in the Consolidated Statements of Operations.
Derivative Financial Instruments and Hedging Activities	Derivative Financial Instruments and Hedging Activities The Company uses derivative and non-derivative instruments to manage foreign exchange risk related to its ongoing business operations with the primary objective of reducing earnings and cash flow volatility associated with fluctuations in foreign exchange rates. The Company recognizes derivative instruments at fair value as either assets (presented in “Other current assets” and “Other non-current assets”) or liabilities (presented in “Accrued expenses and other liabilities” and “Other non-current liabilities”) on the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheets. The Company classifies derivative instruments in the Level 2 category within the fair value hierarchy. Cash flow hedges The Company enters into forward contracts to manage the foreign exchange risk on forecasted revenue transactions denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar, as well as the foreign exchange risk on forecasted transactions and firm commitments related to the licensing and production of foreign currency-denominated content assets. These forward contracts are designated as cash flow hedges of foreign currency firm commitments and forecasted transactions and generally have maturities of 36 months or less. The hedging contracts may reduce, but do not entirely eliminate, the effect of foreign currency exchange movements, and the Company may choose not to hedge certain exposures. The gain or loss on derivative instruments designated as cash flow hedges of forecasted foreign currency revenue is initially reported as a component of accumulated other comprehensive income (“AOCI”) and reclassified into “Revenues” on the Consolidated Statements of Operations in the same period the forecasted transaction affects earnings. The gain or loss on derivative instruments designated as cash flow hedges of firmly committed or forecasted transactions related to the licensing and production of content assets is initially reported as a component of AOCI and reclassified into “Cost of Revenues” on the Consolidated Statements of Operations in the same period the hedged transaction affects earnings, which occurs as the underlying hedged content assets are amortized. Cash flows from hedging activities are classified in the same category as the cash flows for the underlying item being hedged within "Net cash provided by operating activities" on the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows. In the event that the likelihood of occurrence of the underlying forecasted transactions is determined to be probable not to occur, the gains or losses on the related cash flow hedges are reclassified from AOCI to “Interest and other income (expense)” in the Consolidated Statements of Operations in the period of dedesignation. Fair value hedges The Company designates forward contracts as fair value hedges to manage the foreign exchange risk on its foreign-currency denominated debt. These hedges may reduce, but do not entirely eliminate, the effect of foreign currency exchange movements, and the Company may choose not to hedge the full amount of its exposure. The gain or loss on derivative instruments designated as fair value hedges included in the assessment of hedge effectiveness is recognized in “Interest and other income (expense),” net with the offsetting foreign currency remeasurement gains and losses on the hedged items. The Company excludes forward points from the assessment of hedge effectiveness and recognizes the initial value of the excluded component over the life of the hedging instrument in “Interest and other income (expense)” on the Consolidated Statements of Operations. The difference between changes in fair value of the excluded component and the amount recognized in earnings is recognized as a component in AOCI. Cash flows from hedging activities are classified in the same category as the cash flows for the underlying item being hedged within "Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities" on the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows. Net investment hedges The Company designates a portion of its foreign currency-denominated debt as net investment hedges to manage the foreign exchange risk on its investment in certain foreign subsidiaries. These hedges may reduce, but do not entirely eliminate, the effect of foreign currency exchange movements, and the Company may choose not to hedge certain exposures. The gains or losses on these non-derivative instruments are reported as a component of AOCI as part of the cumulative translation adjustment on the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheets. The accumulated gains and losses remain in AOCI until the hedged net investment is sold or liquidated, at which point the amounts recognized in AOCI are reclassified into earnings. Derivative instruments not designated as hedging instruments The Company enters into forward contracts to manage the foreign exchange risk on intercompany transactions and monetary assets and liabilities that are not denominated in the functional currencies of the Company and its subsidiaries. These derivative instruments are not designated as hedging instruments and may reduce, but do not entirely eliminate, the effect of foreign currency exchange movements. The gains or losses on derivative instruments not designated as hedging instruments are recorded in “Interest and other income (expense)” in the Consolidated Statements of Operations. Cash flows related to these derivative instruments are classified within "Net cash provided by operating activities" on the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows. See Note 7 Derivative Financial Instruments and Hedging Activities to the consolidated financial statements for further information regarding the Company’s derivative and non-derivative financial instruments.
Stock-Based Compensation	Stock-Based Compensation The Company grants non-qualified stock options to its employees on a monthly basis. For certain executive officers, the Company grants restricted stock units ("RSUs") and performance-based restricted stock units ("PSUs"). Stock-based compensation expense is based on the fair value of the stock awards at the grant date and is recognized, net of forfeitures, over the requisite service period.

Organization and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policy)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2024

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its wholly-owned subsidiaries. Intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP") in the United States of America requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting periods. Significant items subject to such estimates and assumptions include the content asset amortization policy and the recognition and measurement of income tax assets and liabilities. The Company bases its estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions that the Company believes to be reasonable under the circumstances. On an ongoing basis, the Company evaluates these assumptions, judgments and estimates. Actual results may differ from these estimates.

Recently issued accounting pronouncements not yet adopted and Recently adopted accounting pronouncements

Recently issued accounting pronouncements not yet adopted

In December 2023, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2023-09, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures, which requires public entities, on an annual basis, to provide disclosure of specific categories in the rate reconciliation, as well as disclosure of income taxes paid disaggregated by jurisdiction. ASU 2023-09 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2024, with early adoption permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of adopting ASU 2023-09.

In November 2024, the FASB issued ASU 2024-03, Income Statement-Reporting Comprehensive Income-Expense Disaggregation Disclosures (Subtopic 220-40): Disaggregation of Income Statement Expenses, requiring public entities to disclose additional information about specific expense categories in the notes to the financial statements on an interim and annual basis. ASU 2024-03 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2026, and for interim periods beginning after December 15, 2027, with early adoption permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of adopting ASU 2024-03.

Recently adopted accounting pronouncements

In November 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-07, Segment Reporting (Topic 280): Improvements to Reportable Segment Disclosures, requiring public entities to disclose information about their reportable segments’ significant expenses and other segment items on an interim and annual basis. Public entities with a single reportable segment are required to apply the disclosure requirements in ASU 2023-07, as well as all existing segment disclosures and reconciliation requirements in ASC 280 on an interim and annual basis. The Company adopted ASU 2023-07 during the year ended December 31, 2024. See Note 12 Segment and Geographic Information in the accompanying notes to the consolidated financial statements for further detail.

Cash Equivalents and Short-term Investments

The Company considers investments in instruments purchased with an original maturity of 90 days or less to be cash equivalents. The Company also classifies amounts in transit from payment processors for customer credit card and debit card transactions that it expects to settle within several days as cash equivalents.

The Company classifies short-term investments, which consist of marketable securities with original maturities in excess of 90 days as available-for-sale. Short-term investments are reported at fair value, with allowances for credit losses included in “Interest and other income (expense)” in the Consolidated Statements of Operations and unrealized gains and losses included in “Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)” within Stockholders’ equity in the Consolidated Balance Sheets. The Company uses the specific identification method to determine cost in calculating realized gains and losses upon the sale of short-term investments.

Short-term investments are reviewed periodically for allowances for credit losses and impairment. When evaluating the investments, the Company reviews factors such as the extent to which the fair value of the security is less than the amortized cost basis, adverse conditions specifically related to the security, the financial condition of the issuer, the Company’s intent to sell, and whether it would be more likely than not that the Company would be required to sell the investments before the recovery of their amortized cost basis.

Content

The Company acquires, licenses and produces content, including original programming, in order to offer members unlimited viewing of video entertainment. The content licenses are for a fixed fee and specific windows of availability. Payment terms for certain content licenses and the production of content require more upfront cash payments relative to the amortization expense. Payments for content, including additions to content assets and the changes in related liabilities, are classified within "Net cash provided by operating activities" on the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows.

The Company recognizes content assets (licensed and produced) as “Content assets, net” on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. For licensed content, the Company capitalizes the fee per title and records a corresponding liability at the gross amount of the liability when the license period begins, the cost of the title is known and the title is accepted and available for streaming. For produced content, the Company capitalizes costs associated with the production, including development costs, direct costs and production overhead.

Based on factors including historical and estimated viewing patterns, the Company amortizes the content assets (licensed and produced) in “Cost of revenues” on the Consolidated Statements of Operations over the shorter of each title's contractual window of availability or estimated period of use over ten years, beginning with the month of first availability. The amortization is on an accelerated basis, as the Company typically expects more upfront viewing, and film amortization is more accelerated than TV series amortization. On average, over 90% of a licensed or produced content asset is expected to be amortized within four years after its month of first availability. The Company reviews factors impacting the amortization of the content assets on a regular basis. The Company's estimates related to these factors require considerable management judgment.

In the normal course of business, the Company, or a third-party producing content on the Company's behalf, may qualify for tax incentives through eligible spend on productions. The accounting for tax incentives is dependent on the particular type of incentive, including the nature of the benefit and the location the incentive is earned. In general, tax incentives are realized as cash receipts and may be received prior to or after a title launches on the Company’s service. Upon a title’s launch, any amounts the Company is eligible for through qualified production spend but has not received, are recognized in “Other current assets” or “Other non-current assets” on the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheets as receivables. Tax incentives are generally accounted for as a reduction to the cost basis of the Company’s content assets (presented in “Content assets, net”) and reduce content amortization over the life of the title (as presented in “Cost of revenues”) on the Consolidated Statements of Operations.

The Company's business model is subscription based as opposed to a model generating revenues at a specific title level. Content assets (licensed and produced) are predominantly monetized as a group and therefore are reviewed in aggregate at a group level when an event or change in circumstances indicates a change in the expected usefulness of the content or that the fair value may be less than unamortized cost. To date, the Company has not identified any such event or changes in circumstances. If such changes are identified in the future, these aggregated content assets will be stated at the lower of unamortized cost or fair value. In addition, unamortized costs for assets that have been, or are expected to be, abandoned are written off.

Acquisitions

The Company uses its best estimates and assumptions to assign fair value to the tangible and intangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed at the acquisition date. In addition, uncertain tax positions, tax-related valuation allowances and pre-acquisition contingencies are initially recorded in connection with a business combination as of the acquisition date.

Property and Equipment

Property and equipment are carried at cost less accumulated depreciation. Depreciation is calculated using the straight-line method over the shorter of the estimated useful lives of the respective assets, generally up to 30 years, or the expected lease term for leasehold improvements, if applicable.

Trade Receivables

Trade receivables primarily consist of membership and advertising fees due to the Company. The Company evaluates the need for an allowance for credit losses based on historical collection trends, the financial condition of its payment partners, and external market factors.

Revenue Recognition

The Company's primary source of revenues is from monthly membership fees. Members are billed in advance of the start of their monthly membership and revenues are recognized ratably over each monthly membership period. Revenues are presented net of the taxes that

are collected from members and remitted to governmental authorities. The Company is the principal in all its relationships where partners, including consumer electronics ("CE") manufacturers, multichannel video programming distributors ("MVPDs"), mobile operators and internet service providers ("ISPs"), provide access to the service as the Company retains control over service delivery to its members. In circumstances in which the price that the member pays is established by a partner and there is no standalone price for the Netflix service (for instance, in a bundle), the net amount collected from the partner is recognized as revenue.

The Company also earns revenue from advertisements presented on its streaming service, consumer products, live events and various other sources. Revenues earned from sources other than monthly membership fees were not a material component of revenues for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023, and 2022.

Sales and Marketing

Sales and marketing expenses consist primarily of advertising expenses and certain payments made to marketing and advertising sales partners, including CE manufacturers, MVPDs, mobile operators and ISPs. Sales and marketing expenses also include payroll, stock-based compensation, facilities, and other related expenses for personnel that support the Company's advertising sales and marketing activities. Marketing expenses are expensed as incurred and include promotional activities such as digital and television advertising.

Income Taxes

The Company records a provision for income taxes for the anticipated tax consequences of the reported results of operations using the asset and liability method. Deferred income taxes are recognized by applying enacted statutory tax rates applicable to future years to differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases as well as net operating loss and tax credit carryforwards. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in income in the period that includes the enactment date. The measurement of deferred tax assets is reduced, if necessary, by a valuation allowance for any tax benefits for which future realization is uncertain. The Company accounts for the tax effects of global intangible low tax income as a current period expense.

The Company does not recognize certain tax benefits from uncertain tax positions within the provision for income taxes. The Company may recognize a tax benefit only if it is more likely than not the tax position will be sustained on examination by the taxing authorities, based on the technical merits of the position. The tax benefits recognized in the financial statements from such positions are then measured based on the largest benefit that has a greater than 50% likelihood of being realized upon settlement. The Company recognizes interest and penalties related to uncertain tax positions in income tax expense.

Foreign Currency

The functional currency for the Company's subsidiaries is determined based on the primary economic environment in which the subsidiary operates. The Company translates the assets and liabilities of its non-U.S. dollar functional currency subsidiaries into U.S. dollars using exchange rates in effect at the end of each period. Revenues and expenses for these subsidiaries are translated using rates that approximate those in effect during the period. Gains and losses from these translations are recognized in cumulative translation adjustment included in "Accumulated other comprehensive income" in Stockholders’ equity on the Consolidated Balance Sheets.

The Company remeasures monetary assets and liabilities that are not denominated in the functional currency at exchange rates in effect at the end of each period. Gains and losses from these remeasurements are recognized in "Interest and other income (expense)" in the Consolidated Statements of Operations.

Derivative Financial Instruments and Hedging Activities

The Company uses derivative and non-derivative instruments to manage foreign exchange risk related to its ongoing business operations with the primary objective of reducing earnings and cash flow volatility associated with fluctuations in foreign exchange rates.

The Company recognizes derivative instruments at fair value as either assets (presented in “Other current assets” and “Other non-current assets”) or liabilities (presented in “Accrued expenses and other liabilities” and “Other non-current liabilities”) on the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheets. The Company classifies derivative instruments in the Level 2 category within the fair value hierarchy.

Cash flow hedges

The Company enters into forward contracts to manage the foreign exchange risk on forecasted revenue transactions denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar, as well as the foreign exchange risk on forecasted transactions and firm commitments related to the licensing and production of foreign currency-denominated content assets. These forward contracts are designated as cash flow hedges of foreign currency firm commitments and forecasted transactions and generally have maturities of 36 months or less. The hedging contracts may reduce, but do not entirely eliminate, the effect of foreign currency exchange movements, and the Company may choose not to hedge certain exposures.

The gain or loss on derivative instruments designated as cash flow hedges of forecasted foreign currency revenue is initially reported as a component of accumulated other comprehensive income (“AOCI”) and reclassified into “Revenues” on the Consolidated Statements of Operations in the same period the forecasted transaction affects earnings. The gain or loss on derivative instruments designated as cash flow hedges of firmly committed or forecasted transactions related to the licensing and production of content assets is initially reported as a component of AOCI and reclassified into “Cost of Revenues” on the Consolidated Statements of Operations in the same period the hedged transaction affects earnings, which occurs as the underlying hedged content assets are amortized. Cash flows from hedging activities are classified in the same category as the cash flows for the underlying item being hedged within "Net cash provided by operating activities" on the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows.

In the event that the likelihood of occurrence of the underlying forecasted transactions is determined to be probable not to occur, the gains or losses on the related cash flow hedges are reclassified from AOCI to “Interest and other income (expense)” in the Consolidated Statements of Operations in the period of dedesignation.

Fair value hedges

The Company designates forward contracts as fair value hedges to manage the foreign exchange risk on its foreign-currency denominated debt. These hedges may reduce, but do not entirely eliminate, the effect of foreign currency exchange movements, and the Company may choose not to hedge the full amount of its exposure. The gain or loss on derivative instruments designated as fair value hedges included in the assessment of hedge effectiveness is recognized in “Interest and other income (expense),” net with the offsetting foreign currency remeasurement gains and losses on the hedged items. The Company excludes forward points from the assessment of hedge effectiveness and recognizes the initial value of the excluded component over the life of the hedging instrument in “Interest and other income (expense)” on the Consolidated Statements of Operations. The difference between changes in fair value of the excluded component and the amount recognized in earnings is recognized as a component in AOCI. Cash flows from hedging activities are classified in the same category as the cash flows for the underlying item being hedged within "Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities" on the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows.

Net investment hedges

The Company designates a portion of its foreign currency-denominated debt as net investment hedges to manage the foreign exchange risk on its investment in certain foreign subsidiaries. These hedges may reduce, but do not entirely eliminate, the effect of foreign currency exchange movements, and the Company may choose not to hedge certain exposures. The gains or losses on these non-derivative instruments are reported as a component of AOCI as part of the cumulative translation adjustment on the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheets. The accumulated gains and losses remain in AOCI until the hedged net investment is sold or liquidated, at which point the amounts recognized in AOCI are reclassified into earnings.

Derivative instruments not designated as hedging instruments

The Company enters into forward contracts to manage the foreign exchange risk on intercompany transactions and monetary assets and liabilities that are not denominated in the functional currencies of the Company and its subsidiaries. These derivative instruments are not designated as hedging instruments and may reduce, but do not entirely eliminate, the effect of foreign currency exchange movements. The gains or losses on derivative instruments not designated as hedging instruments are recorded in “Interest and other income (expense)” in the Consolidated Statements of Operations. Cash flows related to these derivative instruments are classified within "Net cash provided by operating activities" on the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows.

See Note 7 Derivative Financial Instruments and Hedging Activities to the consolidated financial statements for further information regarding the Company’s derivative and non-derivative financial instruments.

Stock-Based Compensation

The Company grants non-qualified stock options to its employees on a monthly basis. For certain executive officers, the Company grants restricted stock units ("RSUs") and performance-based restricted stock units ("PSUs"). Stock-based compensation expense is based on the fair value of the stock awards at the grant date and is recognized, net of forfeitures, over the requisite service period.