NETFLIX INC, 10-Q filed on 4/27/2011
Quarterly Report
Document and Entity Information
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2011
Document and Entity Information
 
Document Type
10-Q 
Amendment Flag
FALSE 
Document Period End Date
2011-03-31 
Document Fiscal Year Focus
2011 
Document Fiscal Period Focus
Q1 
Entity Registrant Name
NETFLIX INC 
Entity Central Index Key
0001065280 
Current Fiscal Year End Date
12/31 
Entity Filer Category
Large Accelerated Filer 
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding
52,519,159 
Consolidated Statements of Operations (USD $)
In Thousands, except Per Share data
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31,
2011
2010
Consolidated Statements of Operations
 
 
Revenues
$ 718,553 
$ 493,665 
Cost of revenues:
 
 
Subscription
376,992 
259,560 
Fulfillment expenses
61,159 
47,602 
Total cost of revenues
438,151 
307,162 
Gross profit
280,402 
186,503 
Operating expenses:
 
 
Technology and development
50,905 
37,399 
Marketing
104,259 
75,219 
General and administrative
22,998 
15,540 
Total operating expenses
178,162 
128,158 
Operating income
102,240 
58,345 
Other income (expense):
 
 
Interest expense
(4,865)
(4,959)
Interest and other income
865 
972 
Income before income taxes
98,240 
54,358 
Provision for income taxes
38,007 
22,086 
Net income
60,233 
32,272 
Net income per share:
 
 
Basic
1.14 
0.61 
Diluted
$ 1.11 
$ 0.59 
Weighted average common shares outstanding:
 
 
Basic
52,759 
52,911 
Diluted
54,246 
54,775 
Consolidated Balance Sheets (USD $)
In Thousands
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2011
Year Ended
Dec. 31, 2010
Current assets:
 
 
Cash and cash equivalents
$ 150,419 
$ 194,499 
Short-term investments
192,302 
155,888 
Current content library, net
265,933 
181,006 
Prepaid content
74,597 
62,217 
Other current assets
38,351 
47,357 
Total current assets
721,602 
640,967 
Content library, net
197,554 
180,973 
Property and equipment, net
134,800 
128,570 
Deferred tax assets
22,452 
17,467 
Other non-current assets
13,780 
14,090 
Total assets
1,090,188 
982,067 
Current liabilities:
 
 
Accounts payable
301,009 
222,824 
Accrued expenses
44,123 
36,489 
Current portion of lease financing obligations
2,141 
2,083 
Deferred revenue
143,045 
127,183 
Total current liabilities
490,318 
388,579 
Long-term debt
200,000 
200,000 
Lease financing obligations, excluding current portion
33,564 
34,123 
Other non-current liabilities
90,584 
69,201 
Total liabilities
814,466 
691,903 
Commitments and contingencies (Note 9)
 
 
Stockholders' equity:
 
 
Common stock, $0.001 par value; 160,000,000 shares authorized at March 31, 2011 and December 31, 2010; 52,519,159 and 52,781,949 issued and outstanding at March 31, 2011 and December 31, 2010, respectively
52 
53 
Additional paid-in capital
 
51,622 
Accumulated other comprehensive income, net
590 
750 
Retained earnings
275,080 
237,739 
Total stockholders' equity
275,722 
290,164 
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity
$ 1,090,188 
$ 982,067 
Consolidated Balance Sheets (Parenthetical) (USD $)
Mar. 31, 2011
Dec. 31, 2010
Consolidated Balance Sheets
 
 
Common stock, par value
$ 0.001 
$ 0.001 
Common stock, shares authorized
160,000,000 
160,000,000 
Common stock, shares issued
52,519,159 
52,781,949 
Common stock, shares outstanding
52,519,159 
52,781,949 
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (USD $)
In Thousands
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31,
2011
2010
Cash flows from operating activities:
 
 
Net income
$ 60,233 
$ 32,272 
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
 
 
Acquisition of streaming content library
(192,307)
(50,475)
Amortization of content library
112,927 
62,292 
Depreciation and amortization of property, equipment, and intangibles
9,826 
10,859 
Stock-based compensation expense
12,264 
5,502 
Excess tax benefits from stock-based compensation
(15,654)
(7,424)
Other non-cash income
(925)
(3,160)
Deferred taxes
(4,982)
(2,761)
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
 
 
Prepaid content
(12,380)
(4,963)
Other current assets
9,084 
548 
Accounts payable
77,963 
17,340 
Accrued expenses
22,670 
13,746 
Deferred revenue
15,862 
12 
Other non-current assets and liabilities
21,742 
3,417 
Net cash provided by operating activities
116,323 
77,205 
Cash flows from investing activities:
 
 
Acquisition of DVD content library
(22,119)
(36,902)
Purchases of short-term investments
(52,266)
(35,995)
Proceeds from sale of short-term investments
14,961 
30,770 
Proceeds from maturities of short-term investments
650 
4,013 
Purchases of property and equipment
(16,320)
(6,393)
Other assets
1,419 
3,682 
Net cash used in investing activities
(73,675)
(40,825)
Cash flows from financing activities:
 
 
Principal payments of lease financing obligations
(501)
(361)
Proceeds from issuance of common stock
6,762 
9,918 
Excess tax benefits from stock-based compensation
15,654 
7,424 
Repurchases of common stock
(108,643)
(107,724)
Net cash used in financing activities
(86,728)
(90,743)
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents
(44,080)
(54,363)
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period
194,499 
134,224 
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period
$ 150,419 
$ 79,861 
Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
 

1. Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

The accompanying consolidated interim financial statements of Netflix, Inc. and its wholly owned subsidiaries (the "Company") have been prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States ("U.S.") and are consistent in all material respects with those applied in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010. The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP") requires management to make estimates and judgments that affect the amounts reported in the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. Significant items subject to such estimates and assumptions include the amortization methodology of the Company's content library, the valuation of stock-based compensation 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. The actual results experienced by the Company may differ from management's estimates.

The interim financial information is unaudited, but reflects all normal recurring adjustments that are, in the opinion of management, necessary to fairly present the information set forth herein. The interim financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited financial statements and related notes included in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") on February 18, 2011. Interim results are not necessarily indicative of the results for a full year.

The Company is organized into two operating segments: Domestic (which includes the United States) and International. See Note 10 for further information about the Company's operating segments.

Certain prior period amounts have been reclassified to conform to current period presentation. These reclassifications did not impact any prior amounts of reported total assets or total liabilities, and did not impact stockholders' equity, results of operations or cash flows.

There have been no material changes in the Company's significant accounting policies as compared to the significant accounting policies described in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010.

Net Income Per Share
Net Income Per Share
 

2. Net Income Per Share

Basic net income per share is computed using the weighted-average number of outstanding shares of common stock during the period. Diluted net income per share is computed using the weighted-average number of outstanding shares of common stock and, when dilutive, potential common shares outstanding during the period. Potential common shares consist of incremental shares issuable upon the assumed exercise of stock options and shares currently purchasable pursuant to the Company's employee stock purchase plan using the treasury stock method. The computation of net income per share is as follows:

 

     Three months ended  
     March 31, 2011      March 31, 2010  
     (in thousands, except per share data)  

Basic earnings per share:

     

Net income

   $ 60,233       $ 32,272   

Shares used in computation:

     

Weighted-average common shares outstanding

     52,759         52,911   
                 

Basic earnings per share

   $ 1.14       $ 0.61   
                 

Diluted earnings per share:

     

Net income

   $ 60,233       $ 32,272   

Shares used in computation:

     

Weighted-average common shares outstanding

     52,759         52,911   

Employee stock options and employee stock purchase plan shares

     1,487         1,864   
                 

Weighted-average number of shares

     54,246         54,775   
                 

Diluted earnings per share

   $ 1.11       $ 0.59   
                 

 

Employee stock options with exercise prices greater than the average market price of the common stock during the period were excluded from the diluted calculation as their inclusion would have been anti-dilutive. The number of options excluded is immaterial for all periods presented.

Short-Term Investments and Fair Value Measurement
Short-Term Investments and Fair Value Measurement
 

3. Short-Term Investments and Fair Value Measurement

The Company's investment policy is consistent with the definition of available-for-sale securities. The Company does not buy and hold securities principally for the purpose of selling them in the near future. The Company's policy is focused on the preservation of capital, liquidity and return. From time to time, the Company may sell certain securities but the objectives are generally not to generate profits on short-term differences in price. The following table summarizes, by major security type, our assets that are measured at fair value on a recurring basis and are categorized using the fair value hierarchy:

 

     March 31,2011  
     Amortized
Cost
     Gross
Unrealized
Gains
     Gross
Unrealized
Losses
    Estimated
Fair Value
 
     (in thousands)  

Cash

   $ 135,887       $ —         $ —        $ 135,887   

Level 1 securities (1):

          

Money market funds

     4,996         —           —          4,996   

Level 2 securities (2):

          

Corporate debt securities

     113,384         825         (140     114,069   

Government and agency securities

     90,921         311         (117     91,115   

Asset and mortgage-backed securities

     1,158         58         —          1,216   
                                  
   $ 346,346       $ 1,194       $ (257   $ 347,283   
                                  

Less: Long-term restricted cash (1)

             (4,562
                

Total cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments

           $ 342,721   
                

 

     December 31, 2010  
     Amortized
Cost
     Gross
Unrealized
Gains
     Gross
Unrealized
Losses
    Estimated
Fair Value
 
     (in thousands)  

Cash

   $ 194,146       $ —         $ —        $ 194,146   

Level 1 securities (1):

          

Money market funds

     4,914         —           —          4,914   

Level 2 securities (3):

          

Corporate debt securities

     109,745         1,043         (101     110,687   

Government and agency securities

     42,062         331         (101     42,292   

Asset and mortgage-backed securities

     2,881         168         (140     2,909   
                                  
   $ 353,748       $ 1,542       $ (342     354,948   
                                  

Less: Long-term restricted cash (1)

             (4,561
                

Total cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments

           $ 350,387   
                

 

(1) Includes $0.4 million that is included in cash and cash equivalents in the Company's consolidated balance sheets and $4.6 million of long-term restricted cash that is included in other non-current assets in the Company's consolidated balance sheets as these funds represent restricted cash related to workers compensation deposits.

 

(2) Includes $14.1 million that is included in cash and cash equivalents in the Company's consolidated balance sheets and $192.3 million included in short-term investments in the Company's consolidated balance sheets.
(3) Included in short-term investments in the Company's consolidated balance sheets.

Fair value is a market-based measurement that should be determined based on the assumptions that market participants would use in pricing an asset or liability. The hierarchy level assigned to each security in the Company's available-for-sale portfolio and cash equivalents is based on its assessment of the transparency and reliability of the inputs used in the valuation of such instrument at the measurement date. The fair value of available-for-sale securities included in the Level 1 category is based on quoted prices that are readily and regularly available in an active market. The fair value of available-for-sale securities and cash equivalents included in the Level 2 category is based on observable inputs, such as quoted prices for similar assets at the measurement date; quoted prices in markets that are not active; or other inputs that are observable, either directly or indirectly. These values were obtained from an independent pricing service and were evaluated using pricing models that vary by asset class and may incorporate available trade, bid and other market information and price quotes from well established independent pricing vendors and broker-dealers. Our procedures include controls to ensure that appropriate fair values are recorded such as comparing prices obtained from multiple independent sources. See Note 4 for further information regarding the fair value of the Company's 8.50% senior notes.

Because the Company does not intend to sell the investments that are in an unrealized loss position and it is not likely that the Company will be required to sell any investments before recovery of their amortized cost basis, the Company does not consider those investments with an unrealized loss to be other-than-temporarily impaired at March 31, 2011. There were no material other-than-temporary impairments or credit losses related to available-for-sale securities in the three months ended March 31, 2011 and 2010. In addition, there were no material gross realized gains or losses in the three months ended March 31, 2011 and 2010.

The estimated fair value of short-term investments by contractual maturity as of March 31, 2011 is as follows:

 

     (in thousands)  

Due within one year

   $ 35,219   

Due after one year and through 5 years

     155,866   

Due after 5 years and through 10 years

     —     

Due after 10 years

     1,217   
        

Total short-term investments

   $ 192,302   
        

 

Long-term Debt
Long-term Debt
 4. Long-term Debt

As of March 31, 2011, the Company had $200.0 million of long-term debt outstanding. The debt consists of $200.0 million aggregate principal amount of 8.50% senior notes due November 15, 2017 (the "Notes"). Interest on the Notes is payable semi-annually at a rate of 8.50% per annum on May 15 and November 15 of each year, commencing on May 15, 2010.

The Notes include, among other terms and conditions, limitations on the Company's ability to create, incur, assume or be liable for indebtedness (other than specified types of permitted indebtedness); dispose of assets outside the ordinary course (subject to specified exceptions); acquire, merge or consolidate with or into another person or entity (other than specified types of permitted acquisitions); create, incur or allow any lien on any of its property or assign any right to receive income (except for specified permitted liens); make investments (other than specified types of investments); or pay dividends, make distributions, or purchase or redeem our equity interests (each subject to specified exceptions). At March 31, 2011 and December 31, 2010, the Company was in compliance with these covenants.

Based on quoted market prices, the fair value of the Notes as of March 31, 2011 and December 31, 2010 was approximately $225.3 million and $225.0 million, respectively.

Balance Sheet Components
Balance Sheet Components
 

5. Balance Sheet Components

Content Library, Net

Content library and accumulated amortization are as follows:

 

     As of  
     March 31,
2011
    December 31,
2010
 
     (in thousands)  

DVD content library, gross

   $ 615,908      $ 627,392   

Streaming content library, gross

     605,355        441,637   
                

Content library, gross

     1,221,263        1,069,029   

Less: accumulated amortization

     (757,776     (707,050
                

Total content library, net

     463,487        361,979   

Less: Current content library, net

     265,933        181,006   
                

Content library, net

   $ 197,554      $ 180,973   
                

 

Property and Equipment, Net

Property and equipment and accumulated depreciation are as follows:

 

            As of  
            March 31,
2011
    December 31,
2010
 
            (in thousands)  

Computer equipment

     3 years       $ 59,984      $ 60,289   

Operations and other equipment

     5 years         91,527        72,368   

Software, including internal-use software

     3 years         27,911        26,961   

Furniture and fixtures

     3 years         12,333        11,438   

Building

     30 years         40,681        40,681   

Leasehold improvements

     Over life of lease         38,354        36,530   

Capital work-in-progress

        5,720        16,882   
                   

Property and equipment, gross

        276,510        265,149   

Less: Accumulated depreciation

        (141,710     (136,579
                   

Property and equipment, net

      $ 134,800      $ 128,570   
                   

Capital work-in-progress as of March 31, 2011 consists primarily of approximately $5.5 million of operations equipment not yet placed in service.

Other Non-Current Liabilities

Other non-current liabilities consisted of the following:

 

     As of  
     March 31,
2011
     December 31,
2010
 
     (in thousands)  

Accrued content acquisition costs

   $ 67,119       $ 48,179   

Other

     23,465         21,022   
                 

Other non-current liabilities

   $ 90,584       $ 69,201   
                 

 

Other Comprehensive Income
Other Comprehensive Income
 6. Other Comprehensive Income

Comprehensive income was $60.1 million and $32.5 million for the three months ended March 31, 2011 and 2010, respectively. The primary difference between net income as reported and comprehensive income is unrealized gains and losses on available-for-sale securities, net of tax.

 

Stockholders' Equity
Stockholders' Equity
 

7. Stockholders' Equity

Stock Repurchases

Under the current stock repurchase plan, announced on June 11, 2010, the Company is authorized to repurchase up to $300 million of its common stock through the end of 2012. During the three months ended March 31, 2011, the Company repurchased 501,847 shares at an average price of $216 per share for an aggregate amount of $108.6 million. As of March 31, 2011, $132.0 million of this authorization is remaining. The timing and actual number of shares repurchased will depend on various factors including price, corporate and regulatory requirements, debt covenant requirements, alternative investment opportunities and other market conditions.

Shares repurchased by the Company are accounted for when the transaction is settled. As of March 31, 2011, there were 36,000 unsettled share repurchases at a total cost of $8.5 million. Shares repurchased and retired are deducted from common stock for par value and from additional paid in capital for the excess over par value. If additional paid in capital has been exhausted, the excess over par value is deducted from retained earnings. Direct costs incurred to acquire the shares are included in the total cost of the shares. During the quarter ended March 31, 2011, $22.9 million was deducted from retained earnings related to share repurchases.

Stock-Based Compensation

A summary of the activity related to the Company's stock option plans during the three months ended March 31, 2011 is as follows:

 

           Options Outstanding      Weighted-Average
Remaining
Contractual Term
(in Years)
     Aggregate
Intrinsic Value
(in Thousands)
 
     Shares
Available
for Grant
    Number of
Shares
    Weighted-Average
Exercise Price
               

Balances as of December 31, 2010

     2,038,502        2,892,130      $ 36.11         

Granted

     (112,294     112,294        201.07         

Exercised

     —          (239,057     28.28         
                        

Balances as of March 31, 2011

     1,926,208        2,765,367        43.48         5.88       $ 537,298   
                        

Vested and exercisable at March 31, 2011

       2,765,367        43.48         5.88       $ 537,298   
                  

The aggregate intrinsic value in the table above represents the total pretax intrinsic value (the difference between the Company's closing stock price on the last trading day of the first quarter of 2011 and the exercise price, multiplied by the number of in-the-money options) that would have been received by the option holders had all option holders exercised their options on March 31, 2011. This amount changes based on the fair market value of the Company's common stock. Total intrinsic value of options exercised for the three months ended March 31, 2011 and 2010 was $44.1 million and $22.8 million, respectively.

Cash received from option exercises for the three months ended March 31, 2011 and 2010 was $6.8 million and $9.9 million, respectively.

The following table summarizes the assumptions used to value stock option grants using the lattice-binomial model:

 

     Three Months Ended  
     March 31,
2011
    March 31,
2010
 

Dividend yield

     0     0

Expected volatility

     52     46

Risk-free interest rate

     3.42     3.67

Suboptimal exercise factor

     2.17-3.39        1.78-2.15   

In the three months ended March 31, 2011, the Company used a suboptimal exercise factor of 3.39 for executives and 2.17, for non-executives, resulting in a calculated expected life of the option grants of eight years for executives and five years for non-executives. In the three months ended March 31, 2010, the Company used a suboptimal exercise factor of 2.15 for executives and 1.78 for non-executives, resulting in a calculated expected life of the option grants of five years for executives and four years for non-executives.

The weighted-average fair value of employee stock options granted during the three months ended March 31, 2011 and 2010 was $109.21 and $27.59 per share, respectively.

 

The following table summarizes stock-based compensation expense, net of tax, related to stock option plans and employee stock purchases for the three months ended March 31, 2011 and 2010 which was allocated as follows:

 

     Three Months Ended  
     March 31,
2011
    March 31,
2010
 
     (in thousands)  

Fulfillment expense

   $ 560      $ 176   

Technology and development

     5,292        1,869   

Marketing

     1,249        643   

General and administrative

     5,163        2,814   
                

Stock-based compensation expense before income taxes

     12,264        5,502   

Income tax benefit

     (4,744     (2,234 )
                

Total stock-based compensation after income taxes

   $ 7,520      $ 3,268   
                

 

Income Taxes
Income Taxes
 

8. Income Taxes

The effective tax rates for the three months ended March 31, 2011 and 2010 were 38.7% and 40.6%, respectively. As of December 31, 2010, the Company had $20.7 million of gross unrecognized tax benefits. During the three months ended March 31, 2011, the Company had an increase in gross unrecognized tax benefits of approximately $1.9 million. The gross uncertain tax positions, if recognized by the Company, will result in a reduction of approximately $18.5 million to the provision for income taxes thereby favorably impacting the Company's effective tax rate. The Company's unrecognized tax benefits are classified as other non-current liabilities in the consolidated balance sheet. Income tax benefits attributable to the exercise of employee stock options of $15.1 million and $7.4 million, during the three month period ended March 31, 2011 and 2010, respectively, were recorded directly to additional paid-in-capital.

The Company includes interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits within the provision for income taxes. As of March 31, 2011, the total amount of gross interest and penalties accrued was $2.0 million, which is classified as non-current liabilities in the consolidated balance sheet.

The Company files U.S. federal and state tax returns. The Company is currently under examination by the IRS for the years 2008 and 2009. The years 1997 through 2007 (which represent approximately $3.5 million of the gross unrecognized tax benefit) remain subject to examination by the IRS but the statute of limitations for these years expires in 2011. The Company is currently under examination by the state of California for the years 2006 and 2007. The years 1997 through 2005, as well as 2008 and 2009, remain subject to examination by the state of California.

Given the potential outcome of the current examinations as well as the impact of the current examinations on the potential expiration of the statute of limitations, it is reasonably possible that the balance of unrecognized tax benefits could significantly change within the next twelve months. However, at this time, an estimate of the range of reasonably possible adjustments to the balance of unrecognized tax benefits cannot be made.

Commitments and Contingencies
Commitments and Contingencies
 9. Commitments and Contingencies

Streaming Content

The Company had $1,634.0 million and $1,075.2 million of commitments at March 31, 2011 and December 31, 2010, respectively, related to streaming content license agreements that do not meet content library recognition criteria. The expected timing of payments for these commitments ranges from less than one year to more than 5 years. The license agreements do not meet content library recognition criteria because either the fee is not known or reasonably determinable for a specific title or it is known but the title is not yet available for streaming to subscribers.

The Company also has entered into certain license agreements that include an unspecified or a maximum number of titles that the Company may or may not receive in the future and /or that include pricing contingent upon certain variables, such as domestic theatrical exhibition receipts for the title. As of the reporting date, it is unknown whether the Company will receive access to these titles or what the ultimate price per title will be. However such amounts, which are not included in the commitments described above, are expected to be significant.

The Company has a license with a certain performing rights organization ("PRO"), and is currently involved in negotiations with other PROs, that hold certain rights to music used in connection with streaming content. For the latter, the Company accrues for estimated royalties that are due to PROs and adjusts these accruals based on any changes in estimates. While the Company anticipates finalizing these negotiations, the outcome of these negotiations is uncertain. Additionally, pending litigation between certain PROs and other third parties could impact our negotiations. If the Company is unable to reach mutually acceptable terms with the PROs, the Company could become involved in similar litigation. The results of any negotiation or litigation may be materially different from management's estimates.

 

Litigation

From time to time, in the normal course of its operations, the Company is a party to litigation matters and claims, including claims relating to employee relations, business practices and patent infringement. Litigation can be expensive and disruptive to normal business operations. Moreover, the results of complex legal proceedings are difficult to predict and the Company's view of these matters may change in the future as the litigation and events related thereto unfold. The Company expenses legal fees as incurred. The Company records a provision for contingent losses when it is both probable that a liability has been incurred and the amount of the loss can be reasonably estimated. An unfavorable outcome to any legal matter, if material, could have an adverse effect on the Company's operations or its financial position, liquidity or results of operations.

On March 29, 2010, Parallel Networks, LLC filed a complaint for patent infringement against the Company and others in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, captioned Parallel Networks, LLC v. Abercrombie & Fitch Co., et. al , Civil Action No 6:10-cv-00111-LED. The complaint alleges that the Company infringed U.S. Patent No. 6,446,111 entitled "Method and Apparatus for Client-Server Communication Using a Limited Capability Client Over a Low-Speed Communication Link," issued on September 3, 2002. The complaint seeks unspecified compensatory and enhanced damages, interest and fees, and seeks to permanently enjoin the Company from infringing the patent in the future. With respect to this matter, management has determined that a potential loss is not probable and accordingly, no amount has been accrued. Management has determined a potential loss is reasonably possible as it is defined by the Financial Accounting Standard Board's Accounting Standards Codification ("ASC") 450 Contingencies; however, based on its current knowledge, management does not believe that the amount of such possible loss or a range of potential loss is reasonably estimable.

On September 25, 2009, Alcatel-Lucent USA Inc. filed a complaint for patent infringement against the Company in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, captioned Alcatel-Lucent USA Inc. v. Amazon.com Inc., et. al, Civil Action No. 6:09-cv-422. The complaint alleges that the Company infringed U.S. Patents Nos. 5,649,131 entitled "Communications Protocol" issued on July 15, 1997; 5,623,656 entitled "Script Based Data Communication System and Method Utilizing State Memory" issued on April 22, 1997; and 5,404,507 entitled "Apparatus and Method for Finding Records in a Database by Formulating a Query Using Equivalent Terms Which Correspond to Terms in the Input Query," issued April 4, 1995. The complaint seeks unspecified compensatory and enhanced damages, interest, costs and fees, and seeks to permanently enjoin the Company from infringing the patents in the future. With respect to this matter, management has determined that a potential loss is not probable and accordingly, no amount has been accrued. Management has determined a potential loss is reasonably possible as it is defined by ASC 450; however, based on its current knowledge, management does not believe that the amount of such possible loss or a range of potential loss is reasonably estimable.

In January through April of 2009, a number of purported anti-trust class action suits were filed against the Company in various United States Federal Courts. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. and Walmart.com USA LLC (collectively, Wal-Mart) were also named as defendants in these suits. These cases have been transferred by the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation to the Northern District of California to be consolidated or coordinated for pre-trial purposes, and have been assigned the multidistrict litigation number MDL-2029. A number of substantially similar suits were filed in California State Courts, and have been consolidated in Santa Clara County. The plaintiffs, who are current or former Netflix customers, generally allege that Netflix and Wal-Mart entered into an agreement to divide the markets for sales and online rentals of DVDs in the United States, which resulted in higher Netflix subscription prices. On March 19, 2010, plaintiffs filed a motion to certify a class consisting of "any person or entity in the United States that paid a subscription fee to Netflix on or after May 19, 2005 up to and including the date of class certification" with certain exceptions. The Court granted the motion for class certification on December 23, 2010. A number of other cases have been filed in Federal and State courts by current or former subscribers to the online DVD rental service offered by Blockbuster Inc., alleging injury arising from similar facts. These cases have been related to MDL 2029 or, in the case of the California State cases, coordinated with the cases in Santa Clara County. On March 8, 2011, the Company filed a motion for summary judgment in Federal Court with respect to the suits brought on behalf of Blockbuster subscribers. The summary judgment motion was heard on April 20, 2011. On August 27, 2010, Wal-Mart stated that it had settled the cases with both the Netflix and Blockbuster plaintiffs. A hearing on the plaintiffs' motion for preliminary approval of the settlement was heard on February 9, 2011. On March 9, 2011, the Court denied plaintiffs' motion for preliminary approval of the settlement. On April 18, 2011, Wal-Mart stated that it had entered into a revised settlement agreement in principle with the Netflix plaintiffs only. Netflix is not part of the settlement and continues to litigate these cases. With respect to this matter, management has determined that a potential loss is not probable and accordingly, no amount has been accrued. Management has determined a potential loss is reasonably possible as it is defined by ASC 450; however, based on its current knowledge, management does not believe that the amount of such possible loss or a range of potential loss is reasonably estimable.

 

On October 24, 2008, Media Queue, LLC filed a complaint for patent infringement against the Company in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, captioned Media Queue, LLC v. Netflix, Inc., et. al , Civil Action No. CIV 08-402-KEW. The complaint alleges that the Company infringed U.S. Patent No. 7,389,243 entitled "Notification System and Method for Media Queue" issued on June 17, 2008. The complaint seeks unspecified compensatory and enhanced damages, interest and fees, and seeks to permanently enjoin the Company from infringing the patent in the future. On February 24, 2009, the case was transferred to the Northern District of California. On August 14, 2009, the Company filed a motion for summary judgment of non-infringement. A hearing on the motion was held on November 17, 2009. On December 1, 2009, the Court granted the Company's motion for summary judgment of non-infringement. On February 10, 2010, plaintiff appealed the summary judgment ruling. With respect to this matter, management has determined that a potential loss is not probable and accordingly, no amount has been accrued. Management has determined a potential loss is reasonably possible as it is defined by ASC 450; however, based on its current knowledge, management does not believe that the amount of such possible loss or a range of potential loss is reasonably estimable.

The Company is involved in other litigation matters not listed above but does not consider the matters to be material either individually or in the aggregate at this time. The Company's view of the matters not listed may change in the future as the litigation and events related thereto unfold.

Indemnification

In the ordinary course of business, the Company has entered into contractual arrangements under which it has agreed to provide indemnification of varying scope and terms to business partners and other parties with respect to certain matters, including, but not limited to, losses arising out of the Company's breach of such agreements and out of intellectual property infringement claims made by third parties.

The Company's obligations under these agreements may be limited in terms of time or amount, and in some instances, the Company may have recourse against third-parties for certain payments. In addition, the Company has entered into indemnification agreements with its directors and certain of its officers that will require it, among other things, to indemnify them against certain liabilities that may arise by reason of their status or service as directors or officers. The terms of such obligations vary.

It is not possible to make a reasonable estimate of the maximum potential amount of future payments under these or similar agreements due to the conditional nature of the Company's obligations and the unique facts and circumstances involved in each particular agreement. No amount has been accrued in the accompanying financial statements with respect to these indemnification guarantees.

Segment Information
Segment Information

10. Segment Information

In September 2010, the Company began international operations by offering an unlimited streaming plan without DVDs in Canada. At that time, the Company began segmenting operating results into two segments: Domestic and International. The Company presents the segment information along the same lines that the Company's chief operating decision maker reviews the operating results in assessing performance and allocating resources. The Company's chief operating decision maker reviews revenue and operating income (loss) information for each of the reportable segments.

The Domestic segment derives revenue from monthly subscription services consisting of streaming content and DVD-by-mail. The International segment derives revenue from monthly subscription services consisting solely of streaming content.

Segment operating income (loss) includes allocations of "Cost of Revenues" which includes allocations of streaming content, streaming delivery and fulfillment costs, as well as allocations of "Marketing", "Technology and Development" and "General and Administrative" operating expenses. The vast majority of the Company's costs for "Technology and Development" and "General and Administrative" are incurred in the United States and are allocated to our Domestic segment. There are no internal revenue transactions between our reporting segments. In addition, the Company does not identify or allocate our assets by reportable segment and all of our long lived assets are held in the United States.

 

Information on reportable segments and reconciliation to consolidated net income is as follows:

 

     Three Months Ended  
     March 31,
2011
    March 31,
2010
 
     (in thousands)  

Domestic

    

Total subscribers at end of period

     22,797        13,967   

Revenues

   $ 706,274      $ 493,665   

Cost of revenues and operating expenses

     593,292        435,320   
                

Segment operating income

   $ 112,982      $ 58,345   

International

    

Total subscribers at end of period

     803     

Revenues

   $ 12,279      $ —     

Cost of revenues and operating expenses

     23,021        —     
                

Segment operating income (loss)

   $ (10,742   $ —     

Consolidated

    

Total subscribers at end of period

     23,600        13,967   

Revenues

   $ 718,553      $ 493,665   

Cost of revenues and operating expenses

     616,313        435,320   
                

Operating income

   $ 102,240      $ 58,345   

Other income (expense)

     (4,000     (3,987

Provision for income taxes

     38,007        22,086   

Net income

   $ 60,233      $ 32,272