Netflix plans to spend $18B on content in 2025, users roast: "Spending billions just to give us one good show a year"

Netflix is all in on content. The streaming giant revealed it will spend a staggering $18 billion on content in 2025—a rise of 11% from its 2024 budget of $16.2 billion.

They are nowhere near the limit, CFO Spencer Neumann said, indicating that Netflix is only just beginning to crank up its content machine.

Neumann was quoted as saying by Variety at Morgan Stanley Tech, Media & Telecom Conference:

“We’re not anywhere near a ceiling”

While this might seem like good news for Netflix or its viewers, social media had other plans. Everything must go through the roast session before reaching the audience, and this news was no exception.

Users wasted no time joking that Netflix spends billions just to give us one good show a year or that they have mastered the art of canceling great series right when they start getting good.

Some even joked that once Netflix finally lands a hit, they immediately start looking for ways to axe it. A user (@debayo_xx) stated:

"Netflix spending billions just to give us one good show a year."

A user (@kazoo8888) poked fun at subscription price hikes, stating:

"“We’re not anywhere near a ceiling” Netflix on price increases."

Another user (@Scopey_13Alt) added:

"Bro we’re about to be paying $50 a month 😭"

A user (@szaseiji) quipped:

"Meanwhile, they’re still canceling good shows after one season."

A user (@MolBio_Cat) lamented:

"Every time they produce a halfway decent show, they cancel it, but at least we'll get more big-budget sci-fi/action movies that would have been tossed in the bargain bin back when DVDs were popular."

A user (@MrManderly) mentioned:

"Can they allocate some of that to good content 🙏"

Another netizen (@mannydotbolanos) noted:

"They’re referring to no ceiling on the monthly subscription right?"

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Why Netflix is investing more in content?

As per the media outlet, Netflix’s massive $18 billion content investment isn’t just about making more binge-worthy shows—it’s a strategic power play.

With 301.6 million paid subscribers and more than 700 million viewers globally at the end of 2024, Netflix boasts a strong base of users. But while looking at the entertainment business as a whole, it has still got a long way to go. Being present in 40% of TV-connected households, Netflix only captures fewer than 10% of total TV viewing across most areas.

By investing more money in content, Netflix hopes to drive greater engagement, capture additional market share, and hook subscribers—all while fighting competitors like Disney+, Amazon Prime, and Max.

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Netflix's money-making move

Netflix just upgraded its revenue forecast, bumping it from $43.5 billion to $44.5 billion for 2025. That’s a solid 11.5% to 14% jump from last year, Variety added. Apparently, cracking down on password sharing and making us binge every other true crime doc is paying off big time.

In 2024 alone, the streaming behemoth gained 41 million new subscribers—over twice as many as the year before. But the streaming giant puts its total addressable market at only 6% of that.

The international strategy has already paid dividends immensely with global success stories such as Squid Game.

And for 2025, Netflix is pushing forward with fan-favorite franchises, greenlighting renewed seasons of Stranger Things, Squid Game, and Wednesday to keep viewers gripped.

Under the leadership of Chief Content Officer, Bela Bajaria, Netflix is driving local stories with universal appeal.

From K-dramas and Bollywood films to European suspense and Latin American blockbusters, Netflix is ensuring its content speaks universally.

By acquiring high-profile ventures and outbidding the competition such as Warner Bros., Apple, and Amazon for sole content, Netflix is keeping pace with the competition.