Netflix: number 1 in iPhone app in the US

Netflix yesterday briefly became the number one top-grossing iOS app in the U.S. for the first time, holding at bay the likes of Spotify and Candy Crush Saga for most of Monday. 

The app also occupied the coveted top spot on iPhone in India, Mexico, and Colombia yesterday, as noted by app tracking company SensorTower, which offered a timeline leading up to the achievement in a blog post. 

The accomplishment comes approximately one year after Netflix introduced the ability for users to pay the monthly subscription fee as an in-app purchase. Between then and today, Netflix has grown its weekly net revenue from under $50,000 to nearly $2.9 million, its report says.

The milestone is significant for Netflix, as it indicates the company’s success at continuing to grow its U.S. subscriber base, despite earlier concerns that the U.S. market was nearing saturation. As indicated by Netflix’s Q3 earnings, the company appears to be shaking off its weak U.S. subscriber growth — something that’s been attributed to the appeal of its growing library of original content.

Netflix aims to continue to bolster its library with more originals that will bring in new subscribers — more than doubling the number of hours of original programming in 2017 compared with this year. The company today announced its plans to delve into unscripted series as well, with around 20 more shows in this category launching next year.