Running head: SWOT ANALYSIS OF PUBLICLY HELD COMPANY: NETFLIX 1 SWOT ANALYSIS OF PUBLICLY HELD COMPANY: NETFLIX 2 SWOT Analysis of Publicly Held Company: Netflix Abstract Netflix is a company that is credited with disrupting the market for video rentals, cable television and now television and film production with it streaming services. Customers were tired of the high prices of cable television and video rental late fees. They found the streamlined and efficient approach, which allows for unlimited viewing of movies and shows in its inventory for one low price, extremely attractive. The company was founded in 1997, and it became a publicly traded company in 2002. In that time it ha become a global presence and market leader. The strategic focus of Netflix was to break down a business model for entertainment that was bloated, expensive and did not result in unlimited options. The company today is no longer the disruptor, but the one that needs to be concerned with innovators, copycat competitions and the next new business model. This paper provides an analysis of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats facing the company. SWOT Analysis of Publicly Held Company: Netflix Netflix is a company that is credited with disrupting the market for video rentals, cable television and now television and film production with it streaming services. Customers were tired of the high prices of cable television and video rental late fees. They found the streamlined and efficient approach, which allows for unlimited viewing of movies and shows in its inventory for one low price, extremely attractive. The company was founded in 1997, and it became a publicly traded company in 2002 (Burroughs, 2018). In that time it ha become a global presence and market leader. Strengths Netflix has so many strengths, and these were displayed when the company took down the entire video rental industry, including the enormous Blockbuster Video chain, with its simple use of technology to make watching content more convenient. Specifically the strengths of Netflix have been horizontal growth, vertical growth, innovation and cultural relevance. The strength of Netflix is its horizontal expansion, resulting in wide distribution which includes nearly 200 countries, almost 100 million subscribers and revenues of $7 billion per year (Dias & Navarro, 2018). Vertical growth, by getting deeper into content production, is a defining feature of the brand, and it was initially wildly successful. Netflix is also considered a leader in a cutting edge and innovative area of data science, which is used in its recommender systems (Walker, Jeffery, So, Sriram, Nathanson, Ferreira, & Merkley, 2017). Netflix use became iconic in Western culture, particularly because it facilities binge watching of an entire season or series at once, and this has become a cultural reference point (Jenner, 2018). Weaknesses The weaknes.