Only one number matters at Netflix Inc., and that number is booming. It's almost enough to make Netflix doubters like me throw in the towel. Almost. Netflix signed up 26 million net new subscribers for its streaming video service in the past year, the company disclosed Monday in its first-quarter earnings report. That was an impressive 50 percent increase. It's perhaps not surprising that Netflix is adding subscribers quickly outside the U.S., where the company has made a concerted effort over the last couple of years in its quest to become a global entertainment powerhouse. What is more surprising is Netflix added more streaming customers in its home country in the last 12 months than it did during the same stretch in 2015, when it was a far smaller company. It's not common for growth to re-accelerate at an already large company, particularly one like Netflix, which has already signed up roughly half or more of U.S. households that have fast internet service. That is the (tremendou...

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