Netflix had an exceedingly strong first quarter, according to CEO Reed Hastings.
On his Facebook page yesterday, Hastings said that Netflix served up over 4 billion hours of streaming video during the first three months of the year, reaching a high-water mark for the company. Hastings didn't say which videos contributed most to the strong quarter, but his mention of Netflix's first original series "House of Cards" might lead some to believe that the critically acclaimed and wildly popular show starring Kevin Spacey helped out.
Hastings' announcement comes just months after he announced on his Facebook page in July that total streaming during June hit 1 billion hours for the first time in his company's history. With 4 billion hours streamed during the first quarter, Netflix averaged more than 1 billion hours per month.
Next up for Netflix is the premiere of the company's second original series, "Hemlock Grove." The first season of the horror-thriller show will premiere on Netflix next week.