Top 50 rank: 40
The company behind the ubiquitous red envelope arrives on the Most Admired list for the first time this year.
Netflix changed the video-rental game in 1997 with the introduction of mail-order DVD rentals, eventually usurping Blockbuster's throne as the top video rental outlet. Today, after a shift in business strategy, its 20 million-plus members in the U.S. and Canada have made it the world's leading Internet subscription service for watching movies and TV shows.
Netflix's success in large part comes from letting customers watch video on devices they already own. Members enjoy instant and unlimited entertainment from an ever-expanding list of devices including the Wii, PS3, Xbox 360, iPad and iPod Touch and Google TV. All in all, more than 200 different devices support Netflix's service.
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Last updated March 08 2011: 6:02 AM ET