Netflix launched its streaming service in 2007.
The company introduced internet video on demand in January 2007, allowing subscribers to watch films and television programs online instead of waiting for DVDs to arrive by mail. This was a major change for Netflix, but streaming initially complemented the DVD business rather than replacing it.
Netflix had been founded in 1997 as a DVD-rental company. Its subscription model, online queue, and mail delivery had already challenged traditional video stores before streaming became practical for a broad audience. The arrival of faster home internet and improved video compression made an online catalog increasingly viable.
A common mix-up is 2005, 2009, or 2011. Those years relate to other stages of Netflix’s development, including the company’s DVD-era growth and later international expansion. Netflix did not begin as a streaming-only service, and its streaming launch predates its expansion into many overseas markets.