Squid Game 2 Nears Premiere—Why Netflix Stock is Under the Spotlight

With Netflix's series Squid Game 2 set to premiere on the 26th, all eyes are on Netflix's stock performance.

According to the financial investment industry on the 13th, Netflix's stock price has risen 13% in the past month and 42% over the past six months. This surge appears to stem from growing anticipation for Netflix's original content.

Squid Game 2 has already garnered attention ahead of its official release by being nominated for Best Television Series – Drama at the Golden Globe Awards.

To qualify for Golden Globe consideration, a series must air within the year and have been submitted to the organizers by November 4. As a result, Netflix pre-released the show to the awards panel.

The Hollywood Reporter noted, “Most TV series are not released this late in the year. However, Netflix decided to debut Squid Game 2 during the Christmas holidays because it has a guaranteed audience base.”

Other nominees for Best Television Series – Drama alongside Squid Game 2 include Shōgun, Netflix’s The Diplomat, Apple TV+’s Slow Horses, Prime Video’s Mr. and Mrs. Smith, and Peacock’s The Day of the Jackal. Notably, Shōgun, a series set in Japan, was the biggest winner at the Primetime Emmy Awards this past September.

American film critic Grace Randolph, who previewed Squid Game 2, praised the sequel, saying, “It’s a brilliant and meaningful expansion of the first season’s story, truly an all-time great sequel. Director Hwang Dong-hyuk is one of the best filmmakers working today.” She added, “I believe Squid Game 2 deserves to win Best Drama at the Golden Globes.”

Previously, Squid Game Season 1 was nominated for three categories at the 79th Golden Globe Awards in January 2022: Best Television Series – Drama, Best Actor, and Best Supporting Actor. O Yeong-su, who played the role of Il-nam, became the first Korean actor to win a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor. It was also the first time a Korean film or drama was nominated in major categories at the Golden Globes. In the film category, Parasite (2020) and Minari (2021) won Best Foreign Language Film.

The 82nd Golden Globe Awards will be held on January 5 next year.

Meanwhile, Netflix is laying the foundation for upgraded performance with a two-pronged approach: strengthening its year-end content lineup and expanding its ad-supported subscription plans. Notably, the ad-supported plan is delivering promising results. Netflix revealed that the plan now boasts 70 million monthly active users, stating, "In countries where Netflix offers an ad-supported model, over 50% of new subscribers are choosing the ad-supported membership."

The company added, "The NFL game scheduled for live streaming on Christmas has sold out all available advertising slots. Additionally, Squid Game 2, set to premiere in just ten days, has secured partnerships with multiple advertisers across 12 countries where the ad-supported model is available."