Netflix increasing prices after subscriber base tops 300 million

By the numbers: Netflix is increasing monthly prices in the U.S. between about $1 to $2.50 depending on the plan.

• The company added an all-time quarterly high of 18.9 million new subscribers in Q4, up from 13 million new subs a year earlier.
• For the year, Netflix added 41 million, also a record, giving it a total of 302 million worldwide.

The impact: Netflix shares soared over 14% in after-hours trading to over $995.

• The quarterly add "was more than double what Wall Street expected," Bloomberg reported.

Zoom in: Surging ad revenue and the promising introduction of live events — two things the company previously declined to explore — are powering the company's growth.

• Revenue totaled $10.2 billion for the quarter, up 16% from a year earlier.

• Net income was $1.87 billion, nearly doubling the amount from a year earlier.

What they're saying: "Expect the company to continue adapting by embracing strategies that it said it wouldn't," such as possibly acquiring more sports rights, Emarketer senior analyst Ross Benes wrote today after the earnings report was released.

What we're watching: The company will stop reporting new subscriber figures on a quarterly basis but said Tuesday that "we will continue to announce paid memberships as we cross key milestones.."