Netflix announced better-than-expected subscriber numbers, helped by the second series of South Korean drama Squid Game as well as sports including a boxing match between influencer-turned-fighter Jake Paul and former world heavyweight champion Mike Tyson.

Netflix added 18.9 million subscribers in its holiday quarter, blowing past Wall Street's forecasts, with live sporting events and the return of its popular South Korean series "Squid Game" attracting a record number of new customers,

A strong slate of recent original shows and live events is likely to have encouraged people to sign up for the streaming service.