What Is the Netflix Logo?
The Netflix logo is the name NETFLIX in red capital letters, a flat wordmark the service has used since 2014, with a separate red N symbol added in 2016. It belongs to Netflix, Inc., the company Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph founded in Scotts Valley, California, in 1997 as a DVD rental service, and which launched its streaming service in January 2007.
The N on its own is the mark on Netflix's app icons and social media profiles, while the full name appears wherever there is room for it. The wordmark is available as the Netflix logo SVG.
Netflix Logo Facts
| Introduced | Flat wordmark 2014; N symbol June 2016 |
| Symbol | A red N, drawn as a ribbon folded over on itself |
| Logo type | Wordmark: the name NETFLIX |
| Earlier mark | The wordmark of Netflix's DVD rental years |
| Owner | Netflix, Inc. |
What the Netflix Logo Means
The wordmark is the service's name and nothing else, so the ideas in the logo sit in the N. Netflix built its symbol from a single red line folded over on itself to form the letter. When the company introduced it in 2016, the ribbon pattern was read as a nod to a red carpet.
The N also solved a practical problem. A long word in capitals fits poorly into a square app icon or a vertical phone screen, and a single letter fits both. Netflix said the full logo would stay, with the N added for its mobile apps and other places inside the product.
Netflix Logo History
Netflix began in 1997 by renting DVDs by post, and its first logos belonged to that business. In 2014, seven years after streaming began, Netflix introduced an updated logo with a flatter look and updated typography. Viewers noticed the new mark on the website in June 2014, and a Netflix spokesperson said it was gradually appearing in more places.
The New York studio Gretel then built a wider identity around the brand, an approach it called "The Stack", using the typefaces Gotham Bold and Gotham Book. On 20 June 2016 Netflix debuted the N icon on its Facebook and Twitter accounts, describing it as a new element in its branding rather than a replacement.
In March 2018 Netflix unveiled Netflix Sans, a custom typeface it developed with the type foundry Dalton Maag. It replaced Gotham, a typeface Netflix had been licensing. The NETFLIX wordmark itself stayed as it was.
For more brands like Netflix, browse our entertainment logos.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did Netflix change its logo?
Netflix introduced its flat red wordmark in 2014, replacing the logo of its DVD years, and added the red N symbol in June 2016.
What does the Netflix N symbol represent?
It is a single red line folded over on itself to form an N, and its ribbon pattern was described at launch as evoking a red carpet.
Why does Netflix use an N instead of the full logo?
The single letter fits square app icons and vertical screens better than the full name. Netflix kept the wordmark for places with more room.
What font does Netflix use?
Netflix Sans, a custom typeface it developed with Dalton Maag and unveiled in March 2018, replacing Gotham.