Netflix Has Had A Stellar Year, And It's About To Get Better

Netflix has had a good year.

This chart, published Friday by the data site Statista , shows how much better it's likely to get.

The company's stock closed at record highs  more than a dozen times, and its original shows have racked up 34 Emmy Award nominations  this year. Employees -- though  only those who work in streaming and not the DVD division  -- were granted "unlimited" parental leave  this week.

But the best may be yet to come: By the end of this year, Netflix will launch in Spain, Portugal, Italy and Japan.

The company announced  the European trio in June. Combined, the three countries have a population of 117.6 million. About 72 percent of Spaniards, 62 percent of Portuguese and 58 percent of Italians use the Internet, according to data  from the International Telecommunication Union, a U.N. agency. 

Japan, where the company on Tuesday announced it will go live Sept. 2 , may be even more exciting. Netflix will face fierce competition there, particularly from its cash-rich local rival Softbank. The country has the fourth-largest population online, with over 86 percent of its 127.3 million people using the Internet. And their appetite for streaming entertainment, particularly anime , has been well documented  for years.