The dozens of teenage fans amassed outside a hotel in Rome this week might have been waiting for a glimpse of a visiting pop star or Hollywood actor. Instead, they were there for the stars of an original Spanish language Netflix series. Set in Barcelona, La Casa De Papel
has made global stars of its cast, underscoring the impact of the streaming service on television viewing habits and tastes around the world.
Reed Hastings, the Netflix chief executive, was also in Rome. While not subject to screams from adoring teenage fans he was very much the centre of attention. Netflix unveiled a big increase in European investment: the company will more than double its production spend in Europe to about $1bn this year, producing 100 programmes in 16 countries — a push that is attracting growing numbers of subscribers outside its core US market.