Critics Rave Orange Is The New Black As Netflix Hit, But Do The Numbers Reflect That?

Netflix original series "Orange is the New Black" has become a bonafide hit...with the critics and viewers who have seen it, anyway. But how do the numbers compare to the hype?

The first thing to note is that critics love "Orange is the New Black," not just as a Netflix series, but as a piece of storytelling.

"Here's the highest compliment I can pay: Other Netflix series have left me excited for more Kevin Spacey political scheming or Bluth family antics. But 'Orange' is the first time that I've finished watching a show and been excited about what Netflix might release next," writes paidContent contributor Liz Shannon Miller.

The general consensus is that "Orange is the New Black," following the solid footsteps of "House of Cards" and "Arrested Development," is turning Netflix into the next HBO.

But what's been fascinating about Netflix is that they have yet to truly reveal the performances of these hit shows, in terms of numbers and statistics.

And a recent Forbes article is quick to point out that in every respect, Netflix is not performing anywhere close to HBO in terms of profits.

"Netflix has 29 million domestic subscribers, which makes it slightly larger than HBO in the U.S. But the latter accounted for around $1 billion in profits last year while Netflix made all of $17 million," confirms writer Mark Rogowsky.

Next week, Netflix will reportedly have an earnings call, which is an annual report that shows its performance factors, a huge chunk of which is influenced by the huge buzz behind its push for original content this year.