Netflix profit surges 36% in Q4

San Francisco Netflix's fourth-quarter profit grew 36% as its DVD-by-mail service surpassed 12 million subscribers.

The results announced Wednesday reflect the growing popularity of Netflix plans that bundle DVD rentals with unlimited video streaming over the Internet for as little as $9 per month.

Netflix added more than 1.1 million customers during the quarter -- the most in any three-month period during its 11-year history.

The company earned $30.9 million in the quarter, compared with $22.7 million in the same period of 2008.

Revenue climbed 24% to $445 million.