Netflix Said to Pause All Projects, Acquisitions in Russia Amid Ukraine Crisis
Netflix has paused all future projects and acquisitions from Russia amid the country’s invasion of Ukraine, according to reports.
The streaming giant has four Russian original series in various stages of production. According to Deadline, Netflix has halted production on one of them, the detective drama series Zato, while another series, one day away from wrapping, will be completed.
For the other two projects, Netflix is said to be assessing the impact of the invasion of Ukraine before making any further decisions. This includes the platform’s first Russian original Anna K, a modern retelling of Leo Tolstoy’s novel Anna Karenina, which wrapped filming last year. [1]
Figure 1. Netflix Said to Pause All Projects, Acquisitions in Russia Amid Ukraine Crisis
Figure 1 shows Earlier this week, Netflix said that in the current circumstances it has no plans to add state-run channels to its Russian service, despite a regulation that would require it to distribute state-backed channels.
"Given the current situation, we have no plans to add these channels to our service," said a Netflix spokesman in a statement, referring to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Netflix, which launched its service in Russia in October 2020, would fall under the new Russian regulations requiring compliance on March 1. The regulations, overseen by Russia's communications regulator, Roskomnadzor, require audiovisual services with more than 100,000 subscribers in that country to distribute 20 free-to-air news, sports, and entertainment channels. [2]
Netflix is somewhat of a newcomer to Russia. It launched its service in 2016 and has a relatively small presence, with roughly one million subscribers. The streamer boasts 222 million subscribers globally. It operates the service as a joint venture with Russia’s National Media Group.
Netflix also recently announced that it would make its 2015 documentary “Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom,” available to watch for free. The non-fiction film centers on the Euromaidan protests in Ukraine, which were sparked by former president Viktor Yanukovych’s decision not to sign an agreement with the European Union and instead choose to strengthen ties to Russia. Those protests ultimately resulted in Yanukovych’s ouster. It also exacerbated tensions with Russia, with Vladimir Putin using the overthrow as a pretext for invading and annexing the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine.
Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine has caused a humanitarian and refugee crisis, along with increasing fears that it could trigger a nuclear conflict. [3]
References:
- https://www.nme.com/news/tv/netflix-pauses-russian-projects-amid-invasion-of-ukraine-3174943
- https://gadgets360.com/apps/news/netflix-russia-ukraine-war-pause-project-movies-series-acquisitions-2800817
- https://variety.com/2022/digital/news/netflix-suspends-service-russia-ukraine-invasion-1235197390/
Cite this article:
Thanusri swetha J (2022),Netflix Said to Pause All Projects, Acquisitions in Russia Amid Ukraine Crisis, pp. 147