Due to Russian Regulations, Netflix Almost Had to Broadcast Anti-Ukraine Propaganda
When you deal with state-controlled media, you get state-controlled media.
Thanks to a Russian law set to go into effect March 1, 2022, Netflix would have had to carry content from Channel One, entertainment network NTV, and a Russian Orthodox Church channel. All would show anti-Ukrainian and other Russian propaganda.
This is not uncommon, because Russia has agreements with many services. If services want to be available in their country, there is content that must be accessible from the platform. Streaming services with more than 100,000 daily users in Russia are included in the mandate, according to The Moscow Times.
But due to the war in Ukraine and Russian aggression, a Netflix representative told Deadline it would not carry these channels, even if there were repercussions. The streaming service launched in Russia a little over a year ago and currently has around one million subscribers there. Retaliation might come in the form of canceling the services or imposing fines, but it doesn't seem like Netflix is currently concerned about that.
We'll keep you updated as more develops.
