Netflix is suspending its services in Russia as the humanitarian aggression in eastern Europe continues. Netflix is participating in sanctions as they stand against Russia.
Aside from Netflix, Walt Disney, Warner Bros, Sony, Paramount Pictures, and Universal are starting to suspend their services in Russia.
Netflix Suspends Services in Russia
Netflix is reported to be suspending its services in Russia. The suspension of Netflix in Russia comes after the country's non-stop aggression towards Ukraine.
As reported by CNBC, a Netflix spokesman stated that, "Given the circumstances on the ground, we have decided to suspend our service in Russia."
Numerous countries have pulled out their services in Russia following the cry for help from Ukrainian citizens.
According to Netflix, this suspension would also mean putting a red light on 4 originals from Russia that is currently in the works. Among the 4 Russian original content is a crime thriller series directed by Dasha Zhuk. With that, the thriller series is currently in its shooting phase, however, it has been put on hold.
In addition, Netflix has refused to air 20 Russian free-to-air propaganda channels on their platform as required by Russian law.
According to Variety, Netflix also announced that a 2015 documentary entitled "Winter on Fire: Ukraine's Fight for Freedom" will be aired on their platform free of charge .
The documentary is a nonfiction film about the Euromaidan protests in Ukraine which happened under the regime of former President Viktor Yanukovych.
The protests were due to Yanukovych's refusal to sign a trade agreement with the European Union and instead chose to strengthen ties with the Russian Federation.
The relentless protests from its citizens ultimately resulted in Yanukovych's removal from power. As a result, Russian President Vladimir Putin used the ouster as a pretext to invade and annex the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine, escalating tensions between the two countries.
Furthermore, Netflix does not have market domination in Russia unlike the audience they have in the U.S. Netflix arrived in Russia in 2016, since then, the company has a total of 1 million subscribers.
The streaming platform is airing its services under a joint venture with Russia's National Media Group.
Disney and Warner Bros Suspends Services in Russia
As a result of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the Walt Disney Company became the first major Hollywood studio to take a firm stance against the country, announcing Monday that it would postpone all film premieres in the country, including the new Pixar film Turning Red.
"We will make future business decisions based on the evolving situation," Disney said in a statement.
Disney added, "In the meantime, given the scale of the emerging refugee crises, we are working with our NGO partners to provide urgent aid and other humanitarian assistance to refugees."
Aside from Disney, Warner Bros, Sony, Paramount Pictures, and Universal started following the stand against Russia and suspended its services in the country.
Warner Bros. and Sony announced that they will halt their service production in Russia. Warner Bros. also stated that they will halt the showing of their new film The Batman.
Furthermore, Paramount Pictures will also suspend airing two of their movies in the country, "The Lost City" and "Sonic the Hedgehog 2."
Chief analyst at Boxoffice.com, Shawn Robbins, stated that:
"Russia has, at times, been a very relevant piece of the international box office picture...but the humanitarian crisis resulting from current developments is emerging as a clear consideration for Hollywood distributors in such a challenging and tragic geopolitical environment."
