The Netflix logo is seen at the Netflix Tudum Theater in Los Angeles, California, on September 14, 2022.(Photo by PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images)
OAN Staff Blake Wolf 4:22 PM – Monday, September 30, 2024
Netflix took a big hit in subscription cancellations after co-founder Reed Hastings publicly announced his support of Vice President Kamala Harris.
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Hastings also announced a $7 million donation towards a super PAC supporting Harris, which resulted in a spike in membership cancellations as Netflix subscribers banded together on social media to boycott the streaming giant.
In the days following the July endorsement, the cancellation rate nearly tripled in the United States.
July was already a month with high cancellation rates, following Netflix’s decision to get rid of its lowest priced ad-free plan, with subscribers canceling at a rate of 2.8%.
Despite prior unusually high cancelation rates, the days following Hastings’ endorsement still stood out as conservative subscribers opted to spend their money elsewhere.
“Congrats to Kamala Harris – now it is time to win,” Hastings wrote on social media in July, prompting the backlash.
The hashtag “#CancelNetflix” was utilized as a trend to spread the word, with some users posting screenshots of their canceled Netflix subscription as well.
Bloomberg reported that three days after Hastings posted the endorsement, Netflix had its worst cancellation date of the year.
Additionally, Hastings was one of the most outspoken voices calling on President Joe Biden to drop out of the 2024 presidential race, following his disastrous debate performance against former President Donald Trump.
“Biden needs to step aside to allow a vigorous Democratic leader to beat Trump and keep us safe and prosperous,” he wrote.
Hastings and his wife, Patty Quillin, have been known as prominent Democrat donors, as they have donated over $10 million in the past to left wing causes, including a $3 million donation in 2021, in an effort to prevent a recall against California Governor Gavin Newsom (D-Calif.).
Elon Musk chimed in, noting the disparity in donation rates among election contributions from Netflix employees, with 100% of the donations swaying to the left.
“Donations by Netflix employees could not be more lopsided in favor of the Democratic Party (~100%),” Musk wrote on X.
Although Netflix has attempted to distance itself from Hastings’s political activity in the past, the streaming giant has been unable to divorce Hastings’s political action, as he currently sits as the chairman of the board of directors at Netflix.
The full extent of the damage caused by the boycott will be revealed shortly, as the company is set to reveal their full financial report in October.
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