Netflix suspends service in Russia
Netflix is pulling its service in Russia following the country’s invasion of Ukraine, the company confirmed to CNBC.
“Given the circumstances on the ground, we have decided to suspend our service in Russia,” a spokesperson said Sunday afternoon.
The Russian market makes up a relatively small percentage of Netflix’s overall numbers. The company has just under 1 million subscribers in Russia, CNBC previously reported, compared to its 222 million total paid memberships across the globe.
The streaming service previously stopped projects and acquisitions in Russia after the country began its invasion of Ukraine. It had four Russian-language series in production and post-production. Netflix also declined to comply with Russian rules to carry news channels.
Companies from tech giants to retailers have started to take hard stances against Russia, either pulling service or barring sales. Sunday’s move makes Netflix one of the latest media companies to suspend service in Russia following the start of the war.
Disney announced early last week it was pausing all film debuts in the country, including the new Pixar film “Turning Red.” Warner Bros., Sony, Paramount Pictures and Universal all followed.
Disclosure: Comcast is the parent company of NBCUniversal and CNBC.