In Russia, Netflix will have to broadcast 20 state-owned channels in order to continue its existence in the country.

In Russia, Netflix, in addition to other new obligations, will have to broadcast 20 state-owned channels.

From March next year, Netflix will have to offer 20 state-owned TV channels in Russia on its platform. This week, Roskomnadzor registered the platform as an “audiovisual service.”And among the channels that Netflix will have to broadcast, we find Channel One, the NTV entertainment network, and a Russian Orthodox Church channel called Spas (meaning “Saved”in Russian).

In Russia, Netflix will have to broadcast 20 state-owned channels

Streaming services with over 100,000 daily users in Russia are included in this registry, which was created late last year. According to The Moscow Times, not only do registered platforms have to offer state-owned TV channels, but they also have to open a Russian subsidiary.

Companies included in this register must also comply with Russian law. Thus, Netflix will not have the right to promote “extremism”. Critics say the provision is aimed at those who support the Kremlin’s opponents.

among other new commitments

Other video services in the country have argued that Netflix should be added to this roster at the video game level as it falls into that category. The Russian version of Netflix is ​​operated by Entertainment Online Service, a subsidiary of National Media Group, which is a shareholder of Channel One.

In November, we learned that Russia had launched an investigation into a complaint about LGBTQIA+ content on Netflix. The company informed Engadget that such content was correctly identified. That same month, Russia ordered several tech giants (including Apple, Google, Meta, TikTok and Twitter) to open offices within its borders by the end of 2021.