Netflix cancellations nearly tripled after co-founder Reed Hastings endorsed Kamala Harris: report

Netflix account cancellations soared in the days after co-founder and Chairman Reed Hastings endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris and donated millions to her presidential campaign, according to a report.Though the streaming platform usually has the lowest churn – or rate of cancellations – in the industry, its rate nearly tripled in the US after Hastings’ endorsement, according to the researcher Antenna.Scores of customers in the US canceled their Netflix subscriptions at a rate of 2.8% in July – higher than any other month since February, according to a Bloomberg report.Subscribers likely axed their accounts en masse because the streaming giant killed its basic plan – which was its lowest-priced ad-free option – in the same month.Still, cancellations soared unusually high in the five-day period following Hastings’ endorsement, even considering the spike in July, the report said.“Congrats to Kamala Harris – now it is time to win,” Hastings wrote in a post on X on July 22 after Harris officially became the Democratic nominee.Then, The Information reported Hastings had donated $7 million to an anti-Trump Republican PAC in support of Harris.Trump supporters slammed the donation and turned to social media to call for a boycott.

Some online users falsely claimed Netflix itself had donated the millions to Harris.Frustrated subscribers posted photos of their canceled accounts online with the hashtag #CancelNetflix.Three days after the donation was made public – July 26 – was Netflix’s worst day for cancellations this year, according to Bloomberg.Netflix did not immediately respond to requests for comment.It is unclear what – if any – substantial long-term impact the cancellations will have on Netflix’s business.But the short-lived Netflix boycott is reminiscent of social media-led campaigns against companies with DEI initiatives. Conservative activist Robby Starbuck has successfully pressured a number of companies into dropping their DEI ...