Netflix co-CEO added to Russian blacklist

Reed Hastings

Netflix Co-CEO Reed Hastings has been named on Russia’s blacklist.

Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Monday that it had added 61 US citizens to its list of people who are “banned indefinitely from entering the Russian Federation,” with Hastings being the highest-profile figure on the list. 

Other noteworthy figures on the list includes Universal Pictures president Peter Cramer (Universal moved to boycott Russian cinemas in March), Treasury secretary Janet Yellen, energy secretary Jennifer Granholm, White House comms director Kate Bedingfield, and senior execs from companies such as United Airlines, Raytheon Technologies and BlackRock.

In its statement, Russia’s Foreign Ministry said the move was “in response to a constantly expanding list of sanctions imposed on Russian politicians and public figures, as well as representatives of Russian business.”

Netflix has drawn the ire of Russia for pulling out of the country after it invaded Ukraine. Losing its 700,000 subscribers is effectively what caused Netflix to suffer its first subscriber losses in over a decade.

A Russian law firm has also taken up legal actions against Netflix, and is seeking 60 million roubles (€901,324) for ‘moral damages’.