Why Netflix never made it to China: co-CEO Ted Sarandos on futile efforts
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Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos recently opened up about the streaming giant’s prolonged but ultimately unsuccessful attempts to break into the Chinese market.
Despite China being a lucrative market for Hollywood, Netflix’s efforts were stalled due to stringent censorship regulations and a lack of cooperation from Chinese authorities.
Speaking to IndieWire, Sarandos reflected on the industry’s earlier obsession with entering the Chinese market. "Fifteen years ago, everyone thought it was existential. You had to get to China," he said. Determined to secure a place for Netflix, Sarandos dedicated years to the process, even securing a partnership with a local third-party company that could operate in China without being blocked online.
However, those efforts proved fruitless.
Every piece of content Netflix hoped to air had to pass through China’s strict censorship board — and not a single episode received approval over a three-year period. “They had no interest in us being in China,” Sarandos remarked bluntly. He added that many others in the industry went down the same path, only to face the same dead-end.
His comments come amid strained US-China relations, particularly following the tariff war launched during Donald Trump’s presidency. The political climate has further complicated Hollywood's engagement with China, limiting opportunities for collaboration and content distribution.