Netflix’s Co-CEO Ted Sarandos has recently disclosed that despite years of effort, no Netflix content has ever passed China's strict censorship, effectively ending the company’s ambitions to enter the Chinese market.
Netflix’s China Struggle
During the Semafor World Economy Summit held on April 24, Sarandos was asked why Netflix has not been able to operate in the world’s second-largest economy.
- “Fifteen years ago, everyone believed that entering the China market was critical,” Sarandos said. “I spent years trying to make it happen.”
Netflix even partnered with a local firm to prepare China-compliant content, with all material needing government approval before streaming.
The Result? Zero Success.
After three years, not a single episode passed Chinese censorship.
- Sarandos bluntly stated: “The Chinese government simply didn’t want us there.”
Others Faced the Same Fate
He noted that despite other companies continuing to pour resources into accessing China, they achieved nothing.
- “We are one of the few U.S. companies with no exposure to China—no censorship, taxes, or tariffs from them. Meanwhile, the rest of the world has welcomed Netflix, and that’s more than enough to support our global scale.”
Netflix’s Global Vision
Sarandos’ comments highlight Netflix’s strong confidence in global expansion outside China and a rational stance toward the challenges of entering highly regulated markets.