(DCWatchdog.com) – In a new demonstration of the power of conservative American voters, Netflix faces skyrocketing cancellations and a boycott after co-founder Reed Hastings endorsed Kamala Harris and donated $7 million to support her campaign.
The backlash has been intense, particularly among Trump supporters.
Netflix account cancellations surged after Reed Hastings, the co-founder, endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for president and contributed $7 million to her campaign.
Unsurprisingly, furious customers, especially those who support former President Donald Trump, responded with a wave of cancellations.
Following Hastings’ endorsement, Netflix’s churn rate nearly tripled in the United States.
The cancellation rate reached 2.8% in July, which marked the highest rate since February.
This significant uptick in cancellations coincided with Netflix discontinuing its basic ad-free plan.
Cancellations saw an unusual peak in the five days following Hastings’ endorsement, setting a record for the year.
July 26 specifically marked Netflix’s worst day for cancellations in 2023.
The hashtag #CancelNetflix quickly trended as outraged subscribers announced their departures on social media.
“Congrats to Kamala Harris — now it is time to win,” Hastings said in his endorsement, cited by The New York Post.
He congratulated Harris on securing the Democratic nomination, alongside his hefty $7 million donation to an anti-Trump Political Action Committee (PAC) supporting her.
This precipitated Trump supporters to call for a boycott of Netflix, albeit with false claims that the company itself had donated to Harris.
The impact of these cancellations on Netflix’s business remains unclear.
However, the short-term repercussions are evident, with average daily cancellations between July 25-29 increasing by 2.7 times compared to the previous two weeks.
After July 29, churn levels returned to normal.
This incident is reminiscent of other social media-led boycotts against companies with Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives.
Conservative activist Robby Starbuck has spearheaded boycotts against companies indulging in DEI practices.
Netflix followed suit after the 2020 Black Lives Matter movement, even pledging to move 2% of its cash into black-owned banks and making substantial donations to historically black colleges and universities.
Netflix previously enjoyed a solid subscriber base with 277.65 million global paid subscriptions as of June 30, 2024.
Hastings, who stepped down in January, has left a complicated legacy, underscored by his political donations and calls for President Biden to step aside for a more robust Democratic candidate.
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