Netflix has cancelled over a hundred movies/shows in the span of 7 years, with most of these works being labeled as “original” by Netflix itself. Although these creations have been liked amongst most viewers, Netflix’s “cancellation spree” has come as a shock to many, with fan-favorited shows like “Everything Sucks!” and “I Am Not Okay With This” ending after 1 season. Unfortunately, many of these Netflix originals have a licensing window that can expire at any given time, hence why these popular titles are often removed. Budgeting also plays a huge role in whether or not a series is set for cancellation. Sets may be too large, props may be over-priced, and actors still need their pay—but regardless of these issues, fans still say that Netflix has more than enough money to keep these movies and shows up and running. After all, Netflix is thought to have 340–400 billion dollars (USD) at market cap.
Have there been any major scandals?
In recent years, Netflix has canceled a handful of TV shows, movies, and documentaries, which isn’t considered “abnormal” for the company. In one instance, however, it changed thousands of viewers’ thoughts of the company altogether. In the midst of October, 2024, Netflix removed over 19 Palestinian-made films, due to a “three-year content licensing deal” which had “not yet been renewed”, according to Variety. Not only was this act thought to have been completely out of the blue, but it was seen as highly insensitive, mainly due to the ongoing genocide in Palestine at the time. As a result, many individuals took to the internet to express their overall anger and disappointment for the company, even writing letters to Netflix in hopes to restore each of the films. In a statement by Sunjeev Bery, an Executive Director at Freedom Forward (A Human Rights advocacy group), Bery talked about “Netflix [being] a $300 billion company”, and how “[they] can afford to renew the licenses for the movies and films that [they] car[e] about” (Variety). Even after receiving all of this backlash, Netflix has yet to reinstate these films.
What’s the public’s opinion & how many people are starting switching to different platforms?
After getting caught up in various scandals over the past few years, Netflix hasn’t had the “best” reputation. The public has started to distance themselves from the platform, ending their subscriptions and using other alternatives like HBO Max or Disney+ to spend their money elsewhere. In a recent data table from Money Talks News, they concluded that “32% of respondents admitted to cancelling Netflix in the last 12 months”, highlighting how the company is still going through a “rough patch”. Nevertheless, Netflix reassures its viewers that it isn’t worried about a loss in subscriptions, and in actuality, gains back its subscribers almost immediately—according to Business Insider. Still, many critique Netflix for its cancellation of TV series and movies. In an article by Forbes, Eric Kain talks about how “it’s starting to feel like a betrayal at this point” especially with “viewer trust”. At this rate, it’s difficult to be in support of Netflix after everything that’s happened—so who knows what will take place in the future?
