Did Netflix donate to Kamala Harris’ campaign? Controversy explained

Netflix’s Reed Hastings has faced backlash on social media, and it’s all linked to Vice President Kamala Harris’ 2024 presidential campaign.

The Stanford graduate hasn’t hidden from the public eye, returning to his alma mater as a guest, featuring in Netflix videos about the business, and making TV appearances.

The spotlight has focused on his career and Netflix‘s reinvention of the entertainment industry. However, in July 2024 his name is in people’s mouths after a super PAC donation.

This isn’t the first time people have made noise about canceling their plans. Netflix price hikes, password sharing crackdowns, and quality concerns are rising topics. However, this backlash is due to Hastings’ political leanings.

Did Netflix donate to Kamala Harris’ campaign?

Netflix did not donate to Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign. Co-founder Reed Hastings did.

An individual is not the same as a business entity. Netflix as a company did not donate to Harris’, or anyone else’s campaign, in 2024.

Backlash explained

Some Netflix subscribers claim they will cancel their subscription because co-founder Hastings donated $7 million to a super PAC supporting Harris’ presidential campaign.

Reuters first reported the donation on July 23. Variety later confirmed it was the “largest single campaign contribution” Hastings has ever made.

When Biden chose to drop out of the election, Hastings reacted. “Congrats to Kamala Harris – now it is time to win,” he wrote on X.

Republicans and Harris’ detractors on social media criticized the move, one user writing, “Canceling your service today 🤡.” Another account – with an American flag emoji in their display name – added, “I think it’s time to boycott Netflix. They are overcharging Americans anyway.”

Netflix hasn’t lost 6 million subscribers

Social media users spread disinformation following Hastings’ donation to Harris’ campaign. Netflix did not lose 6 million subscribers in the hours after the news broke.

A “satirical” X account posted a graphic that read, “Netflix loses more than 6 million subscribers within hours of its big donation announcement.” No reports have substantiated this, and the account self-describes its page as fake news.

Netflix’s stocks didn’t drop 40% after the donation

The same satire account said, “Netflix stock tumbles almost 40% after big campaign donation announcement.” A fabricated quote accompanied the graphic, “It was a huge mistake.” This is false.

@TheRealALLOD

Netflix is a publicly traded company so you can fact-check this claim easily by looking at the stock price.

Is Reed Hastings still Netflix’s CEO?

Ted Sarandos and Greg Peters are co-CEOs of Netflix. Reed Hastings is the Executive Chairman.

The American businessman co-founded the streaming service in 1997 with Marc Randolph. He currently sits as chairman of the board of directors at Netflix.

Hastings has historically backed Harris

In an email to The New York Times on July 3, Hastings wrote, “Biden needs to step aside to allow a vigorous Democratic leader to beat Trump and keep us safe and prosperous.”

“After the depressing debate [the June 2024 presidential debate], we are in the game again,” he told The Information on July 23.

The Times reported Hastings and his wife, Patty Quillin donated more than $20 million to the Democratic party in recent years. That’s including as much as $1.5 million to Biden’s 2020 campaign.

Past boycott attempts

Hastings’ public political comments have repeatedly drawn ire. However, there has yet to be a proven correlation between the reactionary threats of canceled subscriptions and drops in Netflix’s subscriber count.

The platform remains king of the hill concerning overall users, with over 260 million subscribers as of 2024. However, growth has stagnated in recent years. In April 2022 it had its first-ever loss of subscribers: 200,000 in the first quarter.

Netflix blamed the drop on other factors. It noted increased competition, nearing its potential market reach, and password sharing in a letter to shareholders (via The New York Times).

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