Netflix is banned in China as “not a single episode” was uncensored

Netflix is the biggest streaming service in the world… except in China. According to co-CEO Ted Sarandos, “not a single episode” of the platform’s countless shows could make it past the censorship board.

That’s not an exaggeration. Netflix now has more than 300 million paid subscribers (boosted by its controversial password crackdown), with hits like Stranger Things, Wednesday, and Squid Game making it a dominant force with global viewers.

However, despite having a 1.4 million strong population, China’s strict content regulations present a unique barrier for western TV shows and movies. In 2010, James Cameron’s Avatar was famously banned in the country over fears it could “lead to civil unrest.” More recently, Thor: Love and Thunder was one of many films that was censored over LGBTQ+ scenes.

For Netflix, entering the Chinese market would likely mean altering or scrubbing entire narratives – a compromise the company appears is to make. And Sarandos has no issue with that, according to a new interview.

China rejected Netflix despite efforts

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Speaking at Semafor’s World Economy Summit on Wednesday, April 23, the Netflix co-CEO explained that they had attempted in the past to collaborate with Chinese creators.

But despite years of effort and a partnership with a Chinese video streaming company called iQiyi, Sarandos said that “not a single episode of a single Netflix show” could get the thumbs up.

That’s not for want of trying. “15 years ago, everyone thought it was existential. You had to get to China. For us, I put in a couple of years of trying to do it,” he explained.

“The content had to clear the censorship board to make it to air, and in three years, not a single episode of a Netflix show cleared the censorship board. Not one.”

Eventually, the streaming service realized that, as a US company, they were not wanted in the region.

“They had no interest in us being in China,” Sarandos continued. “I watched everyone spend the next decade grinding out all their time to get into China and ultimately ended up in the same place I did, which was nowhere.”

He went on to point out that Netflix is in a good position in light of the latest tariff wars, stating, “We’re one of the rare companies in the US that has no exposure to China.”

When asked about why the entertainment industry gets overlooked in regards to creating jobs in America, Sarandos explained, “It’s easy to forget.

“Netflix alone, I think from about from 2020 through 2024, contributed $125 billion to the US economy, created 140,000 production jobs, 500 jobs, we’ve shot films or television in all 50 states.

“The lion’s share of our investment is in the US. But I do think it gets overlooked as an industry. We get kind of thrown under the bus in trade deals occasionally. People forget that this is a real business. You hardly ever see a sitting president photographed on a studio lot.”

For more on Netflix, check out the new shows coming to the service this month and the best shows on Netflix.