Netflix subscribers have had a love-hate relationship with this streaming service, especially in the past couple of years of price hikes and the password-sharing crackdown.

In 2020, Netflix had a 36.57 million subscriber high and now has approximately 8.05 million subscribers. (The worldwide pandemic certainly contributed to people being at home long enough to actually watch what they were paying for.)

And now recent rumors of Netflix donating to 2024 presidential candidate (and current vice president) Kamala Harris have made more subscribers pick a side.

Did Netflix Donate Money To Kamala Harris?

Netflix the company has not donated to Harris’ campaign. It was Reed Hastings, executive chairman of Netflix, who donated $7 million to a super PAC supporting her campaign. This is reportedly the largest single campaign contribution the streaming mogul has ever made, according to Variety.

Hastings was one of many who was disappointed by the first debate in June with President Joe Biden against former President Donald Trump.

He made his frustrations public to the New York Times, stating, “Biden needs to step aside to allow a vigorous Democratic leader to beat Trump and keep us safe and prosperous.”

Two weeks after the debate, Biden gave a much more impressive speech at the 115th NAACP National Convention. He spoke up about Trump’s “black jobs” comment during the debate, the White House’s contributions to HBCUs, unemployment improvements, business startups, Affordable Care Act updates, the late George Floyd and Officer Eugene Goodman.

But some former Biden supporters were still holding a grudge against that debate and wanted him out. Hastings was one of them.

Five days after his NAACP convention speech, Biden endorsed Harris.

Once the baton was passed in July, Hastings didn’t miss a beat before the donation was made.

“After the depressing debate, we are in the game again,” Hastings told The Information, who was the first to report his multi-million dollar donation in support of Harris.

Reed Hastings speaks into a microphone at The Conversation: The Future of Cinema, Games & Online Video, located at UC Berkeley — Photo credit: JD Lasica

He and his wife, Patty Quillin, have grown a reputation for other organizations they support as well, including giving $120 million for HBCU scholarships to Spelman College, Morehouse College and the United Negro College Fund.

The couple also donated $10 million to HBCU Tougaloo College in Mississippi, along with the 24-year-old nonprofit KIPP Foundation (a national network of tuition-free charter schools targeting marginalized groups, including Black students, LGBTQ+ students and Latinx students).

Netflix Users Have Something To Say

Although Hastings’ donation was not on the company’s behalf and was sent out of his own funds, some subscribers are still pointing out his affiliation. One user, who took a screenshot of his cancellation and referred to Harris as a “commie” (short for Communist), received more than 6,000 likes.

Another user pointed out the irony in Trump supporters canceling Netflix but ignoring that their presidential pick donated to Harris’ political campaign twice. Trump reportedly donated to re-elect Harris as the attorney general of California: $5,000 in September 2011 and again with $1,000 in February 2013. His daughter, Ivanka Trump, also donated $2,000 in 2014.

Instead of keeping the money, Harris donated the first $6,000 in 2015 to a nonprofit that advocates for civil and human rights for Central Americans.

And as of the date of this publication, that 40% stock decrease rumor is inaccurate too. Netflix Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX) stock has gained 139% since the end of 2022 with the latest trade at $704.32.

Shamontiel Vaughn

Writing since August 2024 · 1 story contributed