PRESS: Netflix said interested in Russia’s Gazprom-Media content

MOSCOW, Dec 23 (PRIME) -- U.S. over-the-top content platform and production company Netflix is interested in several yet-to-be-finished Russian content products, head of Russia’s Gazprom-Media Holding Alexander Zharov, a former head of the communications service, told business daily Kommersant in an interview published on Wednesday.

“Netflix is interested in several our products, which are still in progress, and one of the key points for us, which will be discussed, is that a creative team should keep the rights on the territory of the home country,” Zharov said.

He added, “Netflix approaches everyone with a proposal: I have all the rights, you have the money. But it’s a heavy loss for producers, who love their series like children and want to have an opportunity of extra monetization.”

Zharov said he would agree to a commercially profitable offer from U.S. e-commerce giant Amazon if it makes one.

He also said that the government has no complaints about messenger Telegram, which was blocked in the country from April 2018 till June for its reluctance to share decoding keys with the Federal Security Service. When announcing the unblocking of the service, the communications authority praised the messenger’s readiness to resist terrorism and extremism.

“I think the communications service played its role in this process. I’m absolutely satisfied with the result,” he said. Zharov left the communications service in March.

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