Netflix Spends Over $9,000 on Lobbying Efforts in Israel in May, Documents Reveal

Documents submitted to an Israeli court reveal that Netflix spent $9,145 on lobbying efforts in Israel during May. The lobbying services were provided by J.L.M Public Policy, a firm representing Netflix in the country. Although this figure covers only one month, companies typically pay lobbying firms on a retainer basis, suggesting Netflix's annual lobbying expenses in Israel could reach approximately $110,000.

These disclosures emerged as part of an administrative petition filed by the nonprofit organization Tzalaacha against both the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation (Kan) and Netflix. The petition demands full transparency regarding the contractual agreements between Kan and Netflix, which were signed about three years ago. Under this agreement, Kan's original series are available for streaming on Netflix in Israel.

The deal has faced criticism from local content creators, including producers who claim they receive insufficient royalties from Netflix broadcasts, and actors, voice artists, and musicians who assert they receive no royalties at all. In response, Tzalaacha is seeking a court order compelling both parties to disclose the complete contract, including all appendices and amendments.

Since Netflix operates in Israel without a local branch, Tzalaacha requested that Netflix be served legal documents through J.L.M, its local lobbying representative. However, J.L.M responded last week, stating it is not Netflix's legal representative for court document service because it provides lobbying services to a Netflix subsidiary registered in the Netherlands and that these services are unrelated to the petition's subject.

Along with its response, J.L.M submitted a receipt showing Netflix paid $7,750 for "regulation and strategy (policy)" services in May, totaling $9,145 including VAT. This financial disclosure highlights Netflix's ongoing investment in influencing Israeli regulatory and policy environments.