Netflix May Never Break Into China

[Thakur]

In September, Chinese President Xi Jinping came to the United States to meet with politicians, corporate executives, and tech leaders. In a speech where he addressed claims that his administration’s crackdown on corruption was related to an internal power struggle, President Xi surprised Americans with a sly cultural reference. “We have punished tigers and flies. It has nothing to do with power struggles,” he said. “In this case there is noHouse of Cards.”

Xi’s claim, of course, has real geopolitical implications. But it also speaks to the power of Netflix’s first original show, House of Cards. The drama enthralled Western audiences, ushering in a new era of original programming from Netflix. But the show also found a sizable audience in a surprising place: China. After its release in 2014, the second season of the Kevin Spacey-led series became the number one American show streamed on Chinese service Sohu, according to The Washington Post.