Netflix CEO: Hollywood 'gets thrown under the bus' in US trade deals

Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos said major entertainment companies in America are being hurt by President Trump's tariffs on foreign nations.

"It certainly gets overlooked as an industry," Sarandos said Wednesday at the Semafor World Economy Summit, estimating his company contributed $124 million to the U.S. economy between 2020 and 2024.

"So we get kind of thrown under the bus in trade deals," he continued. "People forget that this is a real business."

Sarandos said it was "inevitable" that Trump's desire to see more trade and manufacturing jobs in the U.S. would mean more opportunities in the set building, lighting and production space for major TV and moviemakers.

Netflix has increasingly positioned itself as a global company and promised shareholders more investment in international markets in the coming years.

Sarandos brushed away suggestions that the Trump administration's anti-globalization posture could make it more difficult for Netflix to do business overseas.

"The same way we are a tech company and an entertainment company, we are also a local company or a global company depending on where you're sitting," he said.