Netflix Canada Won’t ‘Upend’ Local Budgets, Has Greenlighting Power and Still Wants to Partner With Canadian Broadcasters
Manori Ravindran International EditorNetflix Canada is open for business, and they don’t need to wait around for their American colleagues to move forward on green lights.That message was loud and clear at the Banff World Media Festival, where the streaming service has been at the heart of several tense conversations around the country’s rumbling drive to regulate digital platforms.While the three Netflix executives on stage Wednesday didn’t directly address the ongoing regulation drive in the background, what’s abundantly clear is that they’re getting ahead of regulation and pre-emptively moving forward on Canadian originals — before their hand is forced.The panel featured Winnipeg native Tara Woodbury, manager for Canadian series; Danielle Woodrow, director of Canadian series; and Peter Friedlander, head of scripted series for the U.S. and Canada, who was moderating the session.