NHK and Netflix Butt Heads

This article is part of a directory: Game Rant's Ultimate Netflix Guide

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The public broadcaster, NHK, may push to cut ties completely with Netflix, however, the streaming service feels that it may have an easy solution (in the interim, at least). The two parties are working through the terms of the agreement with a fine-toothed comb to "incriminate" the opposition.

Sadly, it's the anime fans who are likely to suffer the greatest blow at the end of the day. NHK has been radio broadcasting from the heart of Tokyo since 1925 and began its television journey in 1953, and is by no means a small-fry company for Netflix to easily trifle with.

As some may already know, Netflix has decided to create a more affordable version of their streaming service to increase their audience (as of 3 November) after forfeiting an estimated 200,000 subscribers in the first quarter of 2022 alone. However, the price reduction package, called "Basic with Ads," gets accompanied by a bombardment of advertisements, much like Crunchyroll's free-to-view platform.

While some content creators see no problem with this setup, NHK has taken a stand against these changes by insisting that it is not conducive to the pre-agreed-upon terms of their business relationship. They are also significantly (and rightfully) concerned with the fact that they have no say over what is promoted during their shows and therefore have limited control over what products people may associate with their brand as a consequence.

It seems that NHK is so passionate about their viewpoint that they wish to have all 22 of their anime series removed from Netflix's lineup worldwide (and on the full-priced platform, too), as a breach of contract is simply unacceptable. The quick thinkers at Netflix have come up with a counterproposal (or had one waiting in their back pocket in case of disgruntled distributors) and chose to continue running with NHK's anime but without the cumbersome interruptions of adverts.

However, this gesture may possibly be a temporary strategy to appease the Gods of Anger, as Netflix is fighting back with claims that NHK was fully aware of their ad-campaign plans beforehand and had plenty of time to speak up. Discussions between the two sides are still underway, and the fate of several anime series currently remains undecided.

NHK is associated with the following anime available on Netflix: