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People are threatening to boycott Netflix after the Obamas signed a deal with the streaming service

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Scott Olson / Getty Images

  • Former President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama have signed a multiyear deal with Netflix to produce original shows.
  • The conservative backlash on social media has already begun.
  • Some are threatening to cancel their Netflix subscriptions over the news.
  • It's not the first time: In March, many conservatives were outraged when former UN Ambassador Susan Rice joined Netflix's board of directors.

 

Former President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama have signed a deal with Netflix to produce original TV shows and movies, and the conservative backlash against the streaming service has already started.

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Though Obama associates have said it's unlikely for the Netflix programs to be overtly partisan, there are still plenty of people on social media voicing their displeasure with the news — some threatening to cancel their Netflix subscription.

It's not the first time Netflix has faced conservative backlash. In March, Obama-era UN Ambassador Susan Rice joined the Netflix board of directors. Some subscribers were outraged because of inaccurate statements Rice made in 2012 after the attack on the US consulate in Benghazi, Libya.

Netflix CEO Reed Hastings has also been critical of President Donald Trump in the past. During the 2016 presidential campaign, Hastings endorsed Hillary Clinton and said "Trump would destroy much of what is great about America."

"Hillary Clinton is the strong leader we need, and it's important that Trump lose by a landslide to reject what he stands for," Hastings said at the time.

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Netflix tweeted on Monday that the Obamas "entered into a multi-year agreement to produce films and series for Netflix, potentially including scripted series, unscripted series, docu-series, documentaries, and features."

Below are some examples of backlash to the news on Twitter:

Disclosure: Mathias Döpfner, CEO of Business Insider's parent company, Axel Springer, is a Netflix board member.

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