Back in early 2020, Netflix was deciding whether to go all-in on Russia. At the time, the streamer offered only a very limited product in the territory. But a proposed deal with the country’s National Media Group, the Kremlin-friendly media association, would potentially supercharge its effort, allowing for popular regional shows, payment options in rubles, and Russian subtitles.   

Given its goal of becoming a truly global service, the Russia push made strategic business sense, despite the radioactive politics associated with the move. But three Netflix sources tell me that the NMG aspect of the move was very controversial internally, and was hotly debated. Several top executives, including Cindy Holland, then the company’s V.P. of original content, sounded alarm bells in multiple meetings about NMG’s especially close ties to Vladimir Putin. The topic was discussed generally among executives, including at V.P. level get-togethers, which included co-C.E.O.s Reed Hastings and Ted Sarandos.