Streamers Vs Smoke Screens: How Netflix, Amazon and Disney Respond to India's Tobacco Warning Rules

• Streaming giants Netflix, Inc (NASDAQ: NFLX), Amazon.Com, Inc (NASDAQ: AMZN), and Walt Disney Co (NYSE: DIS) on Friday confidentially explored ways to dodge India's new tobacco warning rules.

• The executives of the streaming companies, and India's Viacom18, which runs billionaire Mukesh Ambani's JioCinema app, held a closed-door meeting, where Netflix warned the rules could prompt production houses to block their content in India, Reuters cites familiar sources.

• They also discussed possible legal challenges in claiming that other ministries - IT and information & broadcasting - have powers over streaming, not the health ministry.

• The Indian health ministry ordered streaming platforms to insert static health warnings during smoking scenes within three months. The regulator also wants at least 50 seconds of anti-tobacco disclaimers, including an audio-visual, at the start and middle of each program.

• Amazon and other companies found it impossible to edit the films in three months and decided to consult lawyers and protest.

• Filmmaker Dylan Mohan Gray flagged the new Indian rules as "harassment," as it did not regulate murder, war, and highly violent crime scenes similarly.

• India is a hot market for streaming giants, and executives fear business impact and higher costs.

• Price Action: NFLX shares traded lower by 1.22% at $398.22 on the last check Friday.

• Photo by Ivan Marc via Shutterstock

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This article Streamers Vs Smoke Screens: How Netflix, Amazon and Disney Respond to India's Tobacco Warning Rules originally appeared on Benzinga.com

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