Netflix to boost CEE investment by opening regional hub in Poland this year
Netflix has offered a localised service in Poland since 2016
US-based streaming giant Netflix is doubling down on its investment in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) by opening a dedicated office in Poland.
Larry Tanz, VP of series for EMEA, announced in a blog post this morning that the office would open in Warsaw later this year.
Netflix launched a localised service in Poland in 2016 and made its programmes available in Romanian, Czech, Hungarian, Croatian and Ukrainian shortly after.
The company said it has since invested US$115m in Polish originals and created more than 2,600 jobs for actors, scriptwriters, directors and below-the-line crews.
CEE has also become a strategic production hub for Netflix’s international shows, with titles like Extraction 2 and Shadow & Bone shot in the region recently.
Tanz said: “We have worked closely with celebrated Polish creators to bring a variety of Polish films and series to Netflix members in Poland and around the world. Series like The Woods, Sexify, Rojst ’97 and films such as David & the Elves, Nobody Sleeps in the Woods Tonight, How I Fell in Love with a Gangster and the critically acclaimed Operation Hyacinth have connected with audiences across the region and regularly appeared in Netflix’s Top 10.
“Today marks another milestone in our journey in Central and Eastern Europe, bringing us even closer to our members and creative partners. I’m thrilled to announce that we plan to open a Netflix CEE office in Warsaw later this year that will function as a hub for the region. The Netflix office in Warsaw is a natural next step for us and will help build long-term cooperation in the region as well as deepen existing ties, creating new opportunities for content creators and producers. The creativity and potential of the local industry make Warsaw a great place to base our business across Central and Eastern Europe.”
In November, UK-based Ampere Analysis published research that predicted Poland was set to be the next main beneficiary of Netflix’s aggressive international content push, following in the footsteps of South Korea, Mexico and South America.
