Netflix stacking deck on Capitol Hill

Netflix is nonetheless building itself into a political force in Washington (DC). The company invested $1.2 million in federal lobbying efforts during 2013 -- more than twice its 2012 spending and nearly 10 times its 2010 spending, according to disclosures filed with the US Senate and US House. Much of Netflix's recent lobbying activity is focused on its support for "network neutrality," the notion that Internet service providers can't penalize certain content providers, such as those that use huge chunks of bandwidth, with slower connection speeds or extra fees.

The White House and Congress have both been targets of Netflix's governmental influence efforts. "We're not politically driven. We're driven by a few core issues. We're there sticking up for what we believe is in the best interests of our customers," said Netflix spokesman Jonathan Friedland. In all, 17 lobbyists represented Netflix's interests to the federal government during 2013, 13 of whom have previous experience working for the government, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, which tracks lobbying matters. Comparatively, well-known tech or entertainment companies such as Apple ($3.37 million) and eBay ($2.24 million) spent more than Netflix on federal lobbying in 2013, while others such as Live Nation Entertainment ($220,000) and SiriusXM Radio ($200,000) spent less. At the end of 2013, FLIXPAC reported having $6,918 to its name.