Netflix fined 250,000 euros for illegal tobacco advertising

Netflix Services France has accepted a final ruling to pay a 250,000 euro fine and 30,000 euros in damages for illegal tobacco advertising. The company waived its right to appeal to the Court of Cassation on September 29, 2026, making the March 2026 decision by the Paris Court of Appeal definitive.

The case stems from a YouTube trailer for the Michael Schumacher documentary, which was broadcast between August 2021 and April 2022. A bailiff identified 23 images featuring cigarette brands and logos on racing cars and driver uniforms. While these images were archival footage from an era of heavy tobacco sponsorship in Formula 1, the court ruled that the trailer constituted both direct and indirect tobacco advertising.

The court emphasized the severity of the violation due to the potential impact on public health and the young audience reached by the content, which garnered nearly 100,000 views in its first month. Furthermore, Netflix continued to host the video for nine months after receiving a formal notice from the association DNF in November 2021.