Last year, Netflix proudly announced the release of the new Israeli series Bros on its service. However, since the outbreak of the war in Gaza, the streaming giant decided to release the series in a limited announcement.
The series, created by Hanan Savyon and Guy Amir, was filmed in Israel, Poland, and Georgia, and revolves around the dramatic story of the Beitar Jerusalem soccer team in Europe.
The production of the series was kept secret until Netflix's official announcement at the beginning of last year. Originally scheduled for release in October, it was inevitably postponed due to the brutal massacre by Hamas terrorists on October 7.
Initially, Netflix announced the series would be marketed to 190 countries. However, since the start of the war, an English trailer has yet to be produced for the series, and there have been no interviews with international media outlets for the show unlike promotions for other Israeli series including Hit and Run created by Lior Raz and Avi Issacharoff,. It's worth noting that Hit and Run, produced specifically for Netflix, was launched during the COVID-19 pandemic in a global premier.
Netflix had hoped to launch Bros back in January. However, this date was also postponed, and the series is only now being released in a toned-down manner aimed mainly at the Israeli audience of the service.
Netflix had planned large international launches for the series and had begun discussions on the matter before the start of the war. However, a limited premiere will take place in Israel instead. "It's frustrating," a production insider told Ynet, "We made a series for a global Netflix audience, but instead of announcing its release worldwide and showcasing Israeli creativity, Netflix is hiding it."
Another source added, "To my understanding, it's because of the current hostility toward us worldwide. Netflix doesn't want to get into trouble or upset anyone because of the war."
During new show releases, Netflix usually produces trailers to appear on their official YouTube channel. However, the preview for the Israeli series wasn't uploaded, unlike other new series being released.