UPDATED with Netflix and Apple exits: In the wake of SXSW declaring that the fest will go on amid concerns of the coronavirus, notable attendees have decided they’re skipping the event.
On Wednesday, Netflix and Apple both said they were exiting the Austin-based festival, a day after Amazon said it was doing the same. All three companies had content bound for different sections that now will not be in the mix.
They join Facebook and Twitter who had earlier pulled out of the fest, which runs March 13-22.
Also today, the CW confirmed that Buzzfeed’s “Dreamz, Queenz, & Everything in Between” party, sponsored by the network and set for March 14 at Mohawk, has been canceled. In addition, Latinx House also announced today it was canceling its Austin activities this year.
Netflix had planned to screen five films: the feature Uncorked and documentaries A Secret Love, L.A. Originals, Mucho Mucho Amor and Have a Good Trip: Adventures in Psychedelics. A March 15 panel featuring Kenya Barris and Rashida Jones discussing their series #BlackExcellence was also canceled. Variety had the news first.
Apple’s lineup had included premieres of originals like Spike Jonze’s documentary Beastie Boys Story; Central Park, the new animated series from Bob’s Burgers‘ Loren Bouchard; Home, a new docuseries that explores the world’s most innovative homes and their builders and Boys State, Apple and A24’s documentary they snapped up for a record $12 million at Sundance. A Making Film & Episodics panel about the Apple series Little America featuring executive producers Kumail Nanjiani, Emily V. Gordon and Joshuah Bearman in conversation with CNN anchor Kate Bolduan is also canceled.
Previously scheduled Amazon activities at the festival included two world episodic premieres, Greg Daniels’ sci-fi show Upload and Matt Reeves and Nathaniel Halpern’s Tales From the Loop. In addition, Amazon Prime Video had a marketing activation with Entertainment Weekly, specifically their Blue Room photo/video studio and a party on Saturday night. Those aren’t happening now. Amazon Studios’ film side didn’t have any product scheduled for SXSW.
On Sunday, Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey cancelled his plans to appear at the event in an interview with Axios’ Dan Primack. This was largely due to a company-wide curb on travel given the coronavirus crisis.
“Twitter is implementing a mandatory global business travel restriction for our employees, effective immediately. This unfortunately includes SXSW,” a Twitter spokesperson told Deadline.
And this afternoon, Facebook reportedly pulled out of SXSW. The social media corp had about dozen dozen speakers at the multi-media festival and one activation. The news follows Facebook axing its F8 2020 conference which draw 5K attendees.
More than 3,1000 people worldwide have died from the coronavirus, the majority in China. As of today, 11 people have died in the U.S.