Netflix poaches Spark Sport staffer as it opens Australia-NZ office

Cast members from the hit Netflix original series Stranger Things. Photo / Netflix

Netflix has made six appointments to its newly-opened Australia-NZ office, in Sydney.

The streaming giant has been in Australia and New Zealand as a commercial entity since 2015, but this is the first time it's but boots on the ground, with a series of hires joining between May and today.

The newly-minted Netflix ANZ team includes Anna Kooperberg, formerly Spark consumer communications lead then most recently Spark Sport marketing lead.

Kooperberg will be in charge of partner marketing.

Tony Broderick, formerly Twitter's Australian head of partnerships, television and news, has been named as Netflix' local head of brand and editorial.

Ausfilm chief executive Debra Richards had joined as head of production policy.

Nathan Burman, formerly Twitter's Australian comms boss, is head of communications.

Sarah Haines, ex Twentieth Century Fox, has been named publicity manager for Netflix ANZ originals.

And Nick O'Donnell has come onboard as director of public policy. He was formerly LinkedIn's public policy director for Asia Pacific and Japan.

There are also two network engineers.

The Australasian office opens as Netflix looks to boost its original programming, and as Australian politicians mull an Australian Competition and Consumer Commission recommendation to require Netflix (and Amazon's Prime Video and Google's YouTube) be brought under the same rules as traditional broadcasters and required to produce more local content.

Kiwi David Farrier, host of Netflix original series Dark Tourist. Photo / Netflix

On this side of the Tasman, Lightbox and Spark Sport owner Spark has been lobbying Netflix and its peers to be brought under local broadcast rules - particularly around ratings.

Currently, NZ's Chief Censor does not rate content from Netflix and other international streaming services unless he receives a complaint.