A top Netflix executive has been sacked after he used the N-word in front of colleagues on more than one occasion.

Netflix chief executive Reed Hastings sent an email to employees saying he had fired the company's top spokesman Jonathan Friedland for showing "unacceptably low racial awareness and sensitivity".

Mr Friedland confirmed in tweets that he was leaving the company, saying he was insensitive in speaking with his team about offensive words.

"Leaders have to be beyond reproach in the example we set and unfortunately I fell short of that standard when I was insensitive in speaking to my team about words that offend in comedy," he said.

"I feel awful about the distress this lapse caused to people at a company I love and where I want everyone to feel included and appreciated."

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In a memo to employees, published by Variety and The Hollywood Reporter and confirmed by Netflix, Mr Hastings said Mr Friedland used the word twice — first in a meeting of public relations staff several months ago about sensitive words.

Mr Hastings wrote that several people told Mr Friedland how inappropriate and hurtful his use of the word was.

"We had hoped this was an awful anomaly never to be repeated," Mr Hastings wrote. "Three months later he spoke to a meeting of our Black Employees @Netflix group and did not bring it up, which was understood by many in the meeting to mean he didn't care and didn't accept accountability for his words."

Mr Hastings said Mr Friedland, who is white, later repeated the word with human resources staff trying to address the original incident.

Mr Hastings wrote the second incident "confirmed a deep lack of understanding."

Mr Friedland oversaw media and content publicity for Netflix's original series, films and specials streamed around the world.

In addition to previously serving as senior vice-president of corporate communications at The Walt Disney Co., Mr Friedland was also formerly a foreign correspondent and editor for The Wall Street Journal and Far Eastern Economic Review.

Netflix is yet to announce a replacement for Mr Friedland.

AP/ABC