Netflix’s CEO, Ted Sarandos, has sparked a fresh debate after defending the platform’s impact on Hollywood. Speaking at the TIME100 Summit, Sarandos said Netflix is not "destroying Hollywood" as some critics suggest, but rather "saving Hollywood".
Responding to concerns over shrinking theatre windows and sagging box office collections, Sarandos said, "No, we're saving Hollywood."
He added, “Netflix is a very consumer-focussed company. We really do care that we deliver the program to you in a way you want to watch it. What does that say? What is the consumer trying to tell us? That they’d like to watch movies at home, thank you. The studios and the theatres are duking it out over trying to preserve this 45-day window that is completely out of step with the consumer experience of just loving a movie.”
According to a Variety report, Netflix owns Los Angeles’ Bay Theater and New York’s Paris Theater. The company has given limited theatrical runs to films targeting awards consideration, such as the 2022 Knives Out sequel Glass Onion and the 2024 musical crime drama Emilia Pérez.
During the conversation, Sarandos cautioned Hollywood not to get “trapped” into thinking audiences must see films in theatres simply because the industry prefers it that way. Instead, he emphasised the need for studios to be in step with how audiences choose to consume content.
When asked about the community aspect of theatrical moviegoing, Sarandos admitted that he still loved theatres but called the idea of going out to the cinema "outmoded" for most people. "I think it is for most people, not for everybody. If you're fortunate to live enough in Manhattan, and you can walk to a multiplex and see a movie, that's fantastic. Most of the country cannot," he said.
Responding to concerns over shrinking theatre windows and sagging box office collections, Sarandos said, "No, we're saving Hollywood."
He added, “Netflix is a very consumer-focussed company. We really do care that we deliver the program to you in a way you want to watch it. What does that say? What is the consumer trying to tell us? That they’d like to watch movies at home, thank you. The studios and the theatres are duking it out over trying to preserve this 45-day window that is completely out of step with the consumer experience of just loving a movie.”
According to a Variety report, Netflix owns Los Angeles’ Bay Theater and New York’s Paris Theater. The company has given limited theatrical runs to films targeting awards consideration, such as the 2022 Knives Out sequel Glass Onion and the 2024 musical crime drama Emilia Pérez.
During the conversation, Sarandos cautioned Hollywood not to get “trapped” into thinking audiences must see films in theatres simply because the industry prefers it that way. Instead, he emphasised the need for studios to be in step with how audiences choose to consume content.
When asked about the community aspect of theatrical moviegoing, Sarandos admitted that he still loved theatres but called the idea of going out to the cinema "outmoded" for most people. "I think it is for most people, not for everybody. If you're fortunate to live enough in Manhattan, and you can walk to a multiplex and see a movie, that's fantastic. Most of the country cannot," he said.
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