Netflix Ousts Content Chief Bela Bajaria, Names Peter Rice

· Entertainment · United States

Netflix is replacing its chief content officer. Bela Bajaria, who joined the streamer in 2016 and was named CCO in January 2023, is leaving the company. Former Disney and Fox executive Peter Rice was named as her replacement and will start October 26, overseeing all Netflix content including scripted and unscripted series, film and live events. The shake-up came one day after Netflix laid off roughly 1,000 employees, and reports of Bajaria's exit had circulated before the announcement. Rice's last full-time role was as chairman of Walt Disney Television. The change puts a veteran studio executive in charge of the world's largest streaming content budget at a moment when the company is cutting costs.

Why it matters：The world's largest streamer changing its top content buyer reshapes which projects get greenlit globally, and signals how streaming giants are balancing cost cuts against programming spend.

Key points

  • Bajaria joined Netflix in 2016 and became CCO in January 2023
  • Peter Rice starts October 26 and oversees scripted, unscripted, film and live events
  • The move follows roughly 1,000 layoffs announced a day earlier

Sources (original reporting)

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