Ted Sarandos is done playing nice.
At this point, the Netflix co-CEO isn’t just comfortable being the villain in Hollywood’s ongoing identity crisis—he’s leaning into the role like it’s a prestige drama and he’s got top billing. The man didn’t flinch when asked if he’s destroying Hollywood. His answer? “No, we’re saving it.” And that wasn’t even the boldest thing he said this week.
In back-to-back appearances—from Variety deep-dives to a mic-drop session at the Time100 Summit—Sarandos made one thing brutally clear: Netflix isn’t the disruptor anymore. It’s the establishment. And it’s not interested in rebuilding the old industry. It’s replacing it.
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Hollywood didn’t fall asleep at the wheel—they built a Tesla, turned on autopilot, and then blamed the crash on “changing audience behavior.” Sarandos isn’t here to drive the old car. He’s building a new one—with rocket boosters and no rearview mirror.
Movie Theaters? Jurassic.
The guy basically eulogized the multiplex mid-panel. “Most of the country can’t walk to a movie theater,” Sarandos said as if reciting a weather report. His point? The theatrical window isn’t sacred—it’s just outdated. Nostalgia’s cute, but it doesn’t pay the bills. Netflix is designing for consumers now, not pining for the glory days of opening weekends and red carpets.
And AMC’s Adam Aron can keep begging for longer theatrical runs like it’s his prom night, but Sarandos made it plain: If a movie plays in a theater, it’s because Netflix lets it, not because it needs to.
Apple TV+? A Billion-Dollar Billboard
When it came to Apple’s foray into streaming, Sarandos didn’t even bother with shade—he handed out the whole tree. “I don’t understand it beyond a marketing play,” he said, referring to Apple TV+ last month. That’s not just a diss—it’s an autopsy. Apple is spending over a billion dollars a year on a service that exists more to boost iPhone stickiness than to build a genuine entertainment platform. And Sarandos, who’s survived every so-called “Netflix Killer” launched in the last decade, sees the bluff.
Because for all of Apple’s Emmy wins and Scorsese budgets, it still doesn’t have what Netflix does: scale, consistency, and actual viewers watching more than once a week.
HBO? R.I.P.
Sarandos also couldn’t resist taking a victory lap around Warner Bros. Discovery’s decision to kill off one of the most iconic brands in TV history. “It should be HBO,” he said. No sarcasm. Just confusion.
Max isn’t a brand—it’s a shrug in app form. And while Zaslav was out here playing Jenga with legacy media’s last great name, Sarandos was reminding everyone why Netflix didn’t just survive Peak TV—it turned it into a business.
Ted Sarandos is going after legacy media ego the way Jason Kilar went after theatrical windows—with a sledgehammer and zero apologies.
Because while everyone else clings to nostalgia and brand baggage, Sarandos is ripping out the copper wiring and rewiring Hollywood in Netflix red.
YouTube? The Real Opponent
But here’s the twist: Sarandos isn’t obsessed with beating Disney or HBO. His real competition? YouTube. It is the one platform that doesn’t need to buy content because creators show up for free.
And Sarandos knows it. That’s why Netflix is quietly scooping up creators like Tony Hinchcliffe and dangling checks that YouTube ad revenue can’t match. While legacy execs are still comparing Netflix to cable bundles, Sarandos is watching podcasters and YouTubers eat their lunch—and preparing to serve them dinner on a Netflix special.
The Bottom Line
Ted Sarandos isn’t throwing shade—he’s throwing down the gauntlet. He’s not just arguing that the old Hollywood is outdated. He’s demonstrating it.
While the rest of the industry tries to revive old models or slap Band-Aids on broken brands, Netflix is building the next version of the entertainment business—leaner, meaner, and 100% aligned with how people actually watch stuff now.
Hollywood can call it arrogance. Sarandos calls it clarity.
