Netflix’s longtime chief content officer Bela Bajaria is leaving the company after 10 years, to be replaced by former Disney and Fox executive Peter Rice. The streamer released an announcement Thursday afternoon. Bajaria’s exit comes after the streaming company laid off about 1,000 employees, about 6% of its workforce, on Wednesday.
“I want to thank Bella for a decade of dedication, innovation, creativity and leadership,” Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos said in a statement announcing Rice’s appointment. “He led major changes at Netflix. He helped broaden our content offering, including the expansion of large-scale unscripted programming and the launch of live events and sports, while also creating and running movies and series on a world-class, global scale. I’m incredibly grateful for everything he’s done to help Netflix entertain the world.”
Rice will oversee scripted and unscripted series, films, live events and more.
Since coming to Netflix in 2016, Bajaria has been credited with overseeing the production of major titles such as “Squid Game,” “Bridgerton,” “Stranger Things,” “Wednesday” as well as films such as “Kpop Demon Hunters.” Bajaria joined Netflix at a time when streaming was still an emerging industry and has helped grow the company’s dominance in overseeing streamers’ content. After first leading Netflix’s unscripted division, along with licensing and co-productions, she was promoted to global head in 2020 following Cindy Holland’s exit from the company. In 2023, he was named chief content officer.
Puck was the first to report Bajaria’s exit.
more to come…