{"id":885366,"date":"2026-01-16T16:33:40","date_gmt":"2026-01-16T22:33:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2026\/01\/16\/ted-sarandos-assures-hollywood-that-netflix-wont-sideline-movie-theatres-we-are-going-to-be-in-theatrical-business\/"},"modified":"2026-01-16T16:33:40","modified_gmt":"2026-01-16T22:33:40","slug":"ted-sarandos-assures-hollywood-that-netflix-wont-sideline-movie-theatres-we-are-going-to-be-in-theatrical-business","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2026\/01\/16\/ted-sarandos-assures-hollywood-that-netflix-wont-sideline-movie-theatres-we-are-going-to-be-in-theatrical-business\/","title":{"rendered":"Ted Sarandos assures Hollywood that Netflix won\u2019t sideline movie theatres: \u2018We are going to be in theatrical business\u2026\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Ted Sarandos reassured industry stakeholders of Netflix’s commitment to theatrical releases, promising a 45-day window for films after the Warner Bros acquisition.<\/h2>\n
\"Netflix<\/figure>\n
Netflix will not abandon theatres, Ted Sarandos tells Hollywood amid studio expansion.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Netflix co-chief executive Ted Sarandos has moved to calm industry concerns over the streaming giant\u2019s commitment to theatrical film distribution, underscoring that the company\u2019s potential acquisition of Warner Bros<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Discovery <\/a>(WBD) would not undermine the traditional cinema model. His comments come amid heightened scrutiny from cinema owners, filmmakers and trade groups as Netflix seeks to expand its footprint in Hollywood<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Netflix will not abandon theatres, Ted Sarandos tells Hollywood<\/h2>\n

In a recent interview with The New York Times, Sarandos addressed mounting anxiety about Netflix\u2019s plans for theatrical movies once the $82 billion acquisition of Warner Bros is completed.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

He offered a specific pledge that movies from the acquired studio would continue to be released to cinemas with a minimum 45-day theatrical window, aligning with the longstanding standard in the industry.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen this deal closes, we will own a theatrical distribution engine that is phenomenal and produces billions of dollars of theatrical revenue that we don\u2019t want to put at risk. We will run that business largely like it is today, with 45-day windows,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Sarandos went further to assert Netflix\u2019s intention to be a competitive theatrical player, saying: \u201cIf we\u2019re going to be in the theatrical business, and we are, we\u2019re competitive people \u2014 we want to win opening weekend. I want to win box office.\u201d<\/p>\n

This comment directly counters the perception that Netflix favours streaming at the expense of cinema attendance.<\/p>\n

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Why did Ted Sarandos make this comment?<\/h2>\n

Sarandos\u2019s reinforcement of Netflix\u2019s theatrical commitment arrives after years in which the company\u2019s approach to cinemas was often interpreted as dismissive. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Historically, Netflix has released only a limited number of films into theatres, usually brief runs for awards qualification or special events. Sarandos himself has described the traditional theatrical <\/a>model as \u201coutmoded\u201d in past remarks, suggesting that lengthy cinema exclusivity periods did not align with contemporary consumer viewing habits.<\/p>\n

Industry observers note that these earlier comments, coupled with Netflix\u2019s streaming-first philosophy, contributed to unease among cinema owners and distributors<\/a>, who feared that the platform\u2019s growing dominance could erode box office revenues and alter audience expectations. The proposed acquisition of Warner Bros \u2014 whose film library and upcoming slate include major box office titles \u2014 has intensified such concerns.<\/p>\n

Cinema trade group Cinema United has described the deal as a significant threat to the industry, warning that Netflix\u2019s primary business model does not traditionally prioritise theatrical exhibitions, and could lead to theatre closures and job losses if mismanaged. Prominent filmmakers <\/a>have also weighed in, with some voicing scepticism about Netflix\u2019s intentions and the future of the theatrical experience.<\/p>\n

Golden Globe winning actor Stellan Skarsgard<\/a> also talked about movie theatres and their purpose. After accepting the award for Best Supporting Actor, the veteran artist said, \u201cHopefully you’ll see it in a cinema because they’re an extinguished species now. In a cinema, where the lights go down, and eventually you share the pulse with some other people. That’s magic! Cinema should be seen in cinemas.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Business News<\/a>News<\/a>Trends<\/a>Ted Sarandos assures Hollywood that Netflix won\u2019t sideline movie theatres: \u2018We are going to be in theatrical business\u2026\u2019<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\n Camellia Culton<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Ted Sarandos reassured industry stakeholders of Netflix’s commitment to theatrical releases, promising a 45-day window for films after the Warner Bros acquisition. Netflix will not abandon theatres, Ted Sarandos tells Hollywood amid studio expansion. Netflix co-chief executive Ted Sarandos has moved to calm industry concerns over the streaming giant\u2019s commitment to theatrical film distribution, underscoring<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":885367,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[33352,34229],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-885366","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-assures","category-sarandos"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/885366","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=885366"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/885366\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/885367"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=885366"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=885366"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=885366"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}