Netflix has appointed former Walt Disney Television chairman Peter Rice as chief content officer, placing him in charge of its global output across scripted and unscripted series, films, and live events. Announced on Thursday, the appointment replaces Bela Bajaria, who has occupied the role since January 2023 and is departing after nearly a decade at the company. Co-chief executive Ted Sarandos praised her leadership, while telling employees that he saw an opportunity to strengthen the programming lineup, particularly in the United States and Canada.
Rice brings experience overseeing ABC, FX, Hulu, National Geographic, and Disney Channel, a portfolio encompassing more than 300 shows annually. Previously president of 21st Century Fox, he also headed Fox Searchlight Pictures, which released Slumdog Millionaire and Juno. After then-Disney chief executive Bob Chapek dismissed him in 2022, Rice produced films including Saturday Night and 28 Years Later. His current projects include Alex Garland’s Elden Ring and the ceremonies for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
The leadership transition follows Netflix’s announcement, one day earlier, that it would eliminate approximately 1,000 positions, equivalent to 6% of its workforce. Concentrated in product, technology, legal, and human resources, the layoffs are its largest since 2022. Sarandos and co-chief executive Greg Peters nevertheless described the business as strong and growing, with full-year expectations intact. That assurance followed Sarandos’s statement at a Bloomberg conference last month that Netflix was not expanding as quickly as he wanted, as well as a weak third-quarter forecast issued in July.
