Netflix announced on Thursday that Peter Rice will become its chief content officer, leading the company’s shows, films, and live events worldwide. He replaces Bela Bajaria, who has held the position since January 2023 and is leaving after nearly 10 years at Netflix. Co-chief executive Ted Sarandos thanked her for her leadership and the major changes she guided.
Rice previously led Walt Disney Television, where he was responsible for networks and services including ABC, FX, Hulu, National Geographic, and Disney Channel. Together, they produced more than 300 shows a year. He also served as president of 21st Century Fox and ran Fox Searchlight Pictures.
The appointment follows another major announcement. Netflix had revealed the previous day that it planned to eliminate roughly 1,000 positions, about 6% of its workforce. Most cuts affect product, technology, legal, and human resources teams, which handle employee matters. It is the company’s largest round of job cuts since 2022. Despite the cuts, Sarandos and co-chief executive Greg Peters said the business was strong, growing, and on track to meet its expectations for the full year.
