Ted Sarandos

Ted Sarandos
Born	Theodore Anthony Sarandos Jr. 30 7, 1964
Birthplace	Long Branch, New Jersey, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Media executive
Title	Co-chief executive officer of Netflix
Known for	Building Netflix's original content strategy; co-CEO of Netflix
Spouse(s)	Nicole Avant

Theodore Anthony Sarandos Jr. (born July 30, 1964) is an American media executive who serves as the co-chief executive officer of Netflix, the world's largest subscription streaming service. Sarandos joined Netflix in 2000 as its chief content officer and spent two decades shaping the company's transformation from a DVD-by-mail rental service into a global entertainment powerhouse that fundamentally altered how audiences consume television and film. He was elevated to co-CEO alongside Reed Hastings in July 2020, and following Hastings's transition to executive chairman in early 2023, Sarandos became the company's senior operational leader alongside co-CEO Greg Peters. Born in New Jersey and raised in Arizona, Sarandos developed his deep knowledge of film and television while working in video stores during his youth, an experience that informed his later data-driven approach to content acquisition and original programming at Netflix. In February 2026, Sarandos emerged at the center of one of the largest proposed media transactions in history, leading Netflix's reported $83 billion bid to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery, a deal that drew significant public attention including commentary from political figures.

Early Life

Theodore Anthony Sarandos Jr. was born on July 30, 1964, in Long Branch, New Jersey. He grew up in a large family in Arizona, where he was one of five children. His formative years were shaped significantly by his employment in video rental stores, an experience that gave him an encyclopedic familiarity with film and television content that would later prove instrumental to his career.

Working in video stores during the 1980s, Sarandos developed a detailed understanding of consumer viewing habits and preferences. He spent years observing which titles customers selected, how they responded to recommendations, and what patterns emerged in rental behavior. This hands-on education in the economics and psychology of home entertainment consumption became a foundational element of his professional philosophy. By his own account, the experience provided him with an intuitive grasp of audience tastes that complemented the data-driven analytics he would later champion at Netflix.

Sarandos's upbringing in a working-class household instilled in him a strong work ethic and an appreciation for popular entertainment as a form of cultural connection. His path into the entertainment industry was not through the traditional routes of elite education or family connections in Hollywood, but rather through the ground-level experience of the home video business, which was booming during his formative years in the 1980s.

Career

Pre-Netflix Career

Before joining Netflix, Sarandos spent over a decade working in the home video distribution industry. Beginning in the late 1980s, he worked his way up through various positions in video distribution and supply companies. This period gave him extensive knowledge of the mechanics of content distribution, licensing agreements, and the economics of the home entertainment market. His career in video distribution positioned him as an executive with deep expertise in how content moved from studios to consumers, knowledge that proved essential when the entertainment industry began its transition to digital platforms.

Netflix: Chief Content Officer (2000–2020)

Sarandos joined Netflix in 2000 as its chief content officer, at a time when the company was still a fledgling DVD-by-mail rental service competing against the dominant brick-and-mortar chain Blockbuster Video. In his role, he was responsible for all content acquisition and, eventually, the development of Netflix's original programming strategy. His early years at the company focused on building relationships with studios and distributors to secure a broad library of DVD titles for the service's subscribers.

As Netflix transitioned from physical media to streaming beginning in 2007, Sarandos played a central role in negotiating the licensing deals that would populate the company's digital library. He oversaw agreements with major studios and networks that gave Netflix access to vast catalogs of film and television content, which became the foundation of the streaming service's appeal to subscribers. During this period, Sarandos became known within the industry for his aggressive deal-making and his willingness to pay significant sums for content he believed would drive subscriber growth.

A pivotal shift in Sarandos's tenure came with his decision to move Netflix into original content production. The company's first major original series, House of Cards, debuted in February 2013 and represented a significant departure from the traditional television model. Rather than releasing episodes on a weekly schedule, Netflix made the entire first season available simultaneously, establishing the "binge-watching" model that would become synonymous with the platform. The decision to commission House of Cards was notable for its reliance on data analytics; Netflix used viewing data from its subscribers to identify that a political thriller starring Kevin Spacey and directed by David Fincher would appeal to a large segment of its audience.

Under Sarandos's leadership, Netflix rapidly expanded its original programming slate. The company invested billions of dollars annually in original content across genres and formats, including drama series, comedies, documentaries, stand-up comedy specials, animated programming, and feature films. Sarandos articulated a content strategy aimed at serving diverse global audiences rather than pursuing a single mass-market formula. As he explained in various industry forums, the goal was to offer something for every subscriber rather than trying to create content that appealed to everyone simultaneously.

The use of data analytics in content decisions became a defining feature of Sarandos's approach. Netflix developed sophisticated algorithms and data platforms to analyze viewer behavior, preferences, and engagement patterns, which informed both content acquisition and original programming decisions. While some industry observers questioned whether algorithms could replace human creative judgment, Sarandos maintained that data served as a complement to traditional creative instincts rather than a replacement for them. He described his philosophy as using data to reduce the uncertainty inherent in content investment while still relying on experienced creative executives to identify compelling stories and talent.

Sarandos also spearheaded Netflix's international expansion of content, commissioning original programming in multiple languages and from numerous countries. This global content strategy helped Netflix grow its subscriber base beyond the United States and establish itself as a truly international entertainment platform. Original series from countries including Spain, Germany, South Korea, Brazil, India, and others found audiences far beyond their home markets, a phenomenon that Sarandos pointed to as evidence of the universal appeal of quality storytelling regardless of language barriers.

His approach to documentary programming also transformed the genre's commercial viability. Under his oversight, Netflix invested heavily in documentary films and series, elevating the form from a niche category to a mainstream entertainment staple on the platform.

Co-CEO of Netflix (2020–present)

In July 2020, Netflix announced that Sarandos had been promoted to co-chief executive officer alongside the company's co-founder, Reed Hastings. The appointment formalized Sarandos's role as one of the two most senior leaders of the company and reflected his growing influence over Netflix's strategic direction beyond content alone. When Hastings stepped back to the role of executive chairman in January 2023, Sarandos continued as co-CEO alongside Greg Peters, who had previously served as the company's chief operating officer.

As co-CEO, Sarandos has overseen Netflix's continued growth and its expansion into new business areas, including live events, gaming, and advertising-supported subscription tiers. He has also led the company through a period of intensifying competition in the streaming marketplace, as traditional media conglomerates launched their own streaming services.

Warner Bros. Discovery Acquisition Bid (2026)

In February 2026, Sarandos became the public face of Netflix's reported $83 billion bid to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery, one of the largest proposed media transactions in history. The bid placed Netflix in direct competition with Paramount Global, which was also pursuing an acquisition of WBD assets. On the eve of a reported deadline for the Paramount deal, Sarandos traveled to London, where he spoke publicly about the bid during events surrounding the BAFTA Film Awards.

Sarandos argued that Netflix's offer was superior for the industry, stating that his company was "buying assets we don't currently have," framing the acquisition as complementary to Netflix's existing business rather than merely consolidating overlapping operations. He described the potential deal as one that would benefit the broader entertainment industry by bringing Warner Bros. Discovery's content libraries, studios, and intellectual property under the umbrella of Netflix's global distribution platform.

The bid attracted significant political attention when former President Donald Trump publicly demanded on social media that Netflix remove Susan Rice, a former National Security Advisor under President Barack Obama, from its board of directors as a condition of the deal receiving favorable treatment. Sarandos dismissed the demand, telling reporters, "This is a business deal, not a political deal." His response drew widespread media coverage and was characterized by multiple outlets as a notable instance of a major corporate leader publicly declining to comply with political pressure during a high-stakes business negotiation.

Personal Life

Sarandos is married to Nicole Avant, an American film producer, philanthropist, and former United States Ambassador to the Bahamas who served in that role during the Obama administration. The couple resides in Los Angeles, California. Sarandos purchased a home previously owned by producer David Geffen in the Hollywood Hills area.

Sarandos has been involved in philanthropic and cultural organizations. He has served on the board of Exploring the Arts, a nonprofit organization co-founded by singer Tony Bennett that supports arts education in public high schools. He has also been affiliated with the Aspen Institute's Aspen Global Leadership Network.

Sarandos's marriage to Avant, who is the daughter of music executive Clarence Avant, has placed him within a prominent network that spans the entertainment industry, philanthropy, and Democratic Party politics. His connection to political circles through his wife has occasionally drawn public attention, particularly in the context of Netflix's business dealings that intersect with government regulatory matters.

Recognition

Sarandos has received recognition from multiple organizations for his contributions to the entertainment and media industries. He has been included in the Simon Wiesenthal Center's list of the most influential figures in the Hollywood entertainment community. He has also been honored by cultural organizations, including recognition at events celebrating the Persian New Year for his contributions to global storytelling and cultural exchange.

Within the entertainment industry, Sarandos has been consistently ranked among the most powerful executives in Hollywood by publications including The Hollywood Reporter and Variety. His role in transforming Netflix from a DVD rental company into the dominant force in global streaming has been the subject of extensive media coverage and industry analysis. He has been a featured speaker at numerous industry conferences and events, where he has discussed topics including the future of content distribution, the role of data in creative decision-making, and the economics of streaming entertainment.

The company he leads, Netflix, has accumulated numerous Academy Awards, Emmy Awards, and other industry accolades under his content leadership, though these awards are attributed to the company and its creative partners rather than to Sarandos individually.

Legacy

Sarandos's impact on the entertainment industry is most directly measured through the transformation of Netflix under his content leadership. When he joined the company in 2000, Netflix had approximately 300,000 DVD-by-mail subscribers and no original content. By the mid-2020s, the company had grown to more than 200 million subscribers worldwide and had become one of the largest producers and distributors of entertainment content globally.

His decision to move Netflix into original programming, beginning with House of Cards in 2013, is credited with catalyzing a broader industry shift. The success of Netflix's original content strategy prompted virtually every major media company to launch competing streaming services, fundamentally reshaping the economics of the entertainment industry. The model of releasing entire seasons simultaneously, which Sarandos championed, altered audience expectations and viewing habits, giving rise to the cultural phenomenon of binge-watching.

His emphasis on data-driven content decisions represented a departure from the traditional Hollywood model, in which programming decisions were made primarily on the basis of executive intuition, star power, and established intellectual property. While this approach generated both praise and criticism within the creative community, it proved commercially effective and influenced how other media companies approached content investment.

Sarandos's global content strategy—commissioning original programming in dozens of languages and from numerous countries—expanded the international reach of non-English-language entertainment and created new markets for content creators worldwide. This approach contributed to a measurable increase in cross-cultural content consumption, with audiences in one country regularly viewing programming produced in another.

As of February 2026, with Netflix pursuing the potential acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, Sarandos stands at the center of what could become one of the most consequential media consolidation events in history, one that would further reshape the global entertainment landscape he has already done much to transform.