3 weeks ago
Netflix Co-CEO Sarandos: India under-screened; streaming and theatres coexist
Ted Sarandos is one of the two bosses of Netflix, the company that sends movies and shows to your TV through the internet.
He came to India to celebrate Netflix being here for ten years.
He said Netflix is not trying to stop people from going to movie theatres.
Instead, he wants people to enjoy movies at home and on the big screen.
He told everyone that people watch about seven movies a month, and one or two of those are in a theatre.
India has wonderful stories to tell, but very few cinema screens for so many people.
Sarandos says Netflix can help fix that by sharing Indian stories with viewers around the world.
Indian movies and shows have been among the most-watched on Netflix since 2024.
He also talked about computers helping make movies, and Netflix bought a company named InterPositive to help with that.
Netflix plans to make more shows in India and train more people to work on movies.
Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos said at the Express Adda in New Delhi that streaming is not competing with theatres and urged people to keep watching movies on the big screen.
He was in India to mark 10 years of Netflix in the country and the premiere of Safed Sagar, a series on the Indian Air Force's role in the 1999 Kargil War shot at 16,800 feet.
Sarandos called India 'one of the greatest storytelling cultures in the world but dramatically under screened,' with fewer movie theatre screens per person than any country.
Netflix has had an Indian movie or series in its global Top 10 every week since 2024, with 3.5 billion hours of Indian content watched worldwide this year.
Netflix acquired AI-powered filmmaking firm InterPositive for $587 million in March and plans to invest more in India, including crew skilling programs.
- Who
- Ted Sarandos, co-CEO of Netflix, in conversation with Anant Goenka, Executive Director of the Indian Express Group
- What
- Discussed Netflix's view that streaming complements theatres, India's 'under screened' storytelling culture, AI's role in filmmaking, and plans to invest more in India
- Where
- Express Adda event in New Delhi, India
- When
- Thursday, during a visit marking 10 years of Netflix in India and the premiere of Safed Sagar
- Why
- To mark Netflix's 10 years in India, premiere Safed Sagar, and outline the company's plans for further investment and storytelling in India
Streaming undermines theatrical exhibition
Streaming and theatres coexist
Streaming vs. movie theatres
Streaming undermines theatrical exhibition
Popular belief holds that streaming is competing directly with theatres, pulling viewers away from the big screen.
Streaming and theatres coexist
Sarandos argues the two media are complementary: Netflix viewers watch about seven movies a month, including one or two in theatres, and theatrical viewing strengthens the audience's relationship with movies.
AI's role in filmmaking
Streaming undermines theatrical exhibition
AI in production is a risk to be treated with caution; Sarandos says big creative decisions should rest on 'informed intuition,' not data or formulas.
Streaming and theatres coexist
Sarandos calls AI 'a great opportunity to tell bigger, better stories' that can be faster, cheaper and safer, citing Netflix's $587 million acquisition of InterPositive and AI use in pre-visualisation, post-production and VFX across 300 productions.
Key facts
- Key figure
- Ted Sarandos, Netflix co-CEO (joined Netflix in 2000, co-CEO since 2020)
- Event
- Express Adda in New Delhi, in conversation with Anant Goenka of the Indian Express Group
- Occasion
- 10 years of Netflix in India and the premiere of Safed Sagar
- Safed Sagar
- Series spotlighting the Indian Air Force's role in the 1999 Kargil War; shot at 16,800 feet, starring Siddharth and Jimmy Shergill
- Indian content viewership
- 3.5 billion hours watched worldwide this year; Indian title in the global Top 10 every week since 2024
- InterPositive acquisition
- $587 million AI filmmaking technology deal announced in March
- Awards for Indian Netflix productions
- The Elephant Whisperers (Oscar 2023); Delhi Crime Season 1 and Vir Das: Landing (Emmys)
- AI in production
- About 20% of a film's budget goes to pickups and reshoots; Glory is one of 300 Netflix productions using AI tools
Quotes
Ted Sarandos
Netflix co‑CEO
““There’s no data in the world that could tell you to make this and don’t make that.””
indianexpress.com
““We can solve that problem. We can tell those stories to audiences that want them.””
indianexpress.com
Sources
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