Netflix's Bajaria Out, Disney's Peter Rice Takes Over as CCO — SkimNews
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- Bela Bajaria is exiting Netflix after 10 years as chief content officer, a tenure encompassing flagship titles like "Squid Game," "Bridgerton," "Stranger Things," and "Wednesday" along with the streamer's push into live events including Christmas NFL games and the Jake Paul–Mike Tyson boxing match.
- Peter Rice, who joins Netflix on October 26, rose through 21st Century Fox as president and CEO of Fox Networks Group, then became chairman of Walt Disney Television after Disney's Fox acquisition before being fired in 2022 by then-CEO Bob Chapek and replaced by Dana Walden.
- Bajaria's exit came the day after Netflix laid off roughly 1,000 employees — about 6% of its workforce — in what the source calls the most sweeping cutbacks in the company's history.
- Rice's producing slate since leaving Disney includes "28 Years Later," "Saturday Night," and "The Social Reckoning," plus upcoming projects "Elden Ring" and the LA28 Olympic opening and closing ceremonies — roles Deadline reports he will continue alongside the Netflix CCO post.
- Netflix's 2026 has been marked by a stock decline of roughly 28% since its failed Warner Bros. Discovery acquisition bid, plus high-profile talent departures: the Duffer Brothers to Paramount, Shawn Levy to Disney, Noah Baumbach to Warner Bros.' Clockwork, and David Fincher declining to renew.
- Co-CEO Ted Sarandos praised Bajaria for "enormous changes" including unscripted expansion and live events launches, while calling Rice "one of the most effective at-scale operators in the entertainment industry" with "exceptionally strong" talent relationships; Puck first reported the exit.
- Netflix is meanwhile reporting theatrical box-office figures for the first time this weekend via awards play "La Bola Negra," and ramping podcasts, live sports, and gaming to boost engagement that reports say has softened.
Why it matters: The CCO swap — landing on the day after Netflix's largest-ever ~6% workforce cut — signals that the leadership churn isn't over, with Rice arriving as the company absorbs a roughly 28% stock decline tied to its collapsed Warner Bros. Discovery bid and a steady bleed of top producers (Duffer Brothers, Levy, Baumbach) to rival studios.
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