The streamer’s co-CEO Ted Sarandos is now promising 45-day windows for Warner Bros.‘ films should its acquisition be completed.
Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos repeated his new pledge to give Warner Bros. movies a 45-day theatrical window, adding that the company had debated “many times” over whether to get into the theatrical business prior to its tentative acquisition deal for the century-old Hollywood studio.
“We have often, in our Netflix history, debated building that theatrical business, but we were busy investing in other areas, and it never made our priority cut,” Sarandos told financial analysts. “But now with Warner Bros., they bring a mature, well-run theatrical business with amazing films, and we’re super excited about that addition.”
Sarandos first hinted at his new openness to a 45-day window — something that theater trade org Cinema United has called all studios to adapt — in an interview with the New York Times this past Friday. This came after Sarandos previously suggested in December that while Netflix would keep Warner films in theaters, it would look into shorter theatrical windows on the basis that they would be more “consumer friendly.
