Ted Sarandos

In his two-hour interview, Ted Sarandos talks about growing up in Phoenix, his early journalistic ambitions, and his childhood love of television. He discusses how he began working at video stores and his post-college career at video distribution companies and overseeing revenue share deals. He talks about coming to the attention of Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings, their first meeting, and how he came to be hired as Netflix’s Chief Content Officer. Sarandos discusses the company’s transition from DVD rentals to streaming content, and its launch into creating its own original programming. He shares the story of how House of Cards came to Netflix, including the creative freedom they offered executive producer David Fincher and talks about the impact of Netflix releasing entire seasons of shows at once. He touches on how Stranger Things came to Netflix and discusses Black Mirror: Bandersnatch, which used interactive technology to tell its story. Sarandos shares information about Netflix’s algorithm and user data, as well as its interface and how the company has made decisions about sharing ratings and viewership numbers. He discusses the importance of pay equity and diversity, both for creative talent and executives at the company and touches on the controversy surrounding Netflix content qualifying for Academy Awards and Emmy Awards. He concludes by talking about Netflix’s impact on the entertainment industry and sharing his advice for aspiring entertainment professionals. Jenni Matz conducted the interview on August 13, 2019 in Los Angeles, CA.