Netflix’s Sarandos reiterates WBD movies will head to theaters
Netflix’s Sarandos reiterates WBD movies will head to theaters
On Tuesday’s earnings report call with analyst, the co-CEO recommitted to releasing Warner Bros. movies for a minimum of 45 days.
The relationship between Netflix and major theater chain owners around the United States has never been close. The world’s largest streamer has always maintained that its original movies were intended to be seen by its subscribers on its streaming platform as opposed to in theaters, but that philosophy appears to be shifting as Netflix attempts to close a deal to purchase Warner Bros. Discovery’s movie studio, along with its TV production house and streaming services. In recent days, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos has twice committed his streamer to maintaining a standard theatrical window for WB movies if the acquisition of the studio goes through.
Key Details:
- We promise: Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos pledged again to send WB movies to theaters for at least 45 days.
- Internal debate: Sarandos told analysts that there has been more than one internal debate at Netflix about its theatrical policy.
- Awards only: In the past, Netflix has used very short theatrical windows for movies it hoped would garner awards consideration.
During Netflix’s conference call with analysts to discuss its fourth-quarter 2025 earnings report on Tuesday, Sarandos essentially waved off his many past comments about Netflix having no desire to make its movies available in cinemas for an extended engagement.
“I have in the past made observations about the theatrical business,” he said. “We were not in the theatrical business when I made those observations. When this deal closes, we will be in the theatrical business.”
He then pledged that if Netflix does finalize its purchase of WBD, it will keep Warner Bros. movies in theaters for at least the 45-day minimum window that has become the standard for cinemas and streaming services. Those comments are essentially an echo of a promise Sarandos made during a New York Times interview last week. The executive did seem to differentiate between Warner Bros. films and those from Netflix. So, at least for now, it appears that the movies that originate with the WB studios will stick to the standard cinema release schedule, while Netflix’s original films will continue to operate under the streaming status quo.
Sarandos went on to explain that Netflix has debated whether or not to make further use of theaters in the past, but that the company simply had other areas to invest in, and building a robust theatrical business never “made our priority cut.”
In the past, Netflix has used limited releases for select original movies to garner awards consideration for those films. Major cinematic awards usually require a movie to have a theatrical run of at least seven days, but outside of those films, Netflix has been highly reticent to make bigger commitments to theaters.
The purchase of WBD is set to change that. Sarandos’s words are clearly meant to allay fears in Hollywood that one of its longest-standing studios is about to go streaming-only, but whether his comments will sway theater chain owners is a question only time will answer.
Netflix
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