Netflix’s Ted Sarandos walks back former claims on theatrical window length for Warner Bros movies
Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos has clarified his previous comments on the theatrical windows for movies, ahead of the imminent acquisition of Warner Bros Discovery.
On December 5th, Netflix released a public statement confirming an agreement had been reached to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery for $72 billion. As part of the deal, they have also agreed to acquire HBO Max and HBO. Warner Bros Discovery has since twice turned down a bid from Paramount for $108.4 billion hostile takeover bid by Paramount Skydance.
One of the biggest concerns surrounding the move has been the continued state of cinematic releases, amid speculation that the latest deal between the two companies will move towards a streaming model, therefore overlooking the importance of in-person cinema-going.
In a new interview with The New York Times, Sarandos shared, “When this deal closes, we will own a theatrical distribution engine that is phenomenal and produces billions of dollars of theatrical revenue that we don’t want to put at risk.”
Sarandos explicitly outlined how many days cinema goers might come to expect for the updated theatrical release windows, after the huge move takes place: “We will run that business largely like it is today, with 45-day windows. I’m giving you a hard number.”
Sarandos insisted, “If we’re going to be in the theatrical business, and we are, we’re competitive people — we want to win. I want to win opening weekend. I want to win box office.”
This new stance is directly at odds with his former comments, made at the Time100 Summit in 2025, where the medai mogul insisted that the consumer “likes to watch movies at home, thank you,” before adding, “The studios and the theaters are duking it out over trying to preserve this 45-day window that is completely out of step with the consumer experience of just loving a movie.”
In the official statement, sharing the news, Sarandos and Greg Peters, co-CEOs of Netflix, said that their deal means, “Netflix and Warner Bros will bring together highly complementary strengths and a shared passion for storytelling.”
The Netflix deal is now expected to face strong regulatory scrutiny in the coming months.
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