Netflix Boss Ted Sarandos Aims to Acquire Warner Bros. Despite Past Criticism of Theaters

Sarandos' childhood story of finding solace in TV clashes with his new plan to keep Warner Bros. films in cinemas for 45 days before streaming.

Jan. 28, 2026 at 9:39am

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Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos is on a campaign to convince the industry that he doesn't actually hate movie theaters, as he tries to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery. This is a shift from Sarandos' past comments about preferring the small screen over the big screen, which has been a central part of his origin story. Now, Sarandos says Netflix will keep Warner Bros. films in theaters for 45 days if the acquisition goes through, a radical departure from Netflix's typical business model.

Why it matters

Sarandos' attempt to rewrite his history and embrace theatrical distribution is a significant shift, as Netflix has long been seen as a disruptor to the traditional Hollywood model. The acquisition of Warner Bros. would give Netflix a major theatrical distribution engine, which Sarandos says he wants to 'win' at. This move is likely an effort to appease regulators, filmmakers, and audiences who have been wary of Netflix's impact on the movie theater industry.

The details

Sarandos told the New York Times that if Netflix acquires Warner Bros., the studio's films will have a 45-day theatrical release window before streaming on Netflix. This is a stark contrast to Sarandos' past comments about preferring the small screen, where he has shared stories of finding solace in watching TV as a child. Sarandos worked as a video store clerk earlier in his career, but unlike Quentin Tarantino, he seemed to focus more on television than cinema. Now, as Netflix tries to close the Warner Bros. deal while fending off competition from Paramount and others, Sarandos is in the awkward position of trying to rewrite his own history.

  • Sarandos made his comments about a 45-day theatrical window during a recent New York Times interview.
  • Sarandos previously discussed Netflix's debate over whether to build a theatrical distribution engine during the company's latest earnings call.

The players

Ted Sarandos

The co-CEO of Netflix, who is leading the company's efforts to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery.

Reed Hastings

The co-CEO of Netflix, who co-founded the company with Sarandos and has been a key disruptor in the entertainment industry.

Donald Trump

The former U.S. president, who recently criticized Netflix's bid for Warner Bros. on social media.

Quentin Tarantino

A famous filmmaker who, like Sarandos, worked in a video store earlier in his career, but focused more on cinema than television.

Paramount

A major media company that is competing with Netflix for the acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery.

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What they’re saying

“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. We will run that business largely like it is today, with 45-day windows.”

— Ted Sarandos, Co-CEO, Netflix (The New York Times)

“I'm giving you a hard number. 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.”

— Ted Sarandos, Co-CEO, Netflix (The New York Times)

What’s next

The judge overseeing the potential Netflix-Warner Bros. acquisition will make a decision on whether to allow the deal to proceed.

The takeaway

Sarandos' shift towards embracing theatrical distribution for Warner Bros. films represents a significant change from Netflix's past disruptive approach to the movie industry. This move highlights the company's efforts to appease regulators, filmmakers, and audiences who have been wary of Netflix's impact on traditional Hollywood.