Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos Says Company Will Keep 45-Day Theatrical Window If Acquisition Deal With Warner Bros Discovery Goes Through

Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos has stated that if the streaming company’s acquisition of Warner Brothers Discovery is completed, they will commit to keeping a 45-day window for theatrically released films, according to Variety.

In a recent interview, Sarandos repeated Netflix’s intention to leave the model alone, saying,

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

These comments represent a shift from the CEO’s viewpoint just last year, when he considered the theatrical model “outdated.” However, Sarandos admits that he has since warmed up to it:

“It’s a healthy, profitable business for them. We weren’t in that business, not because we hated it. We weren’t in that business because our business was doing so well…I think we’ve got to take ownership of the idea that when people are excited to go out and see something, they go.”

He then clarified his earlier comments, saying that he was referring to the model being outdated for those outside big cities:

“I mean, like the town that Sinners is supposed to be set in does not have a movie theater there…For those folks, it’s certainly outmoded. You’re not going to get in the car and go to the next town to see a movie…but my daughter lives in Manhattan. She could walk to six multiplexes, and she’s in the theaters twice a week. Not outmoded for her at all.”

Still, Sarandos’s promise has not seemed to quell industry fears, as the sale of Warner Bros. has received significant backlash, with theatrical trade group Cinema United even warning Congress last week that the sale could lead to significant job loss. In addition, insiders have reported that Netflix is still unofficially pushing to shrink the theatrical window down to a mere 17 days.

As the deal with Warner Bros. Discovery is not yet final, however, the streaming giant has also had to worry about fierce interest from the David Ellison-led Paramount Studios, which included a hostile takeover bid for the studio and a lawsuit.

In response, Netflix plans to switch to an all-cash offer in an attempt to seal the deal with Warner Bros sooner.