NETFLIX INC · News & developments
Netflix’s viewing is growing, but Sarandos says it is not growing fast enough
At Bloomberg Screentime on September 30, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos said engagement was growing more slowly than he wanted. Netflix viewership grew 2% over the first half of 2026. Sarandos said live programming uses about 5% of Netflix’s content budget and produces about 1% of viewing, while helping attract sign-ups and reduce churn.
Why this matters
The tension is between a modest increase in viewing time and Netflix’s argument that viewing hours do not capture all the value of its programming. Live events could earn their keep through subscriber acquisition and retention even with a small share of total watch time; that case depends on those benefits outweighing their content cost. Sarandos’s remarks do not quantify the sign-ups, churn reduction or advertising revenue attributable to live programming, so the low viewing share alone cannot settle the return question. The more telling signal will be whether engagement improves while the company continues expanding the live slate.
Written with AI from the linked sources and reviewed by a SageNoodle editor. How we work.
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