Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos has an extinction ‘prediction’ for….

Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos recently said that the movie theatres are never coming back. In an interview with Ben Smith, editor-in-chief of news website Semafor, Sarandos said “Nearly every live thing has come back screaming". He also stated that Broadway shows, sporting events, and concerts have returned stronger than ever, noting, “Broadway’s breaking records right now; sporting events, concerts, all those things that we couldn’t do during covid are all back and bigger than ever.”
Sarandos also highlighted that theatrical box office revenue remains 40-50% below pre-covid levels and has declined by 8% this year. He noted, “...so the trend is not reversing. You’ve gotta look at that and say, ‘What is the consumer trying to tell you?’”
Discussing content creation, he described YouTube as a platform for creators to "cut their teeth on or develop an idea" before moving to Netflix for better monetization. However, Smith argued that YouTube challenges this view by directly sharing revenue with creators.
During the interview, Sarandos also mentioned his interest in the "pro-am category" of creators—those who produce engaging content without upfront funding from YouTube, taking on all the financial risk themselves.

Sarandos makes a surprising acting debut, playing himself in an episode of Apple TV+'s new series, "The Studio," which premieres globally today, March 26. The satirical comedy, created by Seth Rogen, offers a "Curb Your Enthusiasm"-style take on Hollywood, and features Sarandos in a cameo at the Golden Globes. In the scene, Sarandos reportedly interacts with Rogen's character, a struggling movie studio head, humorously acknowledging Netflix's competitive presence.
In a recent interview to Variety, Sarandos spoke about his acting debut with Apple. Said to be known for his driven nature, Netflix CEO said that he readily agreed to the role, stating, "I said yes right away. Seth sent it to me, and I thought it was really funny." He also emphasized his focus on professionalism during filming. "I was really super conscious about not forgetting my lines. I just didn’t want to slow anything down and cost them money."