Netflix has appointed Peter Rice as Chief Content Officer. The former senior executive at Disney and 21st Century Fox will take charge of the streaming service’s global content business on 26 October, succeeding Bela Bajaria, who is leaving the company after almost ten years.

In his new role, Rice is responsible for the entire range of fiction and non-fiction series, films and live events across all markets. Netflix Co-CEO Ted Sarandos cited Rice’s extensive experience in the film and television industry, as well as his close relationships with creative professionals, as the reasons behind the decision.

Rice was most recently Chairman of Walt Disney Television and Chairman of General Entertainment at Disney. In these roles, his responsibilities included the ABC and FX networks, as well as content for Hulu. The productions for which he was responsible during his time at Disney include „The Bear“, „Modern Family“, „Shogun“ and „Only Murders in the Building“.

Previously, as President of Fox Searchlight Pictures, Rice oversaw the release of films including *Slumdog Millionaire*, *Juno* and *Little Miss Sunshine*. At 21st Century Fox, he was President and CEO of Fox Networks Group. In recent years, he has also worked as a film producer.

Bajaria joined Netflix in 2016 and took on the role of Chief Content Officer in 2023. Under her leadership, the streaming service expanded its range of live events and sports broadcasts, amongst other things, and further developed its global film and series portfolio.

The change in leadership comes a day after the announcement that Netflix would be cutting around 1,000 jobs. Sarandos sees the new appointment as an opportunity to further develop the programme offering, particularly in the US and Canada.