Bela Bajaria attends Netflix’s ‘House of Dynamite’ Premiere held at Egyptian Theater Hollywood on October 9, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.
Jesse Grant | Variety | Getty Images
Netflix announced Thursday that former Disney executive Peter Rice will replace Bela Bajaria as its chief content officer, effective October 26.
Mr. Rice most recently oversaw coverage of Disney’s cable channels, news programming and major sporting events.
“Peter is one of the most talented large-scale operators in the entertainment industry,” co-CEO Ted Sarandos said in a statement. “We’re excited to welcome him to Netflix as Chief Content Officer as we continue to scale and deliver more of the stories our members love.”
Prior to joining Disney, Mr. Rice held positions at 21st Century Fox and Fox Searchlight Pictures. In a statement, Netflix called him “one of the most respected creative executives in the entertainment industry.” In his new role, Rice will oversee the company’s global content organization, including scripted and unscripted series, films and live events.
“(Netflix) has repeatedly shown a willingness to challenge unique voices and fresh ideas, and I’m excited to work with the team to bring even more great stories to our members around the world,” he said in a statement.
Bajaria, who is leaving Netflix after nearly a decade, most recently led the company’s global content team. She was focused on the company’s live sports strategy, looking to create events from popular games and tournaments.
“I am deeply grateful to her for everything she has done to help Netflix entertain the world,” Sarandos said in a statement.
The announcement comes a day after Netflix implemented layoffs across its organization, cutting about 6% of its workforce, or about 1,000 jobs. The company’s stock price has fallen more than 20% since the beginning of the year, but the stock was little changed in extended trading Thursday.
The media company is scheduled to report its next quarterly results on Tuesday.
