Netflix’s co-CEO Ted Sarandos will next be seen in a cameo appearance on an Apple TV+ show, The Studio. Ahead of that debut though, in a new interview Sarandos was asked his thoughts about Apple’s streamer as a competitor to Netflix. His answer? “I don’t understand it.”
Sarandos doesn’t understand Apple TV+ except as ‘a marketing play’
Variety just published an extensive interview with Ted Sarandos covering Netflix’s 2025 lineup, deals with creators, and much more.
At one point, interviewers Matt Donnelly and Ramin Setoodeh asked Sarandos his views on Netflix’s competitors.
They discuss Prime Video, Max, and also Apple TV+.
When asked about Apple’s streamer, here’s what Sarandos said:
I don’t understand it beyond a marketing play, but they’re really smart people. Maybe they see something we don’t.
I find Sarandos’ seemingly candid response especially interesting.
By saying, “Maybe they see something we don’t,” he appears to be expressing genuine confusion about why Apple would enter the streaming game in the first place. As though, five years in, he’s still scratching his head at the move.
Top comment by FrankTheTank
I suppose his answer was meant to be oblique or coy in an effort to throw some shade on Apple TV. If he doesn't know the answer, maybe they should find another CEO. There is no single streaming service that provides every subscriber with everything they want. I probably find more engaging content on Apple than Netflix. So you spend X on internet service, X on this streaming service, X on that streaming service, and X on another.... Pretty soon, you have a lot of X's that add up to a lot of money. In my younger days, I thought it was ludicrous to spend $100 on my telephone and long-distance calls. Now, that is pale in comparison to our internet and streaming bills, which is nearly a car payment's worth.
Seen in that light, the remark about it potentially being a “marketing play” for Apple doesn’t even seem to reflect his true opinion. It seems more like an off-hand pseudo-explanation from someone who genuinely doesn’t understand Apple TV+.
In any case, Apple certainly does have a long way to go in subscriber numbers before it poses a real threat to Ted Sarandos. Then again, the same is true for most other streamers when compared to the juggernaut that is Netflix.
What do you think of Ted Sarandos’ remarks about Apple TV+? Let us know in the comments.
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