Cover Netflix founder Reed Hastings (left) and Ted Sarandos (right) photographed together in 2021 (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
Netflix founder Reed Hastings (left) and Ted Sarandos (right) photographed together in 2021 (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
1 / 1
Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos has been central to the streaming giant’s evolution and growth. Learn more about the man behind binge-worthy TV shows
Netflix has changed the way the world experiences entertainment, so much so that viewers can hardly imagine a world without on-demand streaming or binge-watching.
As its co-CEO and former chief content officer, Ted Sarandos has helped steer Netflix in its evolution from a DVD rental service into the global streaming juggernaut that it is today. He joined the company in 2000, long before it became a streaming service. Then aged 36 and an executive at a video store chain, he was hired by Netflix to develop its service snail-mailing rented DVDs to customers. When Netflix began streaming its rental titles, Sarandos was in charge of negotiating with traditional TV networks for rights to stream their shows.
Read more: Netflix: The exciting slate of upcoming Korean movies of 2025
But Sarandos really made his mark in Netflix’s strategic pivot to original programming, overseeing the creation of critically acclaimed series such as House of Cards, Stranger Things, and The Crown. His talent for a data-driven approach to content curation—and good old-fashioned storytelling—have cemented Netflix’s position as a dominant force in the entertainment industry.
Here are some key facts about his life and career.
1. As a young man, Ted Sarandos worked at a video rental store
Ted Sarandos grew up in Phoenix, Arizona, with his parents and four siblings. He began his career working at a video rental store two blocks from his home called Arizona Video Cassettes West. There he developed a keen understanding of viewer preferences, along with his own tastes.
2. Sarandos shares responsibilities with a co-CEO, Greg Peters
Reed Hastings, who co-founded Netflix in 1997 with Marc Randolf, and who was himself the Netflix CEO from 1998 to 2020, shared the responsibility with Sarandos from 2020 to 2023, when they were co-CEOs. In January 2023 Hastings stepped into a new role as executive chairman and announced Sarandos’ new co-CEO, Greg Peters. At the same time, Bela Bajaria became the company’s chief content officer, taking over Sarandos’ old role.
3. The Netflix co-CEO helped oversee the streaming platform's shift to original content
When Sarandos joined Netflix in its early days, it was a DVD rental service. Sarandos spearheaded the platform's move into original programming. Transformed the company into a content creator, he was responsible for greenlighting originals like House of Cards and Stranger Things. These groundbreaking shows cemented Netflix’s reputation as a tastemaker in global entertainment.
4. …and spearheaded Netflix’s international growth
Under Sarandos' leadership, Netflix has invested heavily in international productions. Popular titles such as Money Heist (Spain), Squid Game (South Korea), and Dark (Germany) reflect the company’s strategy of appealing to a global audience. Squid Game became the platform's most-watched series, with over 1.65 billion hours viewed in its first four weeks of release, making it a major financial and cultural phenomenon for Netflix.
5. His wife is a producer and political activist
Ted Sarandos’ wife, Nicole Avant, was the 13th U.S. ambassador to the Bahamas, appointed in 2009 by former US President Barack Obama. She is also a respected producer known for films like The First Daughter, Wag the Dog, and The Six Triple Eight. She is the daughter of music industry legend Clarence Avant and the goddaughter of Quincy Jones. The couple, who met at a fundraiser where Avant was working as the Southern California Finance Chairwoman for the Obama campaign, married in 2009.
6. His home was originally designed by the architect of the Hoover Dam
Sarandos and Avant purchased their Hancock Park, Los Angeles home from Antonio Banderas and Melanie Griffith in 2015. The property reportedly sold for US$15.95 million. It was designed in 1925 by Gordon Kauffmann, the architect commissioned for the Hoover Dam and notable structures like the Greystone Mansion, the Los Angeles Times building, and the Hollywood Palladium. Star-studded dinners are hosted in this house and it is often referred to as the “Netflix Embassy.”
7. Ted Sarandos and Nicole Avant are also known for their philanthropy
The Netflix CEO, alongside his wife Nicole Avant, has supported various philanthropic initiatives, focusing on education, the arts, racial equity, and community development in Los Angeles. He has been active in youth empowerment programs, contributing to mentorship and educational opportunities for underserved communities. Sarandos also played a role in Los Angeles wildfire relief efforts, supporting non-profit A Sense of Home’s Home Bank LA, which will reportedly give a home kit containing over 300 items—from sofas and microwaves to personal items like toothbrushes—to those who lost their homes.
