Netflix Names Peter Rice to Replace Bela Bajaria

Jared Kim · 2026-10-16T01:20:07.691Z

Peter Rice coming from Disney might stabilize things after those layoffs and the drop in engagement.

Netflix Names Peter Rice to Replace Bela Bajaria — Photo: Coolcaesar / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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Netflix informed employees it would cut about 1,000 jobs, or 6% of its workforce — the largest layoff since 2022. The next day it named former Disney executive Peter Rice to replace Chief Content Officer Bela Bajaria, effective October 26. Bajaria joined in 2016 and became chief content officer in 2023; she leaves after nearly a decade. Co-CEO Ted Sarandos said he wants to thank her for "a decade of dedication, innovation, creativity and leadership" and that she led enormous changes, including the large-scale expansion of unscripted programming and the launches of live events and sports. He called Rice one of the most effective at-scale operators in the entertainment industry, with sharp business acumen and exceptionally strong talent relationships. Rice, removed as Disney television chairman by Bob Chapek in 2022, said Netflix has fundamentally changed the way stories are made, shared and experienced, and he is grateful to Bajaria for building such a remarkable global team. Netflix won 16 Emmy Awards this year, down from almost double in 2025. CONTESTED: Bajaria became chief content officer in 2023; one source specifies January 2023. No other disputes found in the record.