Ted Sarandos on content Netflix makes for India

Netflix is really excited about the films and series that it is making for India and from India for the world, Ted Sarandos, co-CEO and chief content officer of the global streaming service major, has said. Talking about the time and patience it needs to crack big markets like India, he said finding the right formula is all about persistence, commitment, staying the course, staying steady, and making constant little improvements to the business. In a conversation with Siddharth Roy Kapur, president of Producers Guild of India, at the ET Global Business Summit, Sarandos talked about the evolving Netflix India story, Covid-19 and its impact on cinema, and how Netflix plans to get back to growth: Edited excerpts.

Ted, there has been a lot of speculation around how Netflix’s leadership perceives India. What do you feel has been Netflix’s experience in India so far?

Well, everyone should hear that we are in love with and committed to India. Our enthusiasm for India has not waned a bit since we launched. Launching anywhere in the world is difficult. We’ve not had an easy go of it anywhere, including in the US, where it’s very difficult to compete with legacy players who have been doing this for 100 years. So, we have always dealt with intense competition, internet limitations, and credit card payment processes that are different around the world. But finding the right formula is about persistence, commitment, staying the course, and staying steady, making constant little improvements to the business. So, India has not been different in that way. I think what’s exciting for us is that the opportunity is so large and the storytelling appetite is so large that as we get the storytelling right, the rest will fall into place. We are really excited about the progress we have made, and the films and series that we’re making for India…(and) from India for the world, which is even more exciting for most folks. So, we are thrilled, enthusiastic and fired up about the opportunity in India, and for India around the world on Netflix.

Would it be a hypothesis that because India has got such a strong, indigenous filmmaking and television culture and its own stars and ecosystem of creators, which probably might not be something you’ve encountered so strongly in certain other markets, India is a little bit of a different beast?

Sarandos: Of the 30 original projects we made last year, seven were made in different languages, which is a very big difference for us from operating almost anywhere in the world. The variety of languages, regional storytelling, being as successful as it is in as many places, is what makes it so exciting. We knew that going in, the variety of things you have to do right to be successful in India. So, we’ve just got to keep going. But remember, as we grew throughout, when we launched our first international territory after North America, which was Latin America, and throughout Latin America, those countries had very little in common. They just happen to be in the same suite of countries that you can licence content to. But Brazil couldn’t be any more different than Mexico in its taste, its star system, its language, and its currency. So, we have got a lot of experience doing that. But we have found that, though it is as good as you can get in one country, it doesn’t really teach you very much about the next country. So, you’ve just got to be committed to constant improvement, and in a hundred different ways. And that’s what I think makes it exciting about India is that there is no recipe that you have to get things right, but you get it right by being more local. We have built an incredible team in India, who work in this beautiful new office in Mumbai and who have been able to go deeper into the culture than we could definitely go from the US. We made it a point to empower them to make the decisions on the ground in India, for India. And that’s where we’re going to get the best results, and they’re on a great path. We’re super excited about the success that’s coming.

In India and abroad, producers always struggle to deal with creative people in terms of control over content. What do you think is the right balance?

All creators are different, and they all come to us with these projects differently. Mostly, the goal of our team is to help them bring their vision to life. So, there’s no shortage of good ideas. But it’s very, very difficult to actually bring your story to life, to actually deliver on the promise of a great story idea. The goal that our creative executives have is to add value. So, we don’t want to give notes for the sake of it; we basically have to earn our place at the table. So, once we say yes to a project, our greatest superpower is our ability to predict this one over the last. Last year, we made 30 original projects in India. That sounds like a lot. But it’s in a land of a billion stories. So, we’re really trying to figure out what to do. We believe that the people who create these stories really understand them better than we do, and then we might be able to help bring them to life in a better way.

What do you think Indian creators need to do to be able to have their own Money Heist or Squid Game?

I think it’s inevitable. There’s no question. Look at projects like Delhi Crime, which just won the International Emmy for Best Television Series, which is phenomenal. I think that it is an inevitability, given the rich storytelling culture in India and the distribution platform that we can offer, that Squid Game and Money Heist could definitely come from India next.

The last two years have propelled audiences into different patterns of behaviour. Theatricals have taken a while to come back, and we are now seeing some green shoots emerge where movies are doing much better at the box office with Covid-19 protocols being eased. But what do you think is the long-term future of the theatrical business?

I think over time, Covid-19 has probably generated some new habits for people. So, it’s a little less exotic to premiere a big movie at home than it used to be. But I do think people love the theatrical experience. I do too. I’m dying to go back to the movie theatres. I do think it’s become more difficult and getting people back to the theatres will require bigger and bigger spectacle films, which will create more risk in the business and probably fewer films and less access to screens for films that are not as big as Spider Man. I think that will be the evolution. I’m sure that theatrical businesses will be around for a very long time. There are likely to be fewer films, bigger films, and probably more expensive movie tickets. But I think there’s still that experience, which is separate and apart from premiering at home. But it’s pretty tough to beat your couch when a big movie premieres on Netflix.