LOS ANGELES – Netflix Chairman Reed Hastings is leaving the streaming service he co-founded 29 years ago as the company regains its footing after it lost its US$72 billion (S$91 billion) deal for Warner Bros Discovery.
In a letter to investors released on April 16, Netflix said Mr Hastings will not stand for re-election at its annual meeting in June and plans to focus on philanthropy and other pursuits.
The company’s stock plunged around 8 per cent on the news of Mr Hastings’ departure. The company’s co-founder is credited with helping to revolutionise how movies and television shows are delivered in homes, upending Hollywood’s business model.
“As the company enters a new era without Reed Hastings, advertising will play a bigger role,” said eMarketer senior analyst Ross Benes. “There’s no better time to amplify an ads business than right now with the upfronts looming.”
Netflix reaffirmed in a 14-page shareholder letter that its mission remains “ambitious and unchanged” – to entertain the world, providing movies and series for many tastes, cultures and languages. The company’s full-year outlook remained unchanged.
The company did not say how it plans to spend the US$2.8 billion termination fee it received after losing the Warner Bros movie studio and HBO, and lifted its earnings per share to US$1.23 in the first quarter compared with 66 cents per share in the same quarter in 2025.
Revenue rose to US$12.25 billion, an increase of 16 per cent from the year-ago period, modestly exceeding analyst forecasts of US$12.18 billion.
Netflix, which long told investors that a Warner Bros acquisition was a “nice to have, not need to have” proposition, highlighted areas of future growth.
The company said its investment in expanding its entertainment offerings with video podcasts, and live entertainment – such as the World Baseball Classic in Japan – is fuelling engagement. It plans to use technology to improve the user experience and improve monetisation, as advertising revenue remains on track to reach US$3 billion in 2026 – a twofold increase from a year ago. REUTERS
