Netflix's Theatrical Window Length For Warner Bros. Movies Clarified By Ted Sarandos

• Movies

Netflix's imminent acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery has raised plenty of concerns among movie fans. In short, the belief is that Netflix will ultimately destroy movie theaters, as new Warner Bros. flicks will swiftly move to streaming to satiate the appetites of audiences craving fresh "content." However, Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos is insisting that not much will change regarding theatrical windows. As he told The New York Times:

"When this deal closes, we will own a theatrical distribution engine that is phenomenal and produces billions of dollars of theatrical revenue that we don't want to put at risk. We will run that business largely like it is today, with 45-day windows. I'm giving you a hard number. If we're going to be in the theatrical business, and we are, we're competitive people — we want to win. I want to win opening weekend. I want to win box office."

Sarandos noted that there are some misconceptions about how the folks at Netflix view theaters. The CEO believes that many people assume the streamer is out to kill the big screen experience, but that isn't the case at all. Sarandos claims his company hasn't tried to hurt theaters, but only time will tell if he lives up to his intentions to compete at the box office. After all, his comments differ from things he's said in the past.

Yo, Ted, isn't the theatrical model outdated?

Ted Sarandos hasn't always been the biggest advocate of long theatrical release windows. While speaking at the Time100 Summit (via Variety) in 2025, he addressed the decline of the global box office as a symptom of audiences preferring to watch films at home, arguing that the big screen experience is outdated. As he told it:

"What does that say? What is the consumer trying to tell us? That they'd like to watch movies at home, thank you. The studios and the theaters are duking it out over trying to preserve this 45-day window that is completely out of step with the consumer experience of just loving a movie."

Perhaps Sarandos has changed his tune since then. The Warner Bros. Discovery merger will see Netflix have access to DC and other bankable franchises capable of putting butts in theater seats, so there will be opportunities to succeed with a more traditional model. For now, though, we can only speculate on the streamer's plans, as the proof will be in the pudding after the deal is formally completed.