Netflix Ousts Content Chief Bela Bajaria, Names Peter Rice as Replacement
Netflix has fired Bela Bajaria from her job as chief content officer, the executive in charge of what gets made and bought for the service, after 10 years at the company.
The company announced the exit and the appointment of successor Peter Rice on 15 October 2026, according to Reuters. Rice was most recently general entertainment chairman of the Walt Disney Company, Variety reported. He previously served as an executive at Fox.
Bajaria joined Netflix in 2016 as vice president of content leading the TV team, Netflix said. She was promoted to chief content officer in January 2023, a role previously held by Ted Sarandos. In that post she oversaw original films, TV series and live events.
It was a vast brief. She led 27 local teams around the world producing in 50 different languages for more than 50 countries. Almost two dozen international offices were opened during her tenure. She was also involved in Netflix licensing deals with WWE and the NFL.
The change follows an earlier shake-up. Cindy Holland was ousted in 2020 when English-language and international content were combined under Bajaria.
The exit was messy. Rumours of her ouster spread in the days before the announcement. Word leaked before she had a chance to address most of her internal teams. The Ankler reported, citing its own sourcing, that Sarandos told Bajaria she was out on Monday.
The leadership switch came with job cuts. Netflix laid off about 1,000 employees, The Hollywood Reporter reported. The announcement on Bajaria came 24 hours after those layoffs, according to Deadline.
What makes this stand out is the sheer number of crews and writers touched by one desk. A chief content officer signs off on orders, renewals and cancellations. That decision chain decides which stories get finished.
Just days earlier, Bajaria had been due for a public honour. She was to receive the Variety Vanguard Award on 12 October at Mipcom, the international content market in Cannes.
