Netflix and Warner Bros. explain why recent cancellations have upset fans

It is a very insecure moment for content on the platform: as soon as a series like ‘DAHMER – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story’ becomes an anthology like international mega-productions like ‘1899’, whose story was scheduled for another two seasons. In the last weeks, the list of canceled productions is getting longer and longer, both before the premiere and after the start, as was the case with ‘The Warrior Nun’ and ‘The Midnight Club’, among many others. Fans tried to change the executives’ minds, showing their devotion and discontent, even going so far as to create online campaigns to reverse the decision, even if they didn’t make a dent.

In an interview with Bloomberg, Netflix co-head Ted Sarandos replies bluntly: “We’ve never canceled a hit series”. The executive then says that the series they let go are the very ones that have not been profitable. “A lot of these shows were well-meaning, but they speak to a very small audience with a very big budget.” It also reveals the secret to maintaining a production: “The key is that you have to be able to speak to a small audience on a small budget and a large audience on a big budget. If you do it right, you can do it forever”. This implies that the platform’s more niche series seem to be well received, but not to the point of meeting the expectations of the invested budget. For this reason, the studio is clear that it intends to continue producing content on a small and large scale, so hope is not lost for future content where Netflix would already be clear on the proportion of the money allocated.

However, Netflix is ​​not an isolated case. Several platforms have removed films and series from their catalog and Warner Bros. Discovery is behind a large part of them. The conglomerate has canceled current and future productions and is looking to port some of the content to other services. Some of the titles that have caused more discontent among fans are “Westworld” and “The Nevers”, removed from HBO Max. It was rumored that the reasons could be fiscal, but the president and director Kathleen Finch would not have qualified it that way . “When two companies come together, you need to evaluate what you have. Then see if what you have fits your current strategy”claims, explaining that this is the main reason behind the cancellations, which admits it “They were very, very painful decisions”. He positions himself more accommodating than the Netflix executive, as he ensures that he understands “how does it feel to be a content creator and then have your job taken away from you”. Furthermore, it declares it “none of this was taken lightly”. Faced with the blunt way Netflix has decapitated productions, Warner Bros. announces that they are “working closely with creators to find a home for much of the content”.

Netflix: increasingly similar to television

In the same interview with Bloomberg, the CEO gives some of the keys to the new format they are experimenting with: live programming. “There is something very fun and exciting about watching a stand-up comedy special”. This is exactly what they are doing with Chris Rock: his monologue “Selected Outrage” will be available on the platform on March 4, although it is not clear if it will be available in Spain. For the executive, this “it will add a different element to the comedy”. However, the format may go beyond comedy: “A contest results schedule is so much better live”Sarandos points out. If we add this new method to the new rates that allow you to view your content with advertising at a lower price, we see how the steps of the streaming service are increasingly similar to traditional television.