Why Netflix fired content chief Bela Bajaria from the seat of power

In what has caused ripples in the industry, Netflix decided to fire its chief content officer, Bela Bajaria, known for her contribution to the global expansion of the streaming platform.

According to a report in Variety, the decision is believed to reflect mounting pressure over slowing user engagement, disappointing awards performance and the streaming giant’s struggle to accelerate growth, even as industry insiders argue that she may have become a scapegoat for wider business problems.

Bajaria’s departure was announced alongside the appointment of Peter Rice, the former Walt Disney Company general entertainment chairman, as her replacement. The move surprised people inside and outside Netflix, with several industry sources telling Variety that the company’s problems extend beyond its content strategy.

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“People always blame the content,” one source said, arguing that Netflix’s decision to lay off around 1,000 employees pointed to deeper concerns about its business model.

Another industry insider questioned why Bajaria was being held responsible for slowing engagement when raising subscription prices appeared to be the company’s primary lever for revenue growth. The source asked why the chief financial officer and chief executive officers were not facing similar scrutiny.

Slowing engagement and disappointing awards

Netflix’s user engagement grew just 2% year-on-year in the first half of 2026. At a recent Screentime event, co-CEO Ted Sarandos acknowledged that the company was not growing as quickly as he wanted and said it was working to accelerate growth.

The timing of Bajaria’s exit, ahead of Netflix’s third-quarter earnings announcement scheduled for the following Tuesday, also fuelled speculation that the company could be facing disappointing results.

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Its performance at the Primetime Emmy Awards may have added to the pressure. Netflix won just 16 awards in 2026, down from 30 in 2025 and its weakest showing since 2016. The company has also struggled to produce a culture-defining hit comparable to Stranger Things, although His & Hers and the fourth season of Bridgerton remained among its most-watched programmes.

A record that complicates the decision

Bajaria, who joined Netflix in 2016, was credited with expanding its international operations, investing in local-language productions and helping the company enter live entertainment through licensing deals with WWE and the NFL. Nearly two dozen international offices opened during her tenure.

Her departure also echoes Netflix’s 2020 removal of Cindy Holland, who had overseen major hits before Bajaria took charge of English-language and international content.

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Why Peter Rice?

Rice brings experience across film and television, having held senior positions at 20th Century Fox, Fox Searchlight, Fox and 21st Century Fox before Disney acquired the latter.

He now faces the task of restoring morale following a series of layoffs, reassessing budgets and determining the future of Bajaria’s senior lieutenants.