Netflix turns to Peter Rice for its next chapter in content

Netflix has named veteran TV executive Peter Rice as chief content officer, replacing Bela Bajaria, who is leaving after nearly a decade at the company. Starting October 26, Rice will oversee the global pipeline of scripted and unscripted series, films, and live events—the entertainment that gives people reasons to subscribe and keep watching. His background at Disney and Fox was built around running large television operations and working with creative talent at scale. Netflix did not link Bajaria’s departure to performance, but the change comes as investors increasingly focus on engagement, not just subscriber totals, while free rivals such as YouTube and TikTok compete for viewers’ time.