Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos David Benito/FilmMagic via Getty Images Share on Facebook Share on X Google Preferred Share to Flipboard Show additional share options Share on LinkedIn Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit Share on Tumblr Share on Whats App Send an Email Print the Article Post a Comment Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos expressed a commitment to theatrical windows if the global streaming giant's $82.7 billion deal for Warner Bros. Discovery's Warner Bros. studios and streaming businesses goes through. "Our intentions when we buy Warner Bros. will be to continue to release Warner Bros. studio movies in theaters with the traditional windows," he said during a surprise appearance at a Tuesday night event in Paris, organized by Canal+ Group to shine a spotlight on Canal+ and its StudioCanal studio's 2026 content lineup. "We never got into it before because we never owned a theatrical distribution mechanism." Related Stories Movies The Testament of Stacy Martin: Mona Fastvold and Brady Corbet's Go-To Star on Female Leaders, Northern Accents -- and the Power of Ann Lee TV Netflix Reveals 'Jo Nesbo's Detective Hole' First-Look Image, Release Date Concluded Sarandos: "We were monetizing movies through our own subscription because that's how we were growing the business the fastest." Highlighting that "we've only been doing original programming for 12 years," Sarandos emphasized: "We've been moving very fast, building a library as fast as we can. We have made everything we have greenlit, so it's not a very deep development pool. Our library only extends back a decade, whereas Warner Bros. stretches back a hundred years. They know a lot about things we haven't ever done, like theatrical distribution." Sarandos was interviewed on stage by Canal+ Group chairman and CEO Maxime Saada, who asked if Netflix would continue its relationship with Canal+ after a Warner deal. The streamer's co-CEO said Netflix would compete for event programming and specialized sports, such as big boxing matches, concluding: "Our primary mission is film and television." Saada also thanked Netflix for convincing French audiences to pay for content. "Before you showed up, we had approximately 30 percent of French people willing to pay [for] TV," he said. "Netflix showed up in France with your proposition and user experience, and you convinced the French to pay, and now the penetration of paid television is 75 percent." Tuesday night's event also featured StudioCanal CEO Anna Marsh emphasizing the company's commitment to theatrical windows and unveiling a new film project, Elsinore, starring Andrew Scott and Olivia Colman. THR Newsletters Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day Subscribe Sign Up Production News Gov. Phil Murphy on New Jersey's Two Big Studios Competing for Warner Bros: "May the Best Team Win" Theater Broadway Box Office: 'All Out' Arrives, 'Harry Potter' Leads labor Canadian Directors, Producers Ratify New Contract to Ensure Labor Peace Vivendi StudioCanal CEO Anna Marsh on 'Paddington' and Other Franchises, Pushing Into Series, and Being "Absolute Believers in Cinemas" Podcasts Netflix Strikes Deal With iHeartMedia On Video Podcasts Reels Big Tech's Battle for the Living Room Heats Up As Instagram Launches Reels App for TVs Production News Gov. Phil Murphy on New Jersey's Two Big Studios Competing for Warner Bros: "May the Best Team Win" Theater Broadway Box Office: 'All Out' Arrives, 'Harry Potter' Leads labor Canadian Directors, Producers Ratify New Contract to Ensure Labor Peace Vivendi StudioCanal CEO Anna Marsh on 'Paddington' and Other Franchises, Pushing Into Series, and Being "Absolute Believers in Cinemas" Podcasts Netflix Strikes Deal With iHeartMedia On Video Podcasts Reels Big Tech's Battle for the Living Room Heats Up As Instagram Launches Reels App for TVs