Netflix is planning on downsizing the amount of original content it produces following a year of considerably fewer new releases from the company.
2023 saw the streaming service release 130 fewer Netflix Original television shows and movies, mainly due to the writers’ and actors’ strikes, which dominated Hollywood for a large chunk of the year.
The Writer’s Guild of America strike took place between May 2nd and September 27th. Meanwhile, the SAG-AFTRA strike began on July 14th and ended on November 9th.
These strikes halted the production of many shows and movies, most of which were scheduled for 2024. However, Scott Stuber, Netflix’s film chief, has now proposed a plan for the streamer to release less content, valuing quality over quantity.
Netflix has found itself in a comfortable position despite a decline in original output, perhaps due to decisions such as stricter rules around password sharing, which the company brought out in May 2023 within the United States and the United Kingdom.
The streamer has been successfully relying on titles sold to them by other networks, such as Warner Bros., which often gain a new lease of life and popularity once they are placed on Netflix.
This has allowed Netflix to crack down on the amount of original content it is churning out, although there is a worry that many people will subsequently lose work opportunities.
