Netflix

Netflix announced roughly 1,000 layoffs and the departures of several senior content executives while hiring former studio executive Peter Rice as COO. The company is wrestling with missed ad-revenue targets, sluggish US growth, higher prices, and a failed attempt to acquire Warner Bros, problems compounded by mixed content performance and weak promotion. Management says it will improve execution and theatrical strategy, but the moves signal deeper strategic and monetization challenges rather than isolated personnel failings. » More on theverge.com

Netflix was sold down to around $65 after the quarterly results, even though revenue in Q3 grew only 11.8% to $12.87 billion (weakest growth in about three years). Operating margin rose from 28.2% to 34.6%, net income climbed to $3.66 billion and free cash flow to $2.88 billion. The company bought back 63.9 million shares for about $4.8 billion; according to the author, a new global content hit would be an additional lever but is not a prerequisite for the current business model. » More on finanzen.net

Netflix is increasing theatrical experiments — planning about 30 releases in 2027 and pursuing wider, exclusive windows for select films like Greta Gerwig's Narnia — while maintaining a streaming-first stance. The company overhauled content leadership, hiring Peter Rice and dismissing its head of film, to improve talent relations and execution after stagnant viewership and a roughly 30% stock decline this year. Executives say theatrical releases can boost reach and streaming demand, but Netflix lacks the full distribution and marketing infrastructure of traditional studios, leaving the scale and economics of the push uncertain. » More on cnbc.com