Netflix Bosses Claim They Cancel the Same Amount of Shows as Other Networks

It may seem like Netflix is canceling shows right and left (and yes, there have been plenty of canceled Netflix shows in 2020), but company bosses Ted Sarandos and Bela Bajaria are stepping in to reassure viewers that their renewal rate is actually in line with the rest of the industry. While speaking at the Paley International Council Summit, Sarandos and Bajaria said that Netflix renews around 67% of its shows, but Netflix cancellations often feel disproportionate because of the company’s business model. “Were always going to have a mix that are great to be told in a limited series form and shows that go on for multiple seasons,” said Bajaria, indicating Netflix’s commitment to staying the course.

According to Deadline, Bajaria, Netflix’s Global Head of TV, and co-CEO Ted Sarandos were quick to rebut accusations that the streaming giant is cancellation-happy during a Paley event this week. “If you look at season twos and more, we actually have a renewal rate of 67%, which is industry standard,” said Bajaria. “We also do make a large amount of first season shows, which sometimes feels that we have more first season cancellations but if you look at the renewal rate it’s really strong. I also think you have to look at The Crown, with season four launching now, Grace & Frankie and The Ranch, we’ve had long running shows.”

Bajaria added that while canceling shows is “painful” for everyone involved, Netflix’s series order model naturally leads to a higher level of turnover. “We order straight to series in the first rather than make pilots, which results sometimes in more season one cancellations,” she said. “Even with that, I still believe a season order is still a better creative expression of a writer’s idea so I still think that’s the right model for us.”

Sarandos echoed that sentiment and explained that the goal posts for success have shifted in recent years. “In this new age of television, the business model is a little different. The things that marked success prior to Netflix and OTT really had been getting to syndication, that was the goal, and anything that didn’t get to 100 episodes or past the four seasons didn’t feel like a success,” said the Netflix co-CEO. “Whereas I think many shows can be a success for being exactly what they are and you could tell that story in two seasons or one season or five seasons. I think it gets talked about so much because it’s measured against the old way of doing things.”

Be that as it may, the COVID-19 pandemic seems to have lowered the bar for what Netflix shows are canceled, and when. In recent months, Netflix has canceled The Society, GLOW, and I Am Not Okay with This, all of which had originally received additional-season orders. In each of these cases, and particularly GLOW‘s, Netflix decided that continuing production under COVID restraints would not be cost-effective, despite the popularity of the series.