Netflix’s plan to buy Warner Bros. Discovery sparked quick concern inside the streaming world. Apple TV fans wondered if long-running hits like Ted Lasso and Shrinking would lose their pipeline. The fear was simple. If Netflix gained full control of Warner’s TV studio, it might stop producing shows for rival platforms.
A new statement from Netflix leadership now softens that anxiety. Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos says the company wants Warner’s television division to keep selling and producing shows for outside streamers. This matters because many of Apple TV’s biggest originals come from Warner’s studio, not Apple’s internal teams.
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New remarks came during Sarandos’ appearance at the UBS Global Media and Communications Conference.
Sarandos Signals Business as Usual for Warner’s Licensing
Sarandos praised the Warner Bros. Television Group and highlighted the value of its licensing work. He said, “The television studio produces and licenses content to third parties. We were never in that business. We are now.” He added that the studio runs a strong operation and that Netflix wants the team “to continue to do that phenomenal job.”
This stance keeps the door open for Apple TV hits that rely on Warner’s pipeline. Ted Lasso, Shrinking, Bad Monkey, and Presumed Innocent all come from Warner’s TV group, even though Apple TV streams them exclusively. Each of these shows has a new season on the way, and this reassurance avoids disruption.
Warner’s studio also produces series for NBC, CBS, ABC, The CW, Bravo, and Netflix itself. Its broad slate shows how central third-party licensing remains to its business model.
With Netflix now set to own that model, the industry watches closely. Yet Sarandos’ comments set a clear tone. Netflix plans to keep Warner’s TV division operating as a supplier to multiple platforms, including Apple TV.
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