Peter Rice Is Set to Become Netflix’s Chief Content Officer: What the Role Covers

The handoff is scheduled for October 26

Netflix announced on October 15 that Peter Rice would become Chief Content Officer on October 26. He is set to replace Bela Bajaria, who is leaving after nearly ten years at the company and most recently led its global content team. The handoff is still prospective as of October 24. About Netflix

Netflix describes the incoming job as leading its global content organization across all regions, covering scripted and unscripted series, film and live events. Reuters similarly describes content strategy across series, films and live events in global regions. Reuters

The published remit spans formats and regions

Live events sit alongside scripted and unscripted programming in Netflix’s description. The company credits Bajaria’s recent tenure with expanding unscripted programming and launching live events and sports; the new remit keeps live events in the named portfolio. That establishes continuity in categories, but the announcement does not say who will negotiate individual sports or event deals.

Rice’s earlier film work includes Fox Searchlight releases

Netflix’s biography places Rice in film before his Disney leadership. It says he served as president of Fox Searchlight Pictures and names Slumdog Millionaire, Juno, Little Miss Sunshine and Sideways among releases from his tenure. Disney’s 2019 biography adds that Fox Searchlight generated 51 Academy Award and 42 Golden Globe nominations during his time there. Those are studio-era credits and nominations, not evidence about what he will prioritize at Netflix.

Rice later became president of 21st Century Fox and chairman and CEO of Fox Networks Group (FNG). Disney’s 2019 profile says FNG’s revenue doubled during his tenure as its portfolio was reorganized around four brands reaching more than 2 billion subscribers. He oversaw long-term sports-rights deals with leagues including the NFL, MLB, UFC, FIFA and WWE, and helped launch FS1 and FS2. It names The Simpsons, American Idol, Modern Family, Homeland and This Is Us among its shows, and the World Series, World Cup and Super Bowl among its sports coverage. The biography also reports that FNG earned more than 600 Primetime Emmy, 68 Golden Globe and 200 Sports Emmy nominations during that period.

The same biography places several other roles inside his Fox Networks Group period: formation of National Geographic Partners, realignment of international channels in Europe, Asia and Latin America, consolidation of advertising divisions and Fox’s Hulu participation. It also says he oversaw the Digital Consumer Group and FoxNext Games. These responsibilities belong to the earlier Fox group role, before Rice took the Disney post. The biography also lists Rice’s board service at Hulu, National Geographic Partners, the National Cable & Telecommunications Association, Southern California Public Radio and the Motion Picture & Television Fund.

Earlier still, Rice chaired Fox Broadcasting’s entertainment division for two years beginning in 2010. The Disney biography credits that period with three seasons as the No. 1 network and an eight-season run as the top-rated broadcaster. Before that, he was executive vice president of production at Twentieth Century Fox, working with Baz Luhrmann on Moulin Rouge and Romeo + Juliet and serving as supervising creative executive on the first X-Men. He began his career in Twentieth Century Fox’s marketing department in 1989 after graduating from the University of Nottingham.

At Disney the portfolio covered television and general entertainment

Disney’s 2019 biography describes Rice’s Disney-era post as chairman of Walt Disney Television and co-chair of Disney Media Networks. The portfolio it names includes ABC News, the ABC Television Network, ABC Studios and owned stations, Disney Channels, Freeform, FX Networks and Productions, Fox 21 Television Studios, National Geographic Partners and Twentieth Century Fox Television. It also names Disney’s equity interest in A+E Networks and its radio business. The biography does not list FOX Broadcasting Company, Fox Sports or Hulu as part of this Disney remit. Disney’s 2019 biography Under the 2018 plan, Dana Walden would lead Disney Television Studios and ABC Entertainment, John Landgraf FX, Gary Knell National Geographic Partners, Gary Marsh Disney Channels and James Goldston ABC News, all reporting within Rice’s planned combined organization.

Disney’s October 2018 structure announcement was conditional on its acquisition of 21st Century Fox closing. A separate Disney release says the transaction became effective March 20, 2019, after the prior day’s spin-off of 21st Century Fox’s news, sports and broadcast businesses—including FOX Broadcasting Company, Fox Sports, FS1 and FS2—into Fox Corporation. Those dates explain why Rice’s Disney portfolio should be separated from his earlier Fox Networks Group sports and Fox Broadcasting work. Disney’s 2018 structure announcement Disney’s 2019 acquisition notice The 2018 structure announcement separately notes that Fox Regional Sports Networks would be sold under a U.S. Department of Justice consent decree. Disney’s 2019 acquisition notice lists the acquired film and television studios, FX Networks, National Geographic Partners, Fox Networks Group International and Star India, then distinguishes the news, broadcast and sports businesses spun into Fox Corporation.

Netflix’s October 2026 biography groups FOX Broadcasting, Fox Sports and Hulu with Rice’s Disney experience. Disney’s own records place sports-rights work, the launches of FS1 and FS2, and Hulu participation in his former Fox Networks Group role; they identify FOX Broadcasting and Fox Sports among the businesses spun off to Fox Corporation. Disney’s official October 2020 organization announcement assigns General Entertainment Content to Rice and ESPN and Sports Content to James Pitaro. Those named responsibilities distinguish Rice’s television portfolio from Disney’s sports-content group. Netflix’s 2026 biography says the Disney portfolio included more than 300 shows and 4,000 hours of television a year. Those scale figures remain attributed to Netflix’s career summary; Disney’s own records define which Fox assets were part of its post-acquisition organization. Netflix’s 2026 biography also says he chaired the A+E Networks and National Geographic Partners boards. Netflix’s biography lists The Simpsons, American Idol, This Is Us, The Bear, Abbott Elementary and Shogun among programs from the Disney period; these are company examples, not commitments to any Netflix title.

Bajaria’s tenure sets the recent comparison point

Reuters reports that Bajaria joined Netflix in 2016 and became Chief Content Officer in January 2023. Netflix’s January 2023 leadership announcement named her to that role while separately appointing Scott Stuber Chairman of Netflix Film. That earlier split helps explain the title history without implying the new announcement has published a replacement organization chart. Netflix’s 2023 announcement Reuters

The appointment does not announce an immediate programming change

The October notice establishes Rice’s start date and the publicly stated remit. It does not tie the appointment to a specific commission, cancellation or release decision; those would require separate announcements.