Netflix Boss Greg Peters Pays Tribute to U.K. Slate, Citing Hits ‘Baby Reindeer’ and ‘Beckham’

variety.com:

K.J. Yossman Greg Peters, co-CEO of Netflix, paid tribute to the streamer’s U.K. production pipeline at a conference in London on Tuesday morning local time.

Peters cited shows including David Beckham’s docuseries “Beckham” and the controversial series “Baby Reindeer” as well as “One Day,” “Fool Me Once,” “Heartstopper,” “Top Boy” and “The Crown” as some of the U.K.

shows that had succeeded on the platform, calling them “tremendously diverse” in terms of their content. He restated the streamer’s commitment to investing in U.K.

content, which has been significant since Netflix’s global launch in 2016. “We’ve continued to invest heavily in our slate,” he said. “It’s why we continue to invest, continue to grow, even as competitors are going back.” Peters, who was appointed CEO alongside Ted Sarandos last January and has been with Netflix for 16 years, was the first keynote speaker at Media & Telecoms 2024 and Beyond Conference in London, where he opened by boldly stating that “Streaming is what consumers want, it’s how our industry stays relevant.” He also gave some insight into Netflix’s often closely-guarded data, admitting that despite the streaming giant’s heft “We can’t manufacture a hit.” Discussing internal recommendations on the platform, he said that what viewers want to watch is not always easily predicted, pointing out that viewers of “The Crown” are more likely than other Netflix subscribers to watch “Pepsi, Where’s My Jet?” according to internal data. “No algorithm could have told you — or told us — that a series set in Wales from a first-time showrunner, featuring a therapist’s son giving sex education lessons to his schoolmates would be a hit,” Peters quipped, referring to Gillian Anderson starrer “Sex.