Think shows like The Bachelor and Dancing With the Stars will remain a staple of network television while Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX) will stick to providing a binger’s delight of outrageous comedies and searing dramas? Think again.
At a meeting of the Royal Television Society on London, Netflix Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos said that “unscripted programming” had become a priority for the streaming network. Roughly 20 original projects are in various stages of production or pre-production, The Hollywood Reporter quotes Sarandos as saying.
What types of unscripted shows Netflix has in the works isn’t clear at this point. Nor is the genre entirely new to the company. Earlier this year, Netflix began airing a late-night talk show hosted by comedian Chelsea Handler. Reviews haven’t been as strong as it might like — 957 raters at IMDB give the show 6.9 of 10 stars, and Rotten Tomatoes says only 27% of its critics rate the show “fresh” — yet Sarandos and team seem determined to find new unscripted shows to air.
So-called “competition shows” are likely to get most of the initial funding for unscripted fare. Sarandos highlighted one in particular, THR says: Ultimate Beastmaster from Sylvester Stallone, in which participants from six countries will be tested by an obstacle course. Plans call for different territories to be allowed to tailor each broadcast to highlight local contestants, a nod to Netflix’s ongoing efforts to attract more international viewership and reach sustainable streaming profitability on a global scale.
For now, that’s still more on an ambition than an immediate opportunity. Netflix forecasts $75 million in losses for its international streaming division in the fourth quarter. Total paid membership is expected to rise to 40.15 million from 27.44 million in last year’s Q4. Netflix generally reports full-year earnings during the third week of January.
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