Netflix’s CEO, Ted Sarandos, has defended the platform’s recent move to stream mainstream Indian television favorites—such as CID, Crime Patrol, and The Great Indian Kapil Show—emphasizing that these additions broaden the offering instead of narrowing it.
During a recent appearance on Nikhil Kamath’s WTF podcast, Sarandos explained that “If you like those shows, that’s what you’ll see on Netflix. If not, you’ll see something else.”
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When Netflix first launched in India, it only offered licensed TV series and films in addition to original content from the US and Europe, such as House of Cards.
Over the years, Netflix’s expansion in India has allowed it to generate and support content that can appeal to a wider audience by approving a large number of television series and movies in regional languages, including Tamil and Hindi.
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Concerns are rising among brand loyalists about whether Netflix is going too massy in the country by appealing to each type of audience.
Sarandos revealed that India’s audience isn’t as predictable as expected. He pointed out that content ranging from Japanese anime to South African movies all performs surprisingly well, thanks to adventurous viewer preferences.
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Shows like The Great Indian Kapil Show, as well as iconic crime dramas like CID and Crime Patrol, are now part of Netflix India’s catalog. These titles regularly dominate viewership charts, further illustrating that the familiar, “massy” content is still high in demand across all platforms.
Many believe that while Netflix is busy pleasing diversity, it’s sidelining original content. While other OTT platforms like Amazon Prime and Jio Cinema are focusing on creating newer content, Netflix is busy acquiring nostalgia.
With the platform filled with everything you’ve watched before, where will you find something new that Netflix promised in the first place?
