Can Netflix Become Disney Before Disney Becomes Netflix?
In a 2013 interview published in GQ, Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX) Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos famously said, "The goal is to become HBO faster than HBO can become us." But in 2021, Netflix sees a bigger challenge and opportunity: Disney (NYSE: DIS).
Co-CEO Reed Hastings (who now shares that title with Sarandos) hasn't been shy about his admiration for Disney. "It's super impressive what Disney has done," he said during the company's fourth-quarter earnings call in January. And he said Netflix is pushing to compete with it in family entertainment this year.
But another area where Netflix is attempting to do a better job of emulating the House of Mouse is merchandising. Disney has a massive consumer goods business, and Netflix sees an opportunity.
Source Fool.com
