How to interpret the new round of Netflix layoffs
Like a well placed karate chop from Stranger Things Season 4 fan favorite Murray Bauman (played by actor Brett Gelman), Netflix is cutting a slew of jobs. The company is shedding an additional 300 staffers following the 150 workers it cut in May. This latest round of layoffs, first reported by Variety, will primarily impact the company’s US operations.
News of the employee reduction came just hours after Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos confirmed new details regarding the company’s plans to begin rolling out advertiser-supported content to compete with a similar offering from Disney+ coming later this year.
“We’ve left a big customer segment off the table,” Sarandos said during an interview at the advertiser-focused Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity on Thursday. “We are adding an ad tier, we’re not adding ads to Netflix as you know it today. We’re adding an ad tier for folks who say, ‘Hey, I want a lower price, and I’ll watch ads.’”
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