Ted Sarandos, Chief Content Officer, Netflix

The entire video rental industry has changed dramatically since Netflix entered the fray with its internet-only subscriber service, and in the nearly ten years since that time they have risen from curiosity to industry powerhouse. Guiding them through it all has been Ted Sarandos, leader of content acquisition for Netflix since 2000. With more than twenty years' experience in home entertainment, Ted is recognized in the industry as an innovator in film acquisition and distribution.

Ted oversees the Beverly Hills office of Netflix with a staff of seventy-five people who manage the company's content acquisition through relationships with studios, networks, film makers and producers. As Netflix grew to 7.5 million subscribers by the end of 2007, Ted has established Netflix as a successful film distributor within the entertainment industry. During Ted's tenure, the Netflix library has increased from 2,000 to 100,000 titles on DVD and more than 12,000 movies and TV episodes available to watch instantly on the personal computer and the TV.

Ted has also spearheaded the company's original content initiative, Red Envelope Entertainment (REE), creating a national platform for films and entertainment programming through unique partnerships with filmmakers, networks and studios, including IFC, HBO, ThinkFilm, NewLine, Showtime, Magnolia Films and Sundance Channel. REE titles include the 2008 Oscar-nominated "No End in Sight," the New York Times' best film of 2007 "4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days" and the Clint Eastwood-produced documentary about Tony Bennett "The Music Never Ends."

Until March 2000, Ted was vice president of product and merchandising for Video City, where he negotiated the industry's first DVD revenue sharing agreement and reduced the cost of content from all studios. Ted has been included in Variety's "Global 50," a list of the 50 most influential people in independent film distribution, as well as The Hollywood Reporter's "Indie Power 50."