Netflix expects 2026 content outlay to rise about 10%, CEO Ted Sarandos says AI savings have been used in 300 productions

Netflix plans to step up its overall content spending in 2026 by about 10%, as CEO Ted Sarandos said the company is accelerating investment even while relying on cost savings from generative AI, according to remarks reported by Deadline on July 16, 2026.

Sarandos said Netflix’s content spend in 2026 is expected to total roughly $20 billion, with the growth rate rising from the lower levels seen in recent years. He described the 2026 increase as faster than the about 8% annual increases over the past five years, while still below the average pace of roughly 14% over the prior decade.

The updated spending outlook comes with changes in where Netflix expects to place new production dollars. Sarandos said live programming, which has been a smaller component of the platform’s overall portfolio, is expected to account for about 5% of total spending in the company’s plans.

Deadline reported that Sarandos framed the company’s cost management as partly driven by generative AI, describing it as a savings lever already in use across production workflows. He said Netflix has applied those AI-related savings to productions numbering more than 300, citing the approach as part of how the company can fund higher overall spend.

The statements add to a wider industry discussion about how streaming companies are balancing large slate budgets with operational efficiency, including the use of new technologies during development, production, and post-production. For Netflix, the company’s described approach suggests it views AI savings not as a reason to reduce investment, but as a way to support a larger content pipeline.

Netflix’s 2026 outlook described by Sarandos indicates that the company expects investment growth to remain positive even as its spending mix includes live programming at a smaller share than scripted and other forms of content. The company’s plan, as reported, also indicates that the AI savings component is already integrated at scale rather than being limited to early pilots.

Deadline’s coverage did not provide additional figures on the size of the AI savings or how they are calculated, and it did not detail whether the “300 productions” figure refers to finalized productions, in-production titles, or a broader category of projects. The reported statements nonetheless offer a concrete timeline for how Netflix expects to combine higher spending with technology-driven cost reductions in 2026.