Ted Sarandos Defends 'Baby Reindeer' Creator, Praises UK Creativity

Netflix co-chief executive Ted Sarandos defended Baby Reindeer creator Richard Gadd at the Royal Television Society (RTS) London conference, announcing a multi-year first-look deal with Gadd for scripted series.

Baby Reindeer won four Emmys and has been a global hit for Netflix. However, the streamer is being sued for $170m by Fiona Harvey, who allegedly inspired the stalker character Martha.

We are about facilitating storytellers to tell their stories, said Sarandos. This is Richard's true story... I think he is a brilliant storyteller and told an incredible story...I'm very proud of Richard and proud of the story he told, the way he told it.

Sarandos emphasized that Baby Reindeer is Gadd's true story, not a documentary, and that elements of the story have been dramatized.

Sarandos also praised the UK as a home for producing film and TV series, noting that Netflix's top four rating shows worldwide from the first six months of 2024 were produced in the UK: Fool Me Once, Baby Reindeer, Bridgerton, and The Gentleman.

He said Netflix had invested $6bn in the UK creative industries since 2020 and had worked with over 30,000 cast and crew.

Sarandos reinforced Netflix's strategy of launching original movies directly on the platform rather than in cinemas, citing the company's scale and ability to spend $200m on a film and have enough viewership to put it directly on Netflix.