Focus: Netflix searches for franchises after losing out on Harry Potter
By Dawn Chmielewski
Published on April 2, 2026.
Netflix is focusing on franchises in its strategy of making something for all types of audiences and serving multiple audiences simultaneously. The company's first major acquisition, the comic book publisher Millarworld, was announced a day before Disney announced it would pull its movies from Netflix to create a rival, Disney+. However, there have been costly failures, including a $700 million deal to acquire rights to Roald Dahl’s catalog, which includes children’�s stories such as “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” but has yet to produce a major hit in five years. Despite this, Netflix's CEO, Bajaria, emphasised the company's focus on creating successful franchises that appeal to viewers and attract and retain subscribers. Despite these challenges, Netflix plans to continue working alone with its $2.8 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. revenue. Despite slowing growth, the company is expected to grow 13% this year, compared to 16% in 2025, and its advertising sales represent only 3% of the total.
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