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Around 12 years ago, Netflix had no original productions in Europe, and audiences were largely watching content made in, by and for the US.
But it soon became clear that European content couldn’t be produced from Los Angeles alone. In 2019, Larry Tanz, Head of Content for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, moved across the pond to Amsterdam to lead the company’s European operations. Today, Netflix has 10 regional teams shaping the content audiences watch across Europe.
Over the past decade, Netflix has invested more than €13bn in Europe and, last year, committed to investing a further €1bn in Spain alone by 2028.
Larry joins Hannah Brown in the studio for the first episode of the new series of The Big Question to discuss the secrets behind producing internationally successful content.
‘If you don’t make it for someone, you’ll end up making it for no one’
Larry has amassed a team of experts across the continent who have an in-depth understanding of their local audiences and creative talent.
“Also they’re plugged into what’s happening in society, if you develop a film script right now, that film is not going to come out for maybe two years so you can’t just try to play on trends of the moment,” Larry told The Big Question.
What might surprise you is that Netflix doesn’t approach commissioning projects with the aim of creating a gigantic international hit. Instead, it focuses on producing authentic content that appeals to a specific audience.
“Let’s say you try to make a film in Spain and you cast it with people from everywhere and you try to make it for everybody – you end up making it for nobody and nobody watches it,” Larry explained.
He attributes the success of Squid Game, Netflix’s biggest international hit, to its distinctly Korean style, arguing that its commitment to being unapologetically Korean was precisely what resonated with audiences worldwide.
He emphasised that every Netflix show that has achieved global success has first found an audience in its home market.
Netflix is also one of the few global platforms that dubs and subtitles content in more than 40 languages, making international productions more accessible to audiences worldwide.
And Larry’s experience leading Netflix’s European operations suggests that this approach is paying off.
A decade ago, non-English-language content accounted for less than 10% of total viewing. Today, that figure has grown to more than a third.
‘Creativity and regulation are not happy bedfellows’
While many of us grew up watching public broadcasters with a clear mandate for their content – the BBC in the UK, for example, aims to inform, educate and entertain – it might be tempting to think that Netflix operates without any such limitations or restrictions.
“We have a very audacious vision, which is to entertain the world,” Larry boldly told The Big Question.
And although that is Netflix’s own mission statement, Larry also discussed some of the European legislation that makes its work more challenging.
He criticised outdated regulation for discouraging risk-taking and investment, both of which the industry urgently needs to grow and to support European talent.
Larry went on to urge policymakers to introduce consistent incentives to support investment while giving creators the freedom to tell whatever stories they want.
He fears that restrictive investment obligations could force Netflix to funnel money into shows that audiences don’t actually want to watch, rather than backing productions with a good chance of success. While investment in local productions is always a good thing, producing content that nobody watches is not a sustainable business model.
The Big Question is a series from Euronews Business where we sit down with industry leaders and experts to discuss some of the most important topics on today’s agenda.
Watch the video above to see the full discussion with Netflix’s Larry Tanz.
Additional sources • Edited by Arno Aubert