Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos acknowledged this week that the streaming service is struggling to grow at the pace he wants, a notable admission as the company's stock has come under pressure and questions mount about its ability to maintain its momentum.

“Overall, we’re not growing as fast as I want us to, and we’re working on making that move faster,” Sarandos said at Bloomberg’s 2026 Screentime event, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The admission comes after Netflix recorded only 2% viewership growth during the first half of 2026, raising concerns about whether the streaming giant can continue expanding after years of dominating the streaming market.

Netflix has increasingly turned to live programming as it searches for ways to boost engagement and attract new customers. The company has secured high-profile live events, including NFL games, but Sarandos acknowledged that the strategy currently produces a relatively small share of Netflix's overall viewing.

Sarandos said Netflix spends roughly 5% of its approximately $20 billion annual content budget on live programming, while that content generates only about 1% of total viewing. Although he argued that live events have helped generate new sign-ups and reduce cancellations, the figures raise questions about how efficiently Netflix is using its enormous content budget.

The company's stock has also faced pressure. Netflix shares dropped 5% in September after Wells Fargo downgraded the stock, citing concerns about user engagement and other trends that could threaten the company's growth.

Sarandos appeared to soften his earlier assessment later in the event, insisting that “the business is great and growing fine.” The conflicting comments highlight the challenge facing Netflix as executives attempt to reassure investors while acknowledging that growth has slowed.

The co-CEO also pushed back on the idea that Netflix is moving toward user-generated content, saying the company is “definitely” not in the UGC business and remains focused on professionally produced programming.

Sarandos was also asked about Netflix's unsuccessful effort to acquire Warner Bros. assets. He said he did not regret the bid and defended the price Netflix offered, arguing that the company had reached the highest point at which the deal could still generate value for shareholders.

“I think the plan was solid,” Sarandos said, adding that Netflix believed it had “priced it right” for a company of its size. He said paying more would have pushed the deal into negative territory despite Netflix's scale.

For a company that built its reputation on rapid streaming growth and aggressive expansion, Sarandos' admission that Netflix is not growing quickly enough comes at an awkward time. The company's continued reliance on massive content spending and new strategies such as live programming now faces greater scrutiny as investors look for evidence that Netflix can reignite growth.