Fans of former President Barack Obama may soon have the opportunity to binge-watch him on Netflix like they do with the streaming service’s other hit shows.
Sources close to the 44th commander in chief say he is in “advanced negotiations” to join the home of “Stranger Things” and “House of Cards.” Securing a deal would regularly put him one click away from Netflix’s 118 million subscribers.
“President and Mrs. Obama have always believed in the power of storytelling to inspire,” Eric Schultz, a senior adviser to the former president, told The New York Times on Thursday. “Throughout their lives, they have lifted up stories of people whose efforts to make a difference are quietly changing the world for the better. As they consider their future personal plans, they continue to explore new ways to help others tell and share their stories.”
The newspaper noted that Mr. Obama has strong ties to Netflix’s chief content officer, Ted Sarandos.
“[He] is married to Nicole A. Avant, an activist who served as Mr. Obama’s ambassador to the Bahamas,” The Times reported. “And Reed Hastings, the chief executive of Netflix, was close to Mr. Obama while he was president and an attendee at state dinners.”
A spokesman for Netflix declined to comment for the newspaper’s report.
“Several people familiar with the Netflix discussions said that executives from Apple and Amazon, which have their own streaming services, have also expressed interest in talking with Mr. Obama about content deals,” the newspaper added.
• Douglas Ernst can be reached at dernst@washingtontimes.com.
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