Netflix Chief Content Officer Bela Bajaria is leaving, will be replaced by Peter Rice

Netflix on Thursday announced Bela Bajaria will be replaced as the company's chief content officer by former Disney exec Peter Rice, effective Oct. 26. Rice most recently oversaw Disney's cable channels, news programming and coverage of major sporting events. "Peter is one of the most effective at-scale operators in the entertainment industry," co-CEO Ted Sarandos said in a statement. "I'm excited to welcome him to Netflix as Chief Content Officer as we continue to scale and deliver members more of the stories they love." Bajaria, who is leaving Netflix after 10 years, most recently worked as the company's global content team. She had been focused on the company's live sports strategy , looking to create events out of buzzy games and tournaments.