Netflix and AI: 300 Titles and the Ben Affleck Deal

In July 2025, Netflix presented a sequence from The Eternaut as the first use of final footage generated with AI in one of its productions. The collapse of a building in Buenos Aires had been completed ten times faster than with traditional visual effects. One year later, the experimental phase has taken on a different scale: Netflix reports GenAI workflows in more than 300 titles and investments in the infrastructure designed to support them, including Eyeline and InterPositive.

The deal for Warner Bros. Discovery’s studios and streaming assets collapsed on February 27, 2026, freeing Netflix from the financial commitment and leaving it with a $2.8 billion termination payment. Six days later, the group announced the acquisition of InterPositive, a company founded by Ben Affleck, for approximately $587 million, paid entirely in cash.

The scale of the investment shows that artificial intelligence has become an essential component of Netflix’s production pipeline. More importantly, however, it signals a broader strategic shift: after the failed attempt to acquire Warner’s vast portfolio of intellectual property, the group is concentrating its resources on proprietary production technologies and formats already proven on YouTube, from video podcasts to creator-led content.

InterPositive Becomes an Internal Infrastructure

InterPositive was founded in 2022 to develop tools specifically for film productions rather than a general-purpose video generator. Affleck explained that the company built a proprietary dataset on a controlled soundstage, reproducing the conditions, language and problems of a real set. Its models focus on filmmaking techniques rather than actors’ performances.

The applications described include reconstructing missing shots, replacing backgrounds, correcting lighting and maintaining visual and editorial consistency. The entire team has joined Netflix, while Affleck has remained as a senior adviser. The acquisition therefore gives the platform direct access to expertise, models and software development, bringing in-house part of the post-production process that would normally depend on external suppliers.

The results outlined by Ted Sarandos regarding Netflix’s use of AI came during an earnings call marked by solid financial results and a more cautious response to the company’s outlook. During the quarter, Netflix recorded revenue of $12.56 billion, up 13.4%, and net income of $3.4 billion. Its shares closed the following trading session down 7.3%, after the company forecast revenue growth of 11.7% for the third quarter.

The market’s reaction was not caused by AI, but it makes the pressure on Netflix more apparent: the company must turn greater speed and lower costs into stronger margins and more content.

The Savings Return to Netflix’s Content Budget

Netflix has not published a list of the 300 titles, nor has it specified how extensive an AI-assisted intervention must be for a production to be included in that figure. The examples provided, however, include the Indian production Glory, the Brazilian documentary Brasil 70: A Saga do Tri and the American docuseries The American Experiment.

The tools were used to expand crowds, reconstruct historical battles and create establishing shots. The American Experiment alone contains 17 minutes of AI-enhanced footage, produced, according to Sarandos, in half the time and at half the cost of the previous alternatives.

Asked how the savings would be used, Sarandos said they would be reinvested in producing additional content for the service. He did not, however, disclose the total amount saved or indicate how much might translate into higher pay or new opportunities for production workers.

The acquisition of InterPositive now gives Netflix control over a new technical layer positioned between creative decision-making and budget allocation.