Back in February, Netflix brass announced they would be opening a new Canadian head office, either in Toronto or Vancouver, in order to be closer to Canada’s growing crop of creators. Yesterday, the video streaming service ending the speculation announcing their new office would indeed be based in Toronto. A posting for a new content executive position is expected to be posted in June.
“…we have built relationships with so many talented directors, screenwriters, actors, producers, animators and more”, they noted in their official statement back in February. “Canada is an amazingly diverse country and growing our presence locally will help us share more authentically Canadian stories with the world, whether through the development of original content or through co-production and licensing opportunities…As always, the goal is to give our members great choice and control over what they watch.”
One proud supporter of the deal is Toronto mayor John Tory who told reporters Tuesday, “In very difficult times, this is the kind of news that gives people in this city, and gives the city as a whole, hope.”
He went on to note that Netflix currently spends over $200 million a year shooting productions in the city the new and predicted the Toronto office will “become the second-biggest office next to the head office.”
The new office is in addition to the company’s existing Canadian footprint. Back in 2017, the company announced it would be investing $500 million in original Canadian content with funding from the federal government. Since then, Netflix has spent over $2.5 billion on productions in Canada and has developed over 20 local partnerships, supporting the career development of over 600 Canadian creators.
They also operate 164,000 square feet of production space at Cinespace Studios in Toronto where Netflix leases four sound stages, as well as office and support space, 84,580 square feet of production space at Pinewood Toronto Studios where Netflix leases four sound stages and office space, and 178,000 square feet of production space at Canadian Motion Picture Park in South Burnaby in the Vancouver metro area, including seven sound stages, as well as office and support space.
SHIFTER Film & TV
Related article: