Netflix acquires Ben Affleck's AI startup InterPositive for $587 million

Jul 17, 2026

Netflix acquired Ben Affleck's AI startup InterPositive for approximately $587 million, a price revealed in an SEC filing. The company already uses AI in about 300 productions for tasks like expanding crowd scenes. Co-CEO Ted Sarandos says the technology provides creatives with better tools and that savings will likely fund more content, not shrink its $20 billion budget.

Netflix AI acquisition

▪Netflix paid approximately $587 million for the acquisition of InterPositive in March, a price revealed in an SEC filing.
▪Netflix acquired Ben Affleck’s AI startup, InterPositive.

AI production applications

▪The docuseries "The American Experiment" featured 17 minutes of AI-assisted footage, produced at half the cost and twice the speed.
▪Netflix uses AI in about 300 productions, primarily in post-production.
▪Beyond InterPositive, Netflix also uses an AI tool called Eyeline and operates its own animation lab.
▪According to Co-CEO Ted Sarandos, AI speeds up the entire production pipeline from concept development to delivery.
▪Netflix uses AI for tasks like expanding crowd scenes and historical battle sequences that might otherwise be cut for budget reasons.

Industry adoption patterns

▪Joel Kuwahara described the entertainment industry's attitude toward using AI as a "don't ask, don't tell" approach.
▪ByteDance's video model, Seedance, has drawn official criticism even as it is used behind the scenes in the entertainment industry.
▪Simpsons producer Joel Kuwahara says many studios quietly use AI tools like ByteDance's Seedance model.

Creative workforce implications

▪Netflix Co-CEO Ted Sarandos said savings from AI will "likely" fund more content rather than shrink the company's $20 billion budget.
▪Ted Sarandos stated that AI will give creatives better tools and is not changing the need for great artists.