Netflix chooses Toronto as location for its corporate office in Canada

Lights, camera, action.

Major John Tory announced Tuesday that Netflix will open its state-of-the-art and long-awaited Canadian office in Toronto.

Netflix said in February it planned to open an office in this country but was still figuring out the location. It had been eyeing Toronto and Vancouver since the streamer shoots several productions in both markets.

Ted Sarandos, Netflix’s co-CEO, announced in March that would open a head office in Canada citing the country as “an important part of our business.”

“As we grow our business and presence all across Canada, we’re excited that Toronto will be our first local office,” Sarandos said Tuesday in a statement.

“We’re looking forward to opening our doors and building on the great work we’ve started with our creative partners to bring more Canadian artists and stories to the world.”

Toronto is already the home of one of Netflix’s two Canadian Production Hubs.

The hub has generated some critically acclaimed international productions including Jupiter’s Legacy, The Umbrella Academy, and The Queen’s Gambit.

Netflix adds it expects 10 to 15 employees will be based in Toronto. The first hiring priority is the content executive, who will work directly with creators on ideas and pitches for films and series.

Job postings for other Toronto positions will be announced on the careers section of its website.

“In very difficult times this is the kind of news that gives us hope! We have been working hard to make sure Netflix’s new Canadian office would be in Toronto. We put together a bid book in days to make the case for Netflix to locate here and engage with our creative industry,” said Tory in a news release.

“Our pitch was clear – Toronto is a film-friendly city which welcomes and celebrates the screen industry, the quality, and diversity of our talent pool is second to none, and we have a robust and ever-expanding production and post-production industry.”

The streaming giant’s rapidly growing presence in Canada has spawned over 20 Canadian partnerships and “helped support the career development of more than 600 Canadian creators to date,” Sarandos says.

In 2019, the film, television, and digital media sector contributed $2.2 billion to Toronto’s economy and employed more than 30,000 people, according to the city.

Tory said he believes the industry has strongly adapted to COVID-19 regulations, with robust health and safety guidelines, and will continue to be a driver of ongoing economic recovery in 2021 and beyond.

Tory said adding an office in Canada also allows Netflix executives to be closer to Canadian creators, so they could build relationships and field pitches.

“I want to thank Netflix for making the right choice for their company and for our city. This has been a tough year for Toronto and all cities, all businesses, and all residents but today’s news is one more example of our determination to help sectors get through the pandemic, to protect and grow jobs in our city, and to make sure we come back stronger than ever.”

Netflix has 21 offices around the world, in cities including Amsterdam and Rome.

The company recently celebrated its 10-year anniversary in Canada and has seven million Canadian subscribers.

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With files from The Canadian Press