Sundar Pichai Reveals Google-Parent Once Super Intensely Debated About Buying Netflix: 'In A World Of Butterfly Effects…'

Benzinga
2025.05.19 04:50
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Sundar Pichai Reveals Google-Parent Once Super Intensely Debated About Buying Netflix: 'In A World Of Butterfly Effects…'

Last week, Alphabet Inc. GOOG GOOGL CEO Sundar Pichai revealed that the tech giant once came close to acquiring Netflix Inc. NFLX.

What Happened: In a new interview on the All-In Podcast, Pichai was asked by David Friedberg about the biggest regrets or missed opportunities during his tenure as CEO.

While Pichai said that he tries not to dwell on regrets, when pressed further, he acknowledged one major what-if: Netflix.

"Maybe Netflix, right?" Pichai said. "We debated Netflix at some point super intensely inside."

"I wouldn't call it regrets, but you always look back … in a world of butterfly effects, there were alternate paths, but maybe they are in a different part of the multiverse."

Pichai also discussed Alphabet's broader innovation strategy, noting that despite appearing as a holding company, Alphabet focuses deeply on technology-first solutions.

"We are not just looking to invest capital in other attractive businesses," he said, adding that the company looks for problems where its technology and R&D can provide a differentiated value proposition.

He cited innovations like Waymo, Google Cloud and AI advancements through Gemini and DeepMind as examples of Alphabet's approach to incubating transformative businesses rooted in foundational research.

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Why It’s Important: Over the years, Google has made several successful acquisitions like YouTube, Android and Waze.

While Netflix focused early on original, data-driven content and global productions to become a major entertainment player, Google prioritized user-generated content through YouTube.

The two companies took different paths: Netflix bet on premium storytelling, while Google emphasized scale and creator-driven platforms.

In April, Alphabet reported first-quarter revenue of $90.23 billion, marking a 12% increase from the same period last year. The figure surpassed the Street consensus estimate of $89.2 billion. YouTube advertising revenue came in at $8.9 billion, ahead of the expected $8.1 billion.

Netflix reported first-quarter revenue of $10.54 billion, reflecting a 12.5% year-over-year increase. The result slightly exceeded the Street consensus estimate of $10.52 billion.

Price Action: In after-hours trading, Alphabet Inc.’s Class A shares dropped 1.64%, and Class C shares slipped 1.54%. Meanwhile, Netflix shares declined by 0.88%, according to Benzinga Pro.

Alphabet has a growth score of 66.98% based on Benzinga Edge Stock Rankings. Click here to compare it with other companies.

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