Obamas + Netflix = TV Heaven
Words by Victoria Fell
With 101 million Twitter followers and 55 million people who have liked his Facebook page, Barack Obama has never been short of social media reach. However, according to the New York Times, under the terms of a proposed deal (which has not yet been finalised), Netflix will pay the Obamas for exclusive content that would be available only on the streaming service.
According to sources familiar with deal, the shows that President Obama creates will not directly confront President Donald Trump and conservative critics and he is instead (although details of the show are yet to be revealed) likely to produce programmes that highlight inspirational stories.
Eric Schultz, a former senior adviser to Obama, backed up these theories when he said last week, 'President and Mrs. Obama have always believed in the power of storytelling to inspire.'
He continued: 'Throughout their lives, they have lifted up stories of people whose efforts to make a difference are quietly changing the world for the better. As they consider their future personal plans, they continue to explore new ways to help others tell and share their stories.'
It looks like Obama will not be shying away from controversial subject matters: The New York Times also suggested that a potential treatment would see Obama ‘moderate conversations on topics that dominated his presidency — health care, voting rights, immigration, foreign policy, climate change.’
It is unclear how much the Obamas would be paid for the deal, but with Netflix revenue reaching $11.6 billion at the end of 2017, we can’t imagine that it will be small change. Since leaving the White House in 2017, Barack and Michelle have both been hard at work - Obama is regularly paid hundreds of thousands of dollars for speeches around the world, while the memoirs that both Obamas are writing are said to have earned them up to $60 million.
Stranger Things, 13 Reasons Why and now The Obamas?! Netflix, we love you.
