Netflix’s head of US and Canada scripted series, Jinny Howe, has said the company is focusing on expanding its internal “studio capabilities,” aiming to reduce reliance on external partners and bring more content development in-house.
The strategy is designed to make Netflix more competitive in securing intellectual property (IP) and to strengthen its collaboration with creators. Under the evolving structure, the platform is also looking to take ideas that are not yet fully developed and shape them earlier in a “studio stage” within the company.
Howe noted that the goal is to increase overall output by working with both emerging and established talent, while building a broader and more diverse content slate. She also emphasized that Netflix will continue to scale its content investment and is now programming for a global audience of around one billion people. Success, she added, is evaluated through a “viewing relative to cost” framework.
The shift toward strengthening in-house studio capacity has gained further importance following Netflix’s unsuccessful attempt to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery’s studio assets. Despite that, the company is maintaining its planned $20 billion annual content spend for the year.
Alongside this broader strategy, Netflix is also placing increased emphasis on young adult (YA) content. As part of this push, the company has commissioned a new romantic drama series titled Icebreaker, set in the world of college ice hockey.
The series is based on Hannah Grace’s bestselling novel and is being adapted for television with Amanda Lasher serving as showrunner. The pilot was developed and written by Jade Bartlett, who will continue writing alongside Lasher. Alex Cooper is also attached as an executive producer through Unwell Productions.
Icebreaker follows Anastasia Allen, a competitive figure skater with Olympic ambitions, whose life changes when she is forced to share the rink with Nate Hawkins, a hockey player equally determined to go pro. As the two navigate intense rivalry and ambition on the ice, a complicated romantic tension emerges between them.
The novel is the first in the Maple Hills series and spent 70 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list. The adaptation reflects Netflix’s broader content strategy of investing in both established IP and original ideas from emerging creators, with a continued focus on expanding its YA slate.
