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Obama team could boast Netflix show

March 9, 2018

Barack and Michelle Obama are reportedly in talks with streaming service Netflix to produce exclusive shows. If finalized, the deal would be a major coup for the entertainment company.

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USA National Portrait Gallery enthüllt Porträts von den Obamas
Image: Reuters/J. Bourg

Former US President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle have advanced talks with streaming service Netflix to offer high-profile shows, The New York Times reported on Thursday.

Netflix did not respond to the newspaper's request for comment. However, Obama senior adviser Eric Schultz said in a statement given to the Associated Press that the Obamas are convinced of the power of storytelling to inspire others.

The Netflix series spearheaded by Obama would not be a platform to respond to developments in the current presidency of Donald Trump, The New York Times reported. The program would rather focus on inspiring stories.

Michelle Obama Fashion
Barack and Michelle Obama have always been charismaticImage: picture-alliance/AP Photo/C. Carlson

Media-savvy Obamas

The newspaper also reported that Apple and Amazon.com were interested in speaking with the former president about content deals.

The former president is extremely popular on social media, with over 101 million followers on Twitter and 55 million fans on his Facebook page. 

Last year, Penguin Random Houselanded book deals with Barack and Michelle Obama, with each to write one volume, after a global bidding auction exceeded $60 million (€48.8 million), the Financial Times reported.

Barack Obama was recently showcased on a new Netflix show by talk show giant David Letterman.

als/eg (Reuters, AP)